Hunan cuisine 湘菜

湖南菜系，简称湘菜。
Hunan cuisine is called Xiang Cai for short.
代表菜品
Representative dishes
麻辣子鸡、辣味合蒸、东安子鸡、洞庭野鸭、霸王别姬、冰糖湘莲、红煨鱼翅、冰糖湘莲、金钱鱼等。
Spicy chicken, meat steamed together, Dong’an chick, Dongting Lake wild duck, Farewell to My Concubine, lotus seeds with rock candy, stewed shark’s fin in brown sauce, money fish, etc.
烹饪技法
Cooking techniques
湘菜早在西汉初期就有羹、炙、脍、濯、熬、腊、濡、脯、菹等多种技艺，现在技艺更精湛的则是煨。
As far back as the early Western Han Dynasty, there were various techniques for making Hunan cuisine such as thick soups, roasting, mincing meat, washing, stewing, drying meat, moistening, preserving ingredients, and pickling etc. The most exquisite modern technique is that of simmering.
湘菜历史
The history of Hunan cuisine
湘菜源远流长，根深叶茂，经过历代的演变与进化，逐步发展成为颇负盛名的地方菜系。早在战国时期，伟大的爱国诗人屈原在其著名诗篇《招魂》中，就记载了当地的许多菜肴。西汉时期，湖南的菜肴品种就达109个，烹调方法也有九大类，这从70年代初长沙马王堆汉墓出土的文物中可以得到卯证。南宋以后，湘菜自成体系已初见端倪，一些菜肴和烹艺由官府衙门盛行，并逐渐步入民间。六朝以后，湖南的饮食文化丰富与活跃。明、清两代，是湘菜发展的黄金时期，此时商旅云集，市场繁荣，烹饪技艺得到广泛的拓展和交流，其显著特征是茶楼酒馆遍及全省各地，湘菜的独特风格基本定局。当时的长沙，先后出现了轩帮和堂帮两种湘菜馆，前者经营菜担至民家，承制酒宴，后者则以堂菜为主，于市场广招食客。到了民国初年，这些菜馆的烹饪技艺日渐提高，且各具特色，出现了著名的戴（杨明）派、盛（善斋）派、肖（麓松）派和祖庵派等多种流派，奠定了湘菜的历史地位。
Hunan cuisine has a long history and is both well established and developing with great strength. Through evolution and development across successive dynasties, Hunan cuisine has gradually developed into being a renowned local cuisine. In the Warring States Period, the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan recorded many local dishes in his famous poem Evocation. In the Western Han Dynasty, Hunan cuisine’s dishes amounted to 109 in total and their cooking methods were divided into 9 categories, as testified by the historical relics unearthed from Mawangdui Han Tomb in Changsha in the 1970s. After the Southern Song Dynasty, the formation of Hunan cuisine as its own system had already come into being. Some dishes and cooking techniques were prevalent among bureaucrats and gradually became popular among common people. After the Six Dynasties, Hunan culinary culture has become rich and active. Both Ming and Qing Dynasties were the golden age of Hunan cuisine’s development when travelling merchants came together in droves and the market was prosperous. At this time cooking techniques developed extensively and underwent a process of wild-range exchange. A special condition at the time was the fact that teahouses and taverns were spread all over the province and the unique styles of Hunan cuisine had taken shape. Two factions of restaurants - Xuan Bang and Tang Bang - appeared successively in Changsha. The former provided services for people’s home and prepared banquets, whilst the latter gave priority to serving dishes in restaurants and soliciting customers in the market. By the early period of the Republic of China, the cooking techniques of these restaurants were increasingly improving and they possessed different individual strengths and characteristics. Various schools including the famous Dai (Yangming) School, Sheng (Shanzhai) School, Xiao (Lusong) School and Zu’an School etc. also appeared, laying the historical foundations of Hunan cuisine.
由于受地区物产、民风习俗和自然条件等到诸多因素的影响，湘菜逐步形成了以湘江流域、洞庭湖区和湘西山区为基调的三种地方风味。湘江流域菜长沙、衡阳、湘潭为中心，其中以长沙为主，讲究菜肴内涵的精当和外形的美观，色、香、味、器、质和谐的统一，因而成为湘菜的主流。洞庭湖区菜以常德、岳阳两地为主，擅长制作河鲜水禽；湘西地区菜则由湘西、湘北的民族风味菜组成，以烹制山珍野味见长。以上三种地方风味，虽各具特色，但相互依存，彼此交流，构成湘菜多姿多彩的格局。
Affected by many factors including local products, folk customs and natural conditions, Hunan cuisine gradually developed flavors based on the three local flavors of Xiang River valley, Dongting Lake region and the Western Hunan mountainous area. The dishes of Xiang River Valley are centered around Changsha, Hengyang and Xiangtan, of which Changsha is the principal source of origin. Changsha cuisine chefs devote particular care to the exquisite connotations of a dish, its pleasing appearance as well as the harmony and unity of color, aroma, taste, utensils and quality. Changsha dishes have, therefore, become the mainstay of Hunan cuisine. The dishes of Dongting Lake region are mainly from Changde and Yueyang. The freshwater foods and wildfowl are most prized; dishes of the Western Hunan areas consist of dishes with the ethnic flavors of Western Hunan and Northern Hunan: mountain cuisine is considered the best. The three aforementioned local flavors have their own individual advantages and characteristics. They are interdependent but lending to each other. These styles make up the colorful and varied patterns of Hunan cuisine.
湘菜特色
The features of Hunan cuisine
湘菜讲究菜肴内涵的精当和外形的美观，重视原料搭配，滋味互相渗透，以熏、蒸、干炒为主，口味重于酸、辣，辣味菜和烟熏腊肉是湘菜的独特风味。
Hunan chefs give priority to the exquisite connotations and pleasing appearance of their dishes as well as their raw ingredients and the penetrating flavors. Hunan cuisine’s techniques are mainly those of smoking, braising and dry frying. Its flavors are predominantly sour and piquant. Spicy dishes and smoked bacon are flavors unique to Hunan cuisine.
选料广泛。湖南地处长江中游南部，气候温和，雨量充沛，土质肥沃，物产丰富。优越的自然条件和富饶的物产，为千姿百态的湘菜在选料方面提供了源源不断的物质条件。
The selecions of raw ingredients which are incorporated in Hunan cuisine are extensive. Hunan lies in the southern part of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, has a mild climate and abundant rainfall. The soil is fertile and bears great yields. Favorable natural conditions and abundant produce provide a steady flow of ingredients accounting for the great variety of Hunan cuisine.
湘菜品种繁多，门类齐全。就菜式而言，既有乡土风味的民间菜式，经济方便的大众菜式；也有讲究实惠的筵席菜式，格调高雅的宴会菜式；还有味道随意的家常菜式和疗疾健身的药膳菜式。
Hunan cuisine is rich and complete in variety. It includes folk dishes with local flavor, common dishes which are economical and practical, specialized and simple feast dishes, elegant and exquisite banquet dishes, easy flavorsome dishes and herbal dishes for curing disease and maintaining health.
刀工精妙。湘菜的基本刀法有十几种之多。厨师们在长期的实践中，手法娴熟，因料而异，具体运用，演化参合，切批斩剁，游刃有余。使菜肴千姿百态、变化无穷。整鸡剥皮，盛水不漏，瓜盅“载宝”，形态逼真，常令人击掌叫绝，叹为观止。
Cutting techniques are exquisite and delicate. There are more than ten basic methods for cutting in Hunan cuisine. As a result of long term practice, chefs’ techniques are impeccable and vary in relation to each ingredient. Chefs adjust and combine techniques according to actual situations. They cut, slice, chop and dice with skill and ease, making the dishes in thousands of appearances and with endless variations. The chefs can peel off the whole skin of the chicken and the skin can contain water without any leakage. The melon cup containing treasure has a vivid shape and often makes people strike the table and shout bravo, acclaiming it as the peak of perfection.
擅长调味。湘菜历来重视原料互相搭配，滋味互相渗透，交汇融合，以达到去除异味、增加美味、丰富口味的目的。调味工艺随着原料质地而异，依菜肴要求不同，有的菜急火起味，有的菜文火浸味，有的菜先调味后制作，有的菜边入味边烹制，有的则分别在加热前或加热中和加热后调味，从而使每个菜品均有独特的风味。在烹制的多种单纯味和多种复合味的菜肴中，湘菜调味尤重酸辣。因地理位置的关系，湖南气候温和湿润，故人们多喜食辣椒，用以提神去湿。用酸泡菜作调料，佐以辣椒烹制出来的菜肴，开胃爽口，深受青睐，成为独具特色的地方饮食习俗。
Hunan cuisine chefs are experts in seasoning. They always give priority to the complementing of raw materials, making flavors penetrate one another, interchangeable and mix well so as to achieve the purposes of deodorizing, adding flavor and defining tastes. The seasoning techniques vary according to ingredients and requirements for dishes are different. Some should be flavored by strong heat; some have taste with gentle heat; some are seasoned then cooked; some are cooked whilst being seasoned; some are seasoned before, during or after heating. Thus each dish will have a unique flavor. Sour and spicy flavors are the predominant in seasonings in both dishes cooked with single flavors and those with complex flavors. The climate in Hunan is mild and wet due to its geographical location. Locals, therefore, enjoy eating peppers so as to refresh themselves and become dry. It is also a very popular regional custom to use sour pickles as a condiment along with the dishes cooked with peppers. They whet the appetite; being both tasty and refreshing.
技法多样。湘菜的烹调方法历史悠久，经过历代厨师的不断演化、总结和创新，到现在已经形成几十种烹调方法，在热烹、冷制、甜调三大类烹调技法中，每类技法少则几种，多的有几十种。相对而言，湘菜的煨焅功夫更胜一筹，几乎达到炉火纯青的地步。煨，在色泽变化上可分为红煨、白煨，在调味方面有清汤煨、浓汤煨和奶汤煨。小火慢焅，原汁原味。有的菜晶莹醇厚，有的菜汁纯滋养，有的菜软糯浓郁，有的菜酥烂鲜香，许多煨焅出来的菜肴，成为湘菜中的名馔佳品。
Hunan cuisine boasts great variety in technique. Hunan cuisine cooking methods have a long history: there are now dozens of cooking methods resulting from the constant evolution, summarizing and innovative efforts of chefs in successive dynasties. The cooking methods of hot dishes, cold dishes and desserts, are each divided into several categories or even more than ten categories. Relatively speaking, the simmering and stewing techniques of Hunan cuisine are rated more highly than those of others. They are believed to be almost the height of excellence. Simmering techniques can be classified into those of red simmering and white simmering in terms of colors, and clear soup, thick soup and milk soup in terms of seasoning. Stewing with gentle heat preserves the original flavors of a food. Some dishes are clear and mellow; some have pure soups and are nourishing; some are soft, glutinous and with rich flavor; some dishes are crisp, fresh, fragrant and with rich color. Many simmered and stewed dishes are famous and high-quality of Hunan cuisine.