Contains: Gluten, Soy

Free from: Palm Oil, Nuts

I remember waiting six months at a time for Chinese New Year or Half Year to come round literally just for my mother to make crispy duck pancakes so if there was ever an authority in this department, that would be me. At £2.50 for 300g (which if you’re a hungry hungry hippo like me then that’s around 3 or so servings) you could not find a better bargain for near authenticity. If you don’t buy this, you’ve insulted my ancestors.

Now first off, if you turned your nose up at the idea of “duck” then turn it down. Next open the bag because inside you’ll find that not only is this it the right rich, mahogany colour that it should be but the packaging doesn’t lie. This is shredded. Pulled meat alternatives are hard to come by in terms of aesthetics but this is exactly that.  As soon as it hit the skillet, I was honestly teleported back to mama’s kitchen with the smell of thick hoisin sauce in the air, preparing rice pancakes and chopping spring onions. Linda has scored major points in keeping it true to the real deal here.

Taste-wise it’s absolute perfection. The Chairman himself would shed a tear, it’s not overpowered by the typically heavy-duty hoisin flavour (though they’ve not skimped out, it’s definitely detectable) and the texture is on par with what you’d expect – supple yet chewy. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is only suitable for those fancy pancakes either, the flavouring and texture is flexible enough that you’d could sprinkle these into most rice dishes and you’d be in for a treat.

Would I be able to tell the difference between this and regular shredded duck? I’d probably be too busy face down in the bowl to respond… But honestly, I cannot sing its praises enough. This is the most genuine taste of home I’ve had in a while.

• My Rating: 5/5
• Omnivore Score: 5/5
• Overall: 5/5

Find this product at: Tesco and Sainsbury’s