Xiang Cuisine (湘菜) — Hunan: The Spiciest of the Eight Great Cuisines
Origin
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Description
Xiang cuisine (湘菜, Hunan cuisine) is considered by many to be the spiciest of China's Eight Great Cuisines — and unlike Sichuan's mala (numbing-spicy), Hunan's heat is pure and direct. Hunan does not use Sichuan peppercorn; instead it relies on the searing, direct heat of fresh chillis (both fresh and pickled), smoked preparations, and a distinctive preference for sour and smoky flavour notes alongside the chilli heat. Hunan is the home province of Mao Zedong, and several iconic Hunan dishes — the red-braised pork (hong shao rou), the steamed fish head with chopped chilli (duo jiao yu tou) — are associated with Mao's preference for strongly flavoured food.
The Thread
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Flavour Context
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