Hunan

Hunan is located in South Central China. Hunan is home to 65 million people, 95% of which are Han Chinese. It was also the birthplace of Mao Tse Tung. Hunan has long been known for its natural beauty. Mountains surround Hunan on the east, west, and south, and by the Yangtze River on the north. Hunan's mixture of mountains and water makes it among the most beautiful provinces in China. For thousands of years, Hunan has been a major center of Chinese agriculture, growing rice, tea, and oranges (1).

Hunan is a land of gentle hills, capable of producing a great deal of food. As a result, Hunan cooks have a greater variety of ingredients to work with, from vegetables to meat and fish. Among other things, this affects the appearance of the dish. Having more to work with, Hunan cooks tend to do more with the raw ingredients prior to cooking. For example, a classic Hunan dish is Orange Beef, where the beef is marinated overnight, then washed and marinated again with a mixture including egg white, wine, and white pepper. In Braised Soy Sauce Beef, the meat is simmered in an aromatic mixture including star anise, sugar, ginger, soy sauce, and sherry. Another popular dish is Crispy Duck, where the duck is seasoned with peppercorns, star anise, fennel, and other spices, then steamed and finally deep-fried (2).

Curing, simmering, steaming and stewing are the main cooking methods of Hunan food. Hunan dishes are usually tinged with sour and spicy flavors. Fragrant, spicy yet slightly sour Dongan-style fried chicken is one of the main attractions. Hunan cooking is known for its use of hot chilli peppers, like neighboring Sichuan Province. Famous dishes include Dongan Chicken, Gualiang Fen (cold rice noodles in spicy sauce), and Chou Dofu ("stinking" tofu).

Reference and More Information:

1. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/hunan/ 
2. http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa122200a.htm