Hunan Dish Encyclopedia

Explore Hunan dishes — ingredients, cooking methods, spice levels, and where to try them.

干锅莱花

Dry-Wok Cauliflower

Gan Guo Cai Hua

Cauliflower wok-charred until the edges blister and char, tossed with cured pork belly, dried chilie...

Medium-HotVegetable

1 restaurant

湘炒肉

Hunan Stir-Fried Pork

Xiang Chao Rou

The classic Hunan xiao chao rou — thinly sliced pork belly stir-fried with fresh green chilies, ferm...

HotPork

1 restaurant

剑吏鱼头

Steamed Fish Head with Chopped Chilies

Duo Jiao Yu Tou

Hunan's most iconic dish — a massive fish head steamed under a brilliant red crown of duo jiao (ferm...

Very HotSeafood

1 restaurant

腊肉

Hunan Smoked Pork (La Rou)

La Rou

La rou is Hunan's beloved smoked cured pork, made by salting pork belly, then smoking it over pine o...

MediumPork

Cook at home

醉鸡

Hunan Drunken Chicken

Zui Ji

Tender poached chicken marinated in a fragrant mixture of rice wine, fresh chilies, and aromatic her...

MediumPoultry

Cook at home

湘味茄子

Hunan Spicy Eggplant

Xiang Wei Qie Zi

Eggplant cooked until silky and melting, tossed with garlic, fresh chilies, and a savory-sweet sauce...

Medium-HotVegetable

Cook at home

毛氏红烧肉

Chairman Mao's Red-Braised Pork

Mao Shi Hong Shao Rou

The most famous Hunan dish — pork belly slow-braised in soy sauce, rock sugar, star anise, and chili...

MediumPork

2 restaurants

孜然羊排

Hunan Cumin Lamb Ribs

Zi Ran Yang Pai

Lamb ribs deep-fried until crispy, then tossed with cumin seeds, dried chilies, and Sichuan pepperco...

HotLamb

Cook at home

干锅豆角

Dry-Wok Green Beans

Gan Guo Dou Jiao

Fresh green beans blistered in a hot wok until slightly charred, then tossed with ground pork, prese...

MediumVegetable

1 restaurant

黕豆腐

Changsha Stinky Tofu

Chou Dou Fu

Changsha's most famous street food — fermented tofu deep-fried until crispy outside, soft and custar...

Medium-HotTofu

1 restaurant

湘辣子鸡

Hunan Spicy Chicken

Xiang La Zi Ji

Diced chicken deep-fried until crispy, then stir-fried with copious dried red chilies, Sichuan peppe...

Very HotPoultry

Cook at home

酸辣粉

Hunan Sour and Spicy Noodles

Suan La Fen

Fresh rice noodles in a vibrant broth of black vinegar, chili oil, and pickled vegetables. The signa...

HotNoodles

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东安鸡

Dong'an Chicken

Dong An Ji

A Tang Dynasty masterpiece of sour-spicy shredded chicken, prized as a state banquet dish for over 1,200 ye...

Medium-HotPoultry

Cook at home

血粑鸭

Blood Cake Duck

Xue Ba Ya

A Xiangxi Tujia specialty of duck braised with glutinous rice cakes cooked in fresh duck blood, dark, rich,...

HotPoultry

Cook at home

口味虾

Hunan Spicy Crayfish

Kou Wei Xia

Changsha's king of late-night street food: crayfish wok-tossed with dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorn, garl...

Very HotSeafood

Cook at home

长沙米粉

Changsha Rice Noodles

Changsha Mi Fen

Changsha's beloved breakfast staple: round rice noodles in a clear pork-bone broth, topped with braised mea...

MediumNoodles

Cook at home

衡阳鱼粉

Hengyang Fish Noodles

Hengyang Yu Fen

Hengyang's pride: rice noodles in a milky-white fish broth made from live crucian carp, crowned with a whol...

Medium-HotNoodles

Cook at home

湘西酸汤鱼

Xiangxi Sour Soup Fish

Xiangxi Suan Tang Yu

A Miao minority sour-soup fish stew from western Hunan, built on a fermented tomato-and-chili base that is ...

HotSeafood

Cook at home

干锅土豆

Dry Pot Potato

Gan Guo Tu Dou

Thin potato slices stir-fried dry with cured pork, dried chilies, and Sichuan peppercorn until edges crisp—...

Medium-HotVegetable

Cook at home

干锅包菜

Dry Pot Cabbage

Gan Guo Bao Cai

Hand-torn napa cabbage leaves stir-fried dry with dried chilies, garlic, and cured pork until edges char—se...

Medium-HotVegetable

Cook at home

腊肉炒蒜苗

Stir-Fried Larou with Garlic Sprouts

La Rou Chao Suan Miao

Hunan cured smoked pork stir-fried with young garlic sprouts—a simple farmhouse classic where the smoky lar...

MediumPork

Cook at home

炒螺蛳

Spicy Snails

Chao Luo Si

Changsha street food: river snails stir-fried in the shell with dried chilies, garlic, perilla, and soy, su...

HotSeafood

Cook at home

油炸臭豆腐

Deep-Fried Stinky Tofu

You Zha Chou Dou Fu

The frying-focused study of Hunan's fermented tofu: black or golden blocks crisped in oil until shatter-cra...

Medium-HotTofu

Cook at home

湘式茄子

Hunan Eggplant

Xiang Shi Qie Zi

Home-style Hunan eggplant: soft-cooked until silky, tossed with garlic, fresh chilies, and a savory-sweet s...

Medium-HotVegetable

Cook at home

酸豆角炒肉末

Sour Beans with Minced Pork

Suan Dou Jiao Chao Rou Mo

The ultimate rice-killer: fermented sour long beans stir-fried with pork mince, dried chilies, and garlic—t...

Medium-HotPork

Cook at home

红烧肉

Red-Braised Pork Belly

Hong Shao Rou

The home-style classic: cubes of pork belly slow-braised in soy, rock sugar, and aromatics until mahogany, ...

MediumPork

Cook at home

湘式小炒黄牛肉

Hunan Beef Stir-Fry

Xiang Shi Xiao Chao Huang Niu Rou

The defining Hunan xiao chao: thinly sliced yellow beef flash-fried with pickled peppers, garlic, and celer...

HotBeef

Cook at home

肉末蒸蛋

Steamed Egg with Minced Meat

Rou Mo Zheng Dan

A comforting home classic: silken savory egg custard steamed with a crown of seasoned pork mince—the dish e...

MildEggs

Cook at home

湘式豆腐煲

Hunan Tofu Stew

Xiang Shi Dou Fu Bao

A warming winter stew: firm tofu slow-simmered with pork, chili oil, and fermented bean paste in a clay pot...

Medium-HotTofu

Cook at home

毛氏红烧鱼

Chairman Mao's Fish

Mao Shi Hong Shao Yu

A Shaoshan regional specialty: whole fish red-braised in the style of Chairman Mao's hometown—soy, rock sug...

Medium-HotSeafood

Cook at home

米豆腐

Rice Tofu (Mi Doufu)

Mi Dou Fu

A Xiangxi street snack of soft rice-and-alkaline-water tofu, cubed and bathed in a spicy-sour chili sauce—c...

Medium-HotVegetable

Cook at home

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