Duck is the meat of the domesticated waterfowl Anas platyrhynchos domesticus, a descendant of the wild mallard. Darker, fattier and far more strongly flavoured than chicken, it is prized for a thick layer of fat under its skin that renders crisp and golden, and for rich, ruby-red breast meat best served pink. From Peking duck to French confit, it anchors some of the world's grandest cooking.