A FOOD TRADITION

Hunan cuisine

Hunan cuisine comes from the Xiang River basin, western mountains, and Dongting Lake area of south-central China. It is especially associated with fresh and preserved chilies, garlic, shallots, fermented black beans, smoked meats, river fish, pork, and pickled vegetables. Stir-frying, steaming, smoking, braising, and curing are all important, and dishes often combine heat with sourness, fermentation, or pronounced savory aromas rather than relying only on chili heat. Representative examples include Chairman Mao’s red-braised pork, steamed fish head with chopped chilies, and smoked pork with dried beans. Hunan cooking is related to, but distinct from, neighboring Sichuan cuisine.

Catalogue preview Cuisine connections may be unreviewed. Regional comparisons include their food references and do not establish the ingredients of a particular meal.