Hunan (Xiang) Cuisine

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 is consisted of three styles: Xiang River style which is represented by dishes of Changsha, Dongting Lake style which is represented by dishes of Hengyang, and western Hunan style which is represented by dishes of Xiangtan.
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. Hunan is known for its liberal use of chilli peppers, shallots and garlic.
Xiang cuisine is known for being dry hot, or purely hot, as opposed to Szechuan cuisine, the neighbor to which it is often compared. Hunan Cuisine is often spicier and contains a larger variety of ingredients. Other characters distinguish Hunan cuisine from Szechuan cuisine is that in general, Hunan cuisine utilizes smoked and curing food in its dishes much more frequently than Szechuan cuisine. Hunan cuisine dishes are often more oily and look darker than Szechuan cuisine dishes.
Another feature of Hunan cuisine is the menu will change following the season’s alternation. In a hot and humid summer, a meal will usually start with cold dishes or a platter holding a selection of cold meats with chillies for opening the pores and keeping cool in the summer. In winter, a popular choice is the hot pot, for heating the blood in the cold months. A special hot pot called lover's hot pot is famous for splitting the pot into a spicy and a lighter side.