Hunan

What it is

Hunan cooking — Xiang cai — comes from the lake-rich Hunan province in south-central China, the homeland of Mao Zedong. Cooks here turn the region’s heat and humidity into preserved larders of smoked meats, dried river fish, and pickled chilies that carry rice meals through every season.

How it tastes

Compared with Sichuan, the heat is more direct: there is no peppercorn buzz, just clean burn from fresh and pickled chilies. Smoke from cured pork, the tang of rice vinegar, and the funk of fermented black beans pile on layers of depth.

Signature dishes & techniques

The province’s most famous plate is Chairman Mao’s red-braised pork — caramelized pork belly glossed with star anise and rock sugar. Steamed fish head crowned with mountains of chopped salted chili (duo jiao yu tou) showcases Hunan’s love of fresh heat on top of gentle steam.