By Ye Jun (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-01-19 09:28

Quanjude, the iconic Peking roast duck restaurant chain, is under fire for its plan to use more electric ovens rather than traditional wood-fired ones at some Beijing branches.

A file picture shows Quanjude cook holds a roast duck in front of a brick oven. Quanjude is under fire for its plan to use more electric ovens rather than traditional wood-fired ones at some Beijing branches. [China Daily]

An industry-wide storm has erupted over the proposed changes to the way the time-honored dish is cooked, revealed last month by Quanjude Group General Manager Xing Ying.

The move is part of the chain's expansion from 50 to 100 branches around the country by next year. Speaking at the Beijing Business Summit Forum, Xing said the expansion came in the wake of its phenomenal performance since its November debut on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

Since becoming China's first catering business to go public, Quanjude's share price soared 466 percent to 64.53 yuan ($8.90) this week. The group will use the 388 million yuan ($53.5 million) raised to fund new outlets and introduce computerized ovens.

"We have cooperated with a German firm to produce computer-controlled ovens to roast ducks. Computerized ovens, while guaranteeing quality, simplify, standardize and automate the roasting process," Xing said.

Peking roast duck is traditionally heated by fruitwood in a brick oven, imparting the duck with a golden sheen. Traditionalists have balked at the prospect of a piece of metal replacing a master chef preparing duck in a wood-fired oven .

Quanjude claims to have produced a computerized oven that can standardize the time, temperature and humidity of the roasting process.

An anonymous source at Quanjude said the oven is already used in some of its outlets where fires are not permitted.

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