does one breed of duck taste "better" than another?

[scottishpet]

I am trying to narrow down a duck breed choice. Since I want both meat and eggs Peking ducks were suggested. But I have a question about duck meat. Does one breed taste different than another? I know a few people who have eaten Bresse chicken and declare it is the very best tasting chicken out there. Is there a similar decoration in duck? I know what you feed, how they are processed, etc can have a huge impact, but is there a difference in the taste (all things being equal) one breed to another? Also is there anything that makes the meat taste better, or things to avoid?

[Killerbunny]

OK and I know it's not really "duck" but Muscovy IMO is outstanding and makes wonderful broth with the carcase.

[windwalkingwolf]

I've not found there to be a difference in flavour between breeds myself, but I don't have any sort of refined palate :-/. Killerbunny is right about Muscovy: it's quite different from "real" ducks. It tastes more like beef (veal, sort of) than chicken lol.

[baronrenfrew]

it largely depends on diet - go hunting and shoot a Merganser, a fish eating duck, and its definetly different - for domestic ducks, likely not much difference other than texture, body shape, and maybe age (feed a duck corn vs snails and bugs and you'll notice a difference)

where it matters in chickens is much the same, old laying hens have more flavour but tougher texture, modern meat birds kept in a barn and processed at six weeks taste like nothing (thus modern cooking is all sauces), where a chicken butchered at 16 weeks and pastured is definetly better