Also
known as Xiang Cai, Hunan cuisine has already developed
into a famous culinary school in China. Hunan dishes consist
of local dishes from the Xiangjiang River area, Dongting
Lake area and Western Hunan mountain area. Hunan's culinary
specialties are akin to those of the chili-rich Sichuan
dishes.
It is also characterized by thick and pungent flavor.
Chili, pepper and shallot are usually necessaries in this
division. However, Chili, peppers, garlic (suan) and an
unusual sauce, called "strange-flavor" sauce
(guai wei jiang) on some menus, enliven many dishes, with
a somewhat drier intensity than that of their Sichuan
counterparts. Sweetness, too, is a Hunan culinary passion,
and honey sauces are favored in desserts such as water
chestnut or cassia flower cakes.
Hunan is known as "the land of fish and rice".
Like the west in latitude, it has the added bonus of lowlands
for rice cultivation and a rich ocean's edge for fish.
Hunan food is characterized by its hot and sour flavor,
fresh aroma, greasiness, deep color, and the prominence
of the main flavor in the dishes. Hunan food is hot because
the climate is very humid, which makes it difficult for
human body to eliminate moisture. The local people eat
hot peppers to help remove dampness and cold. The main
cooking methods for Hunan dishes are braising, double-boiling,
steaming and stewing. It is also renowned for its frequent
use of preserved meat in cooking.
Rice is the staple in Hunan, but northern-style side dishes
and fillers are also popular: bean curd "bread"
rolls or dumplings and savory buns. They are further signs
that Hunan is one of China's culinary heartland, incorporating
many flavors and regional influences.
Typical courses include: Dong'an chick; peppery and hot
chick, stir-fried tripe slivers, tripe in duck's web soup,
lotus seed with rock candy, Xiaoxiang turtle, steamed
pickled meat, and hot and spicy frog leg |
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