Hunan cuisine, also called Xiang cuisine, has long been reputed as a land of fish and rice as products abound and the people live in plenty in Hunan. It gives priority to abundance, fatness, smoothness and moist and mostly take chillis as the main course. It not only has the saltiness of the north and the sweetness of the south, but also the hotness and sourness of local characteristics. It is characterized by fragrance, tenderness, clearness and crispness. Its seleted materials are based on the principle of being fresh and cheap but good. Hunan cuisine is especially particular about the tastiness of raw materials. It has varied cooking techniques such as sautéing, stir-frying, steaming and smoking. It is especially good at "stewing" dishes.

However, it is most skillful in braising and baking, by which dishes of original flavor can be cooked. It has excellent cutting techniques and is both excellent in appearance and flavor. The dishes are changeable with all shapes. The special seasonings of Hunan cuisine include soy sauce, tea seed oil, spicy oil, Chinese red pepper, fennel and cassia bark, which add color to the cuisine. Hunan cuisine is noted for pungency. What is especially worthy of mention is Hunan chilli, which is also especially spicy. The local people of Hunan have a preference for chillis and put them in almost everything they eat.China Travel,China Travel,China Travel,

Representative dishes:Zu'ang shark fin, chicken with cayenne pepper, sweet-smelling and crisp duck, braised pork with lotus seed, crispy crushed bean slices, hot pot sliced chicken with chilli, Dong'an chicken, yolkless egg with log flower mushroom and welk and duck with tea-tree mushroom.