Hunan cuisine
Encyclopedia
Hunan cuisine, sometimes called Xiang cuisine , consists of the cuisines of the Xiang River
region, Dongting Lake
and western Hunan
Province, in China
. Hunan cuisine consists of three styles:
Hunan cuisine is one of the eight regional cuisines of China
and is well known for its hot spicy flavor, fresh aroma and deep color. Common cooking techniques include stewing, frying, pot-roasting, braising, and smoking. Due to the high agricultural output of the region, ingredients for Hunan dishes are many and varied.
Known for its liberal use of chili pepper
s, shallot
s and garlic
, Xiang cuisine is known for being dry hot (干辣) or purely hot, as opposed to the better known Sichuan cuisine, to which it is often compared. Sichuan cuisine is known for its distinctive málà
(hot and numbing) seasoning and other complex flavour combinations, frequently employ Sichuan peppercorns along with chilies which are often dried, and utilizes more dried or preserved ingredients and condiments. Hunan Cuisine, on the other hand, is often spicier by pure chili content, contains a larger variety of fresh ingredients, and tends to be oilier. Another characteristic distinguishing Hunan cuisine from Sichuan cuisine is that, in general, Hunan cuisine uses smoked and cured goods in its dishes much more frequently.
Another feature of Hunan cuisine is that the menu changes with the seasons. In a hot and humid summer, a meal will usually start with cold dishes or a platter holding a selection of cold meats with chilies for opening the pores and keeping cool in the summer. In winter, a popular choice is the hot pot
, thought to heat the blood in the cold months. A special hot pot called (鸳鸯火锅 yuān yāng hǔo gūo) lover's hot pot is notable for splitting the pot into a spicy side and a milder side.
Xiang River
The Xiang River , in older transliterations as the Siang River or Hsiang River, is a river in southern China...
region, Dongting Lake
Dongting Lake
Dongting Lake, or Lake Dongting is a large, shallow lake in northeastern Hunan province, China. It is a flood basin of the Yangtze River . Hence the lake's size depends on the season...
and western Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
Province, in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Hunan cuisine consists of three styles:
| Style | Originating regions |
|---|---|
| Xiang River Xiang River The Xiang River , in older transliterations as the Siang River or Hsiang River, is a river in southern China... |
Changsha |
| Xiangtan | |
| Hengyang | |
| Dongting Lake Dongting Lake Dongting Lake, or Lake Dongting is a large, shallow lake in northeastern Hunan province, China. It is a flood basin of the Yangtze River . Hence the lake's size depends on the season... |
Yueyang |
| Changde | |
| western Hunan Hunan ' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting... |
Zhangjiajie |
| Jishou | |
| Huaihua |
Hunan cuisine is one of the eight regional cuisines of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and is well known for its hot spicy flavor, fresh aroma and deep color. Common cooking techniques include stewing, frying, pot-roasting, braising, and smoking. Due to the high agricultural output of the region, ingredients for Hunan dishes are many and varied.
Known for its liberal use of chili pepper
Chili pepper
Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...
s, shallot
Shallot
The shallot is the botanical variety of Allium cepa to which the multiplier onion also belongs. It was formerly classified as the species A. ascalonicum, a name now considered a synonym of the correct name...
s and garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
, Xiang cuisine is known for being dry hot (干辣) or purely hot, as opposed to the better known Sichuan cuisine, to which it is often compared. Sichuan cuisine is known for its distinctive málà
Sichuan mala
Mala sauce refers to a popular Chinese oily spicy and numbing sauce which consists of Sichuanese peppercorn, chili pepper and various spices simmered with oil....
(hot and numbing) seasoning and other complex flavour combinations, frequently employ Sichuan peppercorns along with chilies which are often dried, and utilizes more dried or preserved ingredients and condiments. Hunan Cuisine, on the other hand, is often spicier by pure chili content, contains a larger variety of fresh ingredients, and tends to be oilier. Another characteristic distinguishing Hunan cuisine from Sichuan cuisine is that, in general, Hunan cuisine uses smoked and cured goods in its dishes much more frequently.
Another feature of Hunan cuisine is that the menu changes with the seasons. In a hot and humid summer, a meal will usually start with cold dishes or a platter holding a selection of cold meats with chilies for opening the pores and keeping cool in the summer. In winter, a popular choice is the hot pot
Hot pot
Hot pot , less commonly Chinese fondue or steamboat, refers to several East Asian varieties of stew, consisting of a simmering metal pot of stock at the center of the dining table. While the hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table...
, thought to heat the blood in the cold months. A special hot pot called (鸳鸯火锅 yuān yāng hǔo gūo) lover's hot pot is notable for splitting the pot into a spicy side and a milder side.
History
The history of the cooking skills employed in the Hunan cuisine dates back many centuries. During the course of its history, Hunan cuisine assimilated a variety of local forms, eventually evolving into its own style. It now contains more than 4,000 dishes, such as fried chicken with Sichuan spicy sauce (麻辣鸡丁) and smoked pork with dried long green beans（干豆角蒸腊肉).| English | Simplified Chinese |
|---|---|
| Beer duck | 啤酒鸭 |
| Changsha-style rice vermicelli Rice vermicelli Rice vermicelli are thin noodles made from rice and are a form of rice noodles. They are sometimes referred to as rice noodles or rice sticks, but they should not be confused with cellophane noodles, which is another type of vermicelli.... |
长沙米粉 |
| Changsha-style stinky tofu Stinky tofu Stinky tofu or chòu dòufu is a form of fermented tofu that has a strong odor. It is a popular snack in East and Southeast Asia, particularly mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong and in East Asian enclaves elsewhere where it is usually found homemade, at night markets or roadside stands, or as a... |
长沙臭豆腐 |
| Changde-style Changde Changde is a city in the north of Hunan Province, China, with a population of 5,717,218 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 1,232,182 in the built up area made of 2 urban districts .-History:... stewed beef with rice vermicelli |
常德（津市）牛肉米粉 |
| Dong'an chicken Dong'an Chicken Dong'an chicken is a Chinese food, consisting of parboiled chicken, chili peppers, and spices, all stir-fried with vegetable oil and vinegar. It is one of the signature dishes of Hunan chefs.... |
东安子鸡 |
| "Dry-wok" chicken | 干锅鸡 |
| Home-style bean curd | 家常豆腐 |
| Lotus seed Lotus seed Lotus seeds or lotus nuts are the seeds of plants in the genus Nelumbo, particularly the species Nelumbo nucifera. The seeds are of great importance to East Asian cuisine and are used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine and in Chinese desserts. The seeds are most commonly sold in the... s in rock sugar syrup |
冰糖湘莲 |
| Mao's Mao Zedong Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution... braised pork |
毛氏红烧肉 |
| Numbing-and-hot chicken | 麻辣子鸡 |
| Smoky flavours steamed together | 腊味合蒸 |
| Spare ribs Spare ribs Spare ribs are a variety of pork ribs and beef ribs, cooked and eaten in various cuisines around the world. They are the most inexpensive cut of pork and beef ribs. They are a long cut from the lower portion of the pig or cattle, specifically the belly and breastbone, behind the shoulder, and... steamed in bamboo |
|
| Steamed fish heads in chili sauce | 剁椒蒸鱼头 |
| Stir-fried duck blood | 炒血鸭 |
| Stir-fried meat with douchi Douchi Douchi , also called Chinese fermented black beans , is a flavoring most popular in the cuisine of China, and is used to make black bean sauce.... and chilli peppers |
豆豉辣椒炒肉 |
| Mashed shrimp in lotus pod | |
| Pearly meatballs | 珍珠肉丸 |
| Pumpkin cake | 南瓜餅 |