Hunan Cuisine (Part Two)
Hunan Cuisine (Part Two)
Dear friends:
Just now I gave you a brief introduction to the characteristics of Hunan cuisine, how it differs from other regional cuisines, and its current status. I believe you now have some understanding of Hunan cuisine. So now, while we have the opportunity to eat, I would like to introduce to you the history, geography, and cultural environment from which Hunan cuisine emerged. Otherwise, if you say Hunan cuisine is delicious but lack an understanding of its history and culture, then eating Hunan cuisine will lack a certain mellow depth of flavor.
Why has Hunan cuisine endured for thousands of years without decline? It is because Hunan cuisine features: distinctive ingredients, delivering flavor; skillful techniques, enlivening flavor; rich aroma, awakening flavor; brilliant colors, endowing flavor; elegant names, evoking flavor; and exquisite vessels, enhancing flavor.
A thousand years of Hunan cuisine, a thousand tastes and flavors, nourishing generations of Hunan people. When Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty lingered on Dongting Lake, he wrote the verse: "The white gulls will not rest, vying to brush the wine banquet as they fly." Hunan cuisine and fine local dishes from the mountains and waters of Hunan are attracting countless guests with their unique "six flavors."
Distinctive Ingredients: Rich and Savory
Hunan's abundant plant and animal resources provide an endless supply of unique raw materials for Hunan cuisine.
Winter bamboo shoots, winter amaranth, red vegetable sprouts, chives, and lotus root are known as the "Five Vegetables of Hunan." Winter bamboo shoots from Dawei Mountain in Liuyang are the best; dishes made with them include pan-fried winter bamboo shoots, winter bamboo shoots with cured meat, stir-fried winter bamboo shoots with pickled vegetables, and braised winter bamboo shoots in oil—tender, golden-yellow, crisp, and nutritious. Winter amaranth is characterized by its soft, glutinous, fresh tenderness; whether stir-fried, boiled, made into soup, or cooked in a hot pot, it is delicious and flavorful. Stir-frying winter bamboo shoots, winter amaranth, and winter mushrooms together is called "Stir-fried Three Winters," combining winter bamboo shoots from Dawei Mountain in Liuyang, winter amaranth from Pingjiang, and premium winter mushrooms from Fujian—bringing together the best of three fresh ingredients with a distinctive flavor. Among lotus roots, the "Jade Arm Lotus Root" from Hanshou is the most famous—thick as an arm, white as jade, sweet as honey, tender and crisp, melting in the mouth. Hunan's chives are known for their fine leaves, short stems, fragrant aroma, thick tender flesh, and strong pungent taste, also called "fragrant chives"; because they "grow emerald again after cutting," they are called "a bundle of gold."
Soft-shelled turtle, silverfish, mandarin fish, bighead carp, and crayfish are collectively known as the "Five Fresh Delicacies of Dongting." Since ancient times, Dongting soft-shelled turtle has been unsurpassed; Hunan chefs prepare "Steamed Soft-Shelled Turtle Skirt and Legs," "Wuling Soft-Shelled Turtle in Original Sauce," and "Braised Soft-Shelled Turtle"—all tender, richly aromatic, and delicious. "Fire-Dried Silverfish," "Milk Soup Silverfish," and "Snowflake Silverfish" are supreme delicacies. "Spicy Crayfish" made with Dongting Lake crayfish has become popular from south to north. The bighead carp head, unique to Dongting, paired with Hunan chili peppers, garlic, and perilla, is absolutely delicious. Hunan's dried vegetables are enticingly fragrant; cured meat, fire-dried fish, and dried radish are Hunan people's "Three Supreme Dried Dishes." Among them, stir-fried cured meat with dried radish is the most classic—the dried radish is golden, sweet, and crisp, and the cured meat's smoky aroma blends into one, a taste that never grows tiresome after a thousand years.
Skillful Techniques: Delicious and Lively Flavors
Hunan cuisine emphasizes knife skills. A qualified Hunan chef can "cut shreds fine enough to thread a needle, slice thin enough to read through"; a piece of silk cloth is placed on the cutting board, and the meat is cut through while the cloth remains undamaged. "Hair-Thin Beef Tripe" is a representative of traditional Hunan cuisine—coarse beef tripe is cut by the chef into strands as fine as hair. This dish not only demonstrates exquisite knife skills but also features seasoned sauce that penetrates the ingredients without visible sauce; when eaten, the sauce seeps out from the "shreds" into the mouth, releasing sour, spicy, salty, and fresh flavors with a crisp, refreshing texture. "Butterfly Crossing the Sea" at Fire Palace uses snakehead fish from Dongting Lake, deboned and sliced—the fish slices are thin as paper, glistening and translucent.
Cantonese cuisine emphasizes "simmering" soup, Fujian cuisine emphasizes "blanching," Shandong cuisine emphasizes "clarifying," while Hunan cuisine emphasizes "decocting." "Let those with flavor release it; let those without flavor absorb it"—this is the secret of cooking. "Spicy chicken soup with soaked tripe, makes one long remember Yuloudong"—the "soup-soaked tripe" mentioned in this verse is the famous Hunan dish "Soup-Soaked Tripe Tips." This dish cleverly uses the art of "soup" to "burst" flavor "in." Ingredients processed with special knife techniques are rapidly blanched in specially made "soup"—this is called "bursting." The tripe tips are crisp and refreshing, and the soup is fresh and mellow. The famous Hunan dish "Turtle and Mutton Soup" is the art of "releasing" flavor—made by slowly simmering western Hunan mountain turtle and Liuyang black goat; after cooking, the gaminess and mutton odor are completely eliminated, leaving a rich fragrance, moderate sweetness, and unique flavor.
Heat control brings out flavor. This is perfectly demonstrated in Changsha stir-fries, Liuyang steamed dishes, and Changde clay pot dishes. For "Sour and Spicy Kidney Flowers," high-heat stir-frying emphasizes cooking just until done and quickly removing from the wok to achieve tenderness; for "Steamed Whole Duck in a Basin," thorough steaming is required so the meat becomes tender and falls apart while the whole duck retains its shape, yet the soup is clear as a mirror, fresh and rich in flavor, and nutritious.
Stewing also produces freshness. Stewing emphasizes high heat first, then low heat—high heat to cook through and remove off-flavors, low heat to slowly stew; the resulting dishes are soft and tender with clear, fresh-tasting soup. "Stew tofu a thousand times, stew fish ten thousand times"—this emphasizes the craft of stewing. "If you want good flavor, you must let time do the work."
Clever pairings endow flavor. One snake three ways, one duck four ways, one fish three ways—eating this way for thousands of years, the more you eat, the more flavorful it becomes. In the Dongting Lake area, eating soft-shelled turtle has the convention of "turtle intestine and turtle gallbladder"—when cooking soft-shelled turtle, turtle intestines are often added to cook together; this pairing enhances freshness and enriches flavor. Some ordinary ingredients, through clever pairing, can also produce classic Hunan dishes. Using the same Chinese cabbage, Hunan cuisine master Wang Moquan produces a distinctly different taste: stir-frying cabbage stems with Liuyang fermented black beans, Xiangtan's Longpai soy sauce, Changsha's Yuhe vinegar, and Shaoyang's fresh chili peppers yields a dish that is fragrant, richly colored, and full-flavored—crisp, spicy, and slightly sweet. This is "quick stir-fry." But braising cabbage with crab roe requires care: the crab roe must be thoroughly stir-fried in rendered lard until fragrant, then combined with clear chicken broth; the resulting Crab Roe with Cabbage—to hear it described, seems ordinary; to look at it, bright and clear; to smell it, elegantly fragrant; to eat it, tender and melting—achieving a sublime artistic realm. This is "refined braising."
"Quick stir-fry" and "refined braising"—just four simple words that express the art of clever pairing and clever cooking.
Rich Aroma: Awakening and Opening the Appetite
Aroma is the best trigger of appetite, and Hunan cuisine excels at awakening and opening the palate. Hunan cuisine most emphasizes natural aromas—only natural aromas are genuine and most captivating. Hunan cuisine also emphasizes the role of seasonings in enhancing the aroma of dishes.
When speaking of the aromas of Hunan cuisine, one cannot omit the aroma of spiciness. Steamed pork with white peppers, steamed chicken with sauce peppers, mandarin fish with fermented black beans and chili, stir-fried pork with chili peppers, oil-braised fingered citron bamboo shoots with chili, sour and spicy lamb trotters, spicy diced chicken, pounded chili stir-fried pork, chopped chili cabbage... each dish has its own spicy aroma, a hundred dishes with a hundred spicy flavors. That is why it is said: Sichuan people are not afraid of spiciness, Guizhou people fear no spiciness, and Hunan people fear nothing but not being spicy enough.
Brilliant Colors: Beautiful Appearance Endows Flavor
Hunan cuisine emphasizes color, which carries a double meaning: Hunan dishes not only feature deep, rich colors and vibrant hues, but also value the natural harmony of colors—highlighting the color of the main ingredient and using auxiliary ingredients for color accents.
Different colors have different effects on the sense of taste. To give people a feeling of cleanliness, lightness, and tenderness, white is employed—such as scallion-tossed tofu, steamed radish slices, and "White Jade Holding Pearls." To stimulate appetite and give a strong, vivid, rich sense of pleasure and excitement, red is highlighted—"Red-Braised Abalone," "Goldfish Playing Among Lotus" stir the soul. To give a feeling of tenderness, crispness, dryness with aroma, or freshness, yellow is dominant—using salted egg yolk and crab roe in dishes produces Salted Egg Yolk Braised Eggplant, Crab Roe Tofu, and Hunan Roast Suckling Pig, colored like amber yet resembling true gold. To give a fresh, tender, elegant, and bright feeling, green is cleverly used—green plants are often added to dishes, such as "Lucky Silk Gourd," stuffed bitter melon, and emerald fish rolls. To bring a fragrant, rich feeling, brown is highlighted—brown ingredients are often used, such as stir-fried black wood ear mushrooms.
Elegant Names: Refined and Lingering Flavor
Hunan dish names are elegant—elegant in what way? Dishes named after ingredients, flavor, shape, color, texture, vessel, and cooking techniques express a rustic elegance, such as "Purse Carp" and "Bamboo Tube Spare Ribs." Dishes named with metaphor, sentiment, and lyricism have a playful elegance, such as "Zilong Sheds His Robe," "Imperial Concubine Chicken," and "Farewell My Concubine." Dishes named after the novelty of cooking technique or the cleverness of flavor creation embody a novel and clever elegance—such as "Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms," made by cooking snake with duck webs. Dishes named after people or historical allusions, linking the dish to famous figures and stories, display a humorous elegance—such as Mao Family Braised Pork, General Tso's Chicken, Oil-Drenched Zhuang Chicken, and Zu'an Tofu—all unforgettable upon hearing.
If Huaiyang cuisine represents "affluence" and Shandong cuisine occupies the character "nobility," then Hunan cuisine is "a blend of the refined and the rustic"—some dishes bold and rough, some exquisite and delicate, some elaborate, some simple, with a thousand tastes and flavors, all capable of nourishing the body. Some even say: no wonder Hunan has produced famous singers like Li Guyi, He Jiguang, and Song Zuying.
Exquisite Vessels: Harmony Brings Out Flavor
Beautiful vessels enhance fine cuisine. Hunan cuisine not only pays great attention to cooking utensils, but also places great emphasis on the interplay between the finished dish and its serving vessel. The Changde clay pot dishes now popular on dining tables—a small earthenware pot—was originally a common item of Changde farmers and fishermen. A small stove is brought to the table with the dish; guests cook and eat as they go, preserving the ancient tradition of China's "ding food culture"—"striking the bell and arranging the tripods to eat, cooking here, eating here."
In the eyes of Hunan chefs, Tongguan pottery reflects the raw, bold authenticity of folk culture; Liling porcelain highlights an elegant refinement; Yiyang bamboo ware at the table brings the freshness of mountain wilderness and rural sentiment; western Hunan cast-iron hanging pots possess a rustic beauty; fresh fruits and vegetables carved into dishes let people feel the joy of green; gold and silver ware, jade and ivory, glass and crystal give a sense of luxury; clay pots and earthen jars, iron griddles and wooden boats, ceramic pieces never lose their character... Selectively blending these traditional elements representing Huxiang culture—integrating pottery culture, porcelain culture, bamboo culture, carving and fine arts culture, and food culture into one—Hunan cuisine is a delicious dish simmered from many cultures.
The formation of these characteristics is inseparable from Hunan's unique historical, geographical, and cultural background. Hunan is located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, surrounded by mountains on the west, south, and east, opening northward to the Dongting Lake Plain—a horseshoe-shaped basin. The four rivers—the Xiang, Zi, Yuan, and Li—originate here, flow convergently into Dongting Lake, and empty into the Yangtze River. This topography is quite unique in China. Lush mountain forests harbor countless resources; crisscrossing rivers and lakes irrigate the land; the nourishment and bounty of mountains and waters create rich and beautiful natural resources. Dongting Lake is the largest freshwater lake in the country. Fan Zhongyan described Dongting Lake in "Record of Yueyang Tower": "Holding distant mountains in its mouth, swallowing the Yangtze, vast and mighty, stretching to the boundless horizon." The splendor of river scenery is fully captured here. The fertile Dongting Lake Plain in northern Hunan has long been known as the "land of fish and rice." The "Book of Han: Treatise on Geography" says: Hunan has "fruits, gourds, turtles, and clams, food is always sufficient... food and drink are provided, no worry of freezing or hunger." The folk saying "When Huguang is ripe, the whole realm is fed" is even more widely known. Abundant produce provided exquisite ingredients for cuisine. More than two thousand years ago, the "Lüshi Chunqiu: Basic Flavor" praised: "The finest of vegetables is the celery of Yunmeng; the finest of fish is the zhuan of Dongting." According to research, "celery" refers to water celery—crisp, refreshing, with a sweet aftertaste. "Zhuan is the crucian carp." The purse crucian carp of Dongting Lake—plump and full, delicate and fresh—has always been treasured. In the late Tang Dynasty, Li Shangyin's poem "Dongting Fish" reads: "Dongting fish can be picked up, no need to cast nets; bustling as ants before rain, numerous as flies after autumn"—depicting the abundance of Hunan's aquatic products. And "Dongting Golden Turtle," "Wuling Soft-Shelled Turtle," "Junshan Silver Needle Tea," "Taoyuan Chicken," "Linwu Duck," "Wugang Goose," "Magnolia Slices," "Hunan Lotus Seeds," "Silverfish," and a host of other precious Hunan specialties have become the most acclaimed cooking ingredients. The ethnic composition within the province is complex; besides the Han people who later formed the majority, there were many ethnic minorities anciently called "Miao Man" and "Wuling Man." These unique geographical, historical, ethnic, and customary cultural factors together constitute the social, historical, and cultural background of the formation of Hunan cuisine. If Hunan cuisine's entry into the Eight Great Cuisines is partly due to favorable geographical conditions, then Hunan's long and profound history and culture in cooking and gastronomy is the second reason.
Hunan cuisine has a long history and is rich and varied. According to expert research, the division between northern and southern flavors in China appeared before the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Northern cuisine, centered on Qin, Yu, Jin, and Lu, was active in the Yellow River basin, using lamb, beef, and pork as main ingredients, with poultry and game sharing the plate, favoring fresh and salty flavors with rich, mellow soups; its typical dishes were the "Eight Treasures of the Zhou Dynasty." Southern cuisine, with Jing, Chu, Wu, and Yue as its main body, spread across the Yangtze River basin; it featured aquatic freshness mixed with exotic dishes, and fresh-salty flavors complemented by sour and sweet. This can be seen from a Chu palace sacrificial menu described in "Chu Ci: Summons of the Soul," which includes stewed soft-shelled turtle, braised turtle, pan-fried crucian carp, and braised wild duck. Hunan was anciently part of the State of Chu. If today's Hubei cuisine originated from Chu cuisine, then Hunan cuisine and Hubei cuisine share the same origin, both evolving from Chu cuisine as their mother body. As far back as the Warring States period, the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan, after being exiled to Hunan, described in his famous piece "Summons of the Soul" the diverse array of local delicacies: "The tendons of fat cattle, stewed until fragrant and tender." "Steamed chicken and stewed turtle, strongly flavored yet not cloying." By the Han Dynasty, Hunan's culinary arts had made considerable progress.
In 1974, the earliest known batch of bamboo slip menus was discovered in the Western Han tomb excavated at Mawangdui in Changsha, recording 103 precious dishes and nine major categories of cooking methods. Many of today's famous Hunan dishes and cooking techniques can trace their origins here. Those exquisite food and cooking vessels sufficiently reflect the luxurious life of slave-owning aristocrats who "did not tire of refined food, did not tire of finely cut meat." After the Six Dynasties, Hunan gradually gained the attention of rulers and scholar-officials: "Exiled officials and poets often gathered here." Figures such as Du Fu, Yuan Jie, Liu Zongyuan, and Xin Qiji either admired the scenery and came to visit, or suffered demotion and came to govern. On one hand, this promoted cultural prosperity and development; on the other hand, it enriched and enlivened the catering industry. The great Tang poet Li Bai, lingering over night drinking on Dongting Lake, wrote the fine verse: "The white gulls will not leave, vying to brush the wine banquet as they fly." Another famous poet, Wang Changling, moved by a wild banquet in the mountains of western Hunan, left the description: "On a summer night by the Yuan River, cool breeze is abundant; carrying spring wine, we go to the bamboo grove." Traditional famous dishes such as "Dong'an Chicken," "Pregnant Duck," "Dragon Girl's Pearl," and "Zilong Sheds His Robe" have histories of hundreds to a thousand years. It can be seen that Hunan's specialty foods and Hunan cuisine have deep roots and a long heritage—they come down in one continuous line.
The heyday of Hunan cuisine's development was the Ming and Qing dynasties, which was inseparable from the socio-economic development of the time, especially the growth of urban economy and culture. Producing exquisite dishes required a certain economic strength and material conditions, as well as the leisure and refinement of diners to appreciate them—and these could only be afforded in the households of high officials and nobles. Ordinary people could only innovate with home-style dishes. Therefore, the high-quality development of Hunan cuisine and the advancement of cooking techniques arose among wealthy families and official yamen. For example, government offices needed to host and send off ministers and officials from the capital; merchants' trade interactions and literary exchanges among scholar-officials often required banquets to cement relationships. Being in Hunan, one naturally had to entertain with distinctive Hunan-flavored dishes—which objectively and powerfully drove the development of Hunan cuisine. Diners' high demands for Hunan cuisine quality and society's great need for Hunan cuisine culinary professionals prompted attention to training Hunan cuisine chefs. The earliest Hunan chefs were mostly trained in the private kitchens of official families and nobles. Before long, these chefs brought their culinary skills and familiar Hunan dishes out into society and among the common people, thereby driving a leap in the quality of Hunan cuisine production across society.
Hunan, steeped in mountain sentiment and poetic charm, has mountains whose solidity and grandeur forged the Hunan people's strong character and straightforward personality. The delicacy and soft beauty of waters made Hunan women affectionate; and nature's influence—"the great earth lends me its patterns"—further made Hunan's literary culture flourish. Hunan people can wield guns in war and pens in peace, excelling in both civil and martial arts, combining strength and gentleness—just like the extraordinary grandeur of a geography embracing giant peaks and great lakes. From the late Qing to the Republic of China, Hunan truly brimmed with talent, producing heroes and worthies in every generation, holding a pivotal place in Chinese history. Their dietary preferences and influence are the third reason Hunan cuisine rose to national prominence.
In the late Qing, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom revolution spread across 18 provinces. Zeng Guofan, a native of Xiangxiang, Hunan, was ordered to supervise militia training in Changsha, train a navy, and lead the Xiang Army to suppress the Taiping forces, fighting across various provinces south of the Yangtze. By 1864 (the third year of Tongzhi), when Nanjing fell, over more than a decade the Xiang Army's meals were mainly Hunan cuisine, spreading Hunan flavors to various places, where they were widely accepted, triggering the development of Hunan cuisine. Zuo Zongtang, leader of the Self-Strengthening Movement and a native of Xiangyin, Hunan, led the Xiang Army fighting across the Tianshan region. As the army went, prolonged garrisoning brought Hunan cuisine to the northwestern provinces. Zuo Zongtang lived simply throughout his life but particularly loved the flavor of chicken stir-fried with ginger, garlic, and chili peppers; to show their admiration, his countrymen named this dish "General Tso's Chicken." To this day, this famous Hunan dish still appears on the menus of Hunan restaurants in New York, Tokyo, Hamburg, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Taipei. Another Xiang Army general, Peng Yulin, commanded the Great Qing's naval fleet, traveling through the provinces of the Yangtze River basin, spreading Hunan cuisine and absorbing the strengths of Jiangsu-Zhejiang and Sichuan-Yunnan cuisines, making Hunan cuisine increasingly widespread and refined.
Tan Yankai, a late Qing imperial examination graduate from Chaling, Hunan, courtesy name Zu'an, served as Hunan military governor and provincial governor, later as Chairman of the Nanjing National Government and the first President of the Executive Yuan. History will judge Mr. Zu'an's military and political achievements. But he had profound attainments in gastronomy and was a gourmet. At the time there was an exceptionally skilled chef named Cao Jinchen (Cao Jinchen, Song Shanzhai, Xiao Lusong, and Liu Sanhe were then Changsha's four great chefs), originally an official chef in a Qing yamen, who was spotted by Tan and taken on as his private chef. Cao was humble and eager to learn; at every banquet he would personally consult Tan, or after finishing a dish, listen behind a screen for comments. At grand banquets, when seasonal new dishes were served, Cao would eavesdrop behind the curtain—whether the heat was right, how the knife work was, or whether it was too salty or overcooked—taking these as his standards. Such was his humility. The high-ranking, well-paid Tan Yankai, as long as the food was good, never stinted no matter how expensive the ingredients. Cao's shark fin was what Tan appreciated most. Cao made shark fin by first stewing chicken and ham for a day or two; while others made a table of shark fin for only twenty or thirty yuan, his cost a hundred yuan per table. Whether at home or away, Tan always had Cao accompany him. Cao thoroughly understood Tan's preferences; at every banquet he would consult Tan himself, constantly innovating and planning to the utmost. Besides excelling in Hunan cuisine, Cao also mastered Cantonese cuisine and later studied Jiangsu-Zhejiang cuisine. By gathering the essence of other regional cuisines, the dishes of the Tan residence won high praise from many local celebrities, enjoying universal acclaim. Cao was called "Tan's Chef," and the Tan family dishes were called "Zu'an Grand Cuisine."
Hunan people are known for their hospitality, and Tan Yankai especially so. When guests came to visit, whenever it was mealtime, they were invariably treated lavishly. Everyone gathered around a round table, lively and crowded. For ease of eating, after repeated research and improvement, large bowls, large plates, long chopsticks, and large spoons were specially custom-made and introduced. This gradually became a trend, forming one of the characteristics of Hunan dining. Due to Tan Yankai's deep exploration of cuisine, Tan's chef's exquisite cooking techniques, and innovative unique recipes, over time others rushed to emulate them. Tan family dishes evolved into Hunan cuisine, enabling Hunan cuisine to develop its own distinctive style and occupy an important place among China's Eight Great Cuisines. Later, Tan's chef returned to Changsha and opened the "Jianleyuan" restaurant on Pozi Street near Fire Palace, branding all the dishes Tan Yankai had enjoyed with the two characters "Zu'an," such as "Zu'an Shark Fin" and "Zu'an Tofu." With vigorous promotion, business thrived, spreading Hunan cuisine's flavors and its extra-large plates, bowls, and long chopsticks even more widely, setting trends. In many provincial capitals and major cities, Hunan restaurants opened one after another, such as Nanjing Quyuan, Beijing Quyuan, and Changsha Xiaoxiang Restaurant—a large batch of large establishments opened successively, and Hunan cuisine gradually flourished. It can be said that the formation and spread of Zu'an cuisine had a great influence on the development of authentic Hunan cuisine.
By this time, the banquet industry in the provincial capital Changsha had developed considerably. Restaurants were divided into "xuan bang" and "tang bang"—xuan bang mainly operated dish deliveries, while tang bang mainly operated dine-in dishes. Tang bang restaurants did brisk business and soon formed the Ten Great Famous Restaurants. At the same time, industry members raised funds to build a patron saint temple on Yongqing Street in Changsha—Zhan Wang Palace—where chefs often gathered to exchange cooking skills and train apprentices, initially forming the basic theoretical foundation of Hunan cuisine cooking techniques and developing a number of distinctive famous dishes. According to the "Changsha Guide" of the time, the Changsha Quyuan Restaurant opened during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty was praised for dishes such as "Creamy Pig Tendons," "Stuffed Mushrooms with Egg White," "Ham with Winter Bamboo Shoot Tips," and "Squirrel-Shaped Live Mandarin Fish"; Yuloudong Restaurant (opened in 1904) was renowned for "Spicy Diced Chicken," "Duck Web Soup with Tripe," and other famous dishes.
Now, not only does Changsha have famous old restaurants like Deyuan, Quyuan, and Xiaoxiang, and snack shops like Fire Palace, Liu Defang, and Shuangyan, but Beijing also has Quyuan and Makai, Shanghai has "Yueyang Tower," and Nanjing has "Quyuan" Hunan cuisine old brands; while Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Haikou, Chengdu, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang have successively restored or newly built many Hunan restaurants, showing an unprecedented scene of Hunan cuisine revitalization.
A generation of famous Hunan chefs, unwilling to remain obscure, inherited and carried forward the unique flavors of Hunan cuisine; the younger generation strives diligently—Hunan cuisine has talented successors. This is the fourth reason Hunan cuisine is renowned throughout the world.
Hunan cuisine master Shi Yinxiang, who has been in the kitchen for nearly 60 years, has deeply grasped the essence of Hunan cuisine skills. He has repeatedly catered meals for central leaders and high-level state guests such as Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, and Zhou Enlai. All who have personally tasted dishes made by him and his disciples praise his exquisite craftsmanship. The United States, Japan, Australia, and China's Taiwan and Hong Kong regions have successively sent people to Hunan to study Hunan cuisine cooking techniques. Mr. Peng Changgui, called the "big boss" of Hunan cuisine by Taiwanese, trained under Tan's chef and comes from authentic Hunan cuisine origins. He once served as the family chef for Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo, and has demonstrated his skills in Hong Kong many times, making Hunan cuisine shine brilliantly on the other side of the strait and giving islanders a great culinary treat. One "Peng Yuan" was not enough; branches opened in Taichung and Tainan. Today "Peng Yuan" has developed six branches in New York and Washington, making Hunan cuisine famous throughout the world.