China Through Food: Hunan

When it comes to Chinese cuisine, there are some things called the “Eight Great Traditions.” These are basically the eight styles of cuisine in which Chinese food is usually categorized, based on which region of china that cuisine originates from. Each tradition has a particular style and certain flavor to it, and I am making it an effort to eat each style at least once while I am here. This post is going to be focused on the Xiang tradition, which is sometimes called Hunan as well. This cuisine is known for spicy flavor due to wide use of chilies and garlic, a wonderful smell, and a dark and deep color. The heat that comes from Hunan cuisine is usually different from Sichuan heat (another spicy cuisine) in that it is “dry hot.” Hunan cuisine is also considered to be oilier than Sichuan cooking. Stews and braising are very common when it comes to this cuisine.