The raw materials used are also natural resources with the characteristics of Hunan. In addition, according to the records in "Chu Ci", the snacks at that time were also very unique. Qu Yuan described

The raw materials used are also natural resources with the characteristics of Hunan. In addition, according to the records in "Chu Ci", the snacks at that time were also very unique. Qu Yuan described it this way: "...the rice wine is made of honey, some. The scoop of honey is made of honey, and the wine cup is more solid. The frozen drink is made cooler when brewed. The wine cup is frozen, and there is some wine..." The interpretation in vernacular means: "There are fried honey glutinous rice cakes, steamed honey cakes, and caramel sugar. The iced glutinous rice wine is really refreshing and mellow, and the jade-yellow yellow rice wine is enough to make you intoxicated..." The above all illustrate that as early as the Warring States Period, Hunan The food life of our ancestors was quite rich and colorful, and their cooking skills were quite mature, forming a southern flavor dominated by sour, salty, sweet and bitter. As for the daily staple food of Hunan ancestors during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, archaeological and historical data confirm that there were rice, sorghum, beans, wheat, broomcorn millet, millet, millet, rice, etc., but mainly rice. Steamers, pots, cauldrons, etc. are used to steam rice. The steamed rice has non-sticky texture and is sweet and palatable. To cook porridge, use Li. Put the rice and water together in the Li and cook over high heat until the rice is cooked. After the rice, porridge and other dishes are cooked, they must be served in containers so that they can be eaten easily. At that time, the food utensils in Hunan were not only complete in variety, but also exquisite and elegant. In terms of materials, they mainly include pottery, bronze, iron, lacquer, etc. Although these food utensils have appeared since the Yin and Shang Dynasties, their shapes have their own characteristics in Hunan. In particular, the thousands of pieces of lacquerware unearthed from Chu tombs in Changsha, Hunan and other places have beautiful shapes, bright colors and smooth patterns. Qin and Han dynasties

During the Qin and Han dynasties, Hunan’s food culture gradually formed a relatively complete system from ingredients, cooking methods to flavor styles. , the colorful cooking methods and the delicious flavor are all outstanding. From the burial remains unearthed from the tomb of Xin Zhui, the wife of Marquis Ruan, in Mawangdui, Changsha City, Hunan Province in 1972, it can be seen that during the Western Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago, there were nearly a hundred kinds of exquisite delicacies in Hunan. Meat soup alone has 24 types in 5 categories. The soup cooked with pure meat is called Tai Geng, which is the best among soups. There are 9 kinds, all of which are thick soups; the clear soup cooked with clear stewing method is called Bai Geng, including beef white soup, venison and taro white soup, and fresh mandarin fish, lotus root and abalone. There are 7 kinds of white soup; the meat soup cooked with celery is called Zhong Geng, and there are 3 kinds of dog towel soup, wild goose towel soup, and crucian carp and lotus root soup; the meat soup cooked with artemisia is called Feng Geng, including Niu Feng Geng and Sheep Feng Geng. , Boar meets soup; meat soup cooked with bitter vegetables is called bitter soup, and there are two kinds: dog bitter soup and cow bitter soup. There are also 72 types of food. For example, "fish skin" is meat cut from the belly of raw fish; "beef breast", "deer breast", etc. are foods made by cutting raw meat into thin strips; "boiled rabbit" and "boiled quail" are dried Fried rabbit or quail etc.

Western Han Dynasty

It can be seen from the unearthed legacy of the Western Han Dynasty that the cooking methods in Hunan’s dietary life in the Han Dynasty have further developed than those in the Warring States Period, and have developed to soup, broil, and There are many kinds of dishes including frying, boiling, steaming, soaking, pickled pork, preserved meat, wax, cannon, glutinous rice, glutinous rice and so on. Seasonings used for cooking include salt, sauce, black bean paste, koji, sugar, honey, leeks, plums, cinnamon, peppercorns, dogwood, etc. Since Hunan is rich in products and is known as the "Land of Fish and Rice", the development of Hunan's food culture has become more complete since the Tang and Song Dynasties, especially during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, gradually forming a Hunan cuisine with distinctive characteristics among the eight major cuisines in the country. Tie.

2. Characteristics of Hunan cuisine

Cuisine in the Xiangjiang River Basin

Changsha, Hengyang and Xiangtan are the main representatives of Hunan cuisine. It is finely made, uses a wide range of materials, has varied tastes and is of various varieties. Its characteristics are: heavy in oil, rich in color, affordable, and in terms of taste, it pays attention to hot and sour, fragrant and fresh, soft and tender. In terms of preparation methods, it is famous for simmering, stewing, curing, steaming and stir-frying. Simmering and stewing should be done over low heat. Simmering makes the flavor more juicy, while stewing makes the soup as clear as a mirror. Preparation methods include smoking, marinating, and barbecued pork. The famous Hunan bacon is a smoked product that can be used as a cold dish, stir-fried, or Use high-quality original soup to steam; stir-fry to highlight freshness, tenderness, fragrance and spiciness, which is well known in the market. Famous representative dishes include: "Sea Cucumber Steamed in a Pot", "Steamed with Cured Meat", "Stir-fried Pork with Black Bean Sauce", "Spicy Chicken", etc., all of which are famous dishes.

Dishes in the Dongting Lake area

are famous for cooking river fresh food, poultry and domestic dishes. They are often made by stewing, roasting, steaming and waxing. They are characterized by thick, thick oil and salty taste. Spicy and soft. Stews are often served in hot pots, while folk people use steaming bowls to stew on clay stoves, commonly known as steaming bowl stoves.

It is often cooked and eaten at the same time, and the stew is hot, tender and delicious. There is a local folk song that "I don't want to be a prince-in-law in the court, so I just want to steam the pot and cook it", which fully shows that the stew is widely loved by the people. Representative dishes include: "Dongting Golden Turtle", "BBQ Pork Dongting Mandarin Fish", "Butterfly Floating in the Sea", "Rock Sugar Xianglian", etc., all of which are well-known famous dishes in the Dongting Lake area.

Cuisine from the mountainous areas of western Hunan

It is good at making mountain delicacies, smoked bacon and various cured meats. The taste focuses on salty, sour and spicy. It often uses charcoal as fuel and has a strong flavor. Mountain flavor. Representative dishes include: "Braised cold mushrooms", "Braised Chinese cabbage hearts with chestnuts", "Xiangxi Sour Pork", "Fried Blood Duck", etc., all of which are famous delicacies in Western Hunan.

Overview of Hunan Cuisine

***The same flavor is spicy dishes and cured dishes. Chaotian peppers, known for their strong spiciness, are produced throughout the province and are the main raw material for making spicy dishes. The production of bacon has a long history, and it is said that it has a history of more than 2,000 years in our country. The dishes of the three regions have their own characteristics, but they are not completely different. They are similar while reserving differences, and they are interdependent and communicate with each other. Looking at the overall picture, it shows fine knife skills, beautiful shape and taste, variable seasoning, famous for sour and spicy, emphasis on original juice, various techniques, especially simmering and roasting. "The sound of the river flows down to the Dongting day and night." With the advancement of the times and the development of the country's economy, Hunan cuisine, this wonderful flower, will bloom more vividly and dazzlingly.

3. The development of Hunan cuisine

Hunan cuisine, which has a history of more than 2,000 years, has been immersed in the rich Hunan culture. While inheriting the advantages of Hunan cuisine, it boldly innovates and has won the hearts of people all over the country and even the world. The influence of Hunan cuisine in the country is increasing year by year, and its economic contribution to our province is also increasing. As a land of plenty, Hunan has innate resource advantages in the development of the Hunan cuisine industry. The development of the Hunan cuisine industry will inevitably drive the development of agricultural and sideline products, promote the development of the food processing industry, and push the Hunan cuisine catering industry towards modernization, branding, and industrial chainization. develop.

Among the industries based on agricultural resources, I think the catering industry is the industry with the widest coverage and the strongest driving force. The main body of Hunan’s catering industry is the Hunan cuisine industry. In 2006, the retail sales of Hunan cuisine enterprises in Changsha reached 11 billion yuan, accounting for 85.9% of the city's catering retail sales. The Hunan cuisine industry is at a critical point where it urgently needs to improve quality and speed. It needs to seize opportunities and take more effective measures to promote its own optimization and upgrading.

The most important thing is to strive to build a large-scale catering "aircraft carrier" that can lead the trend of Hunan cuisine, support external development, and enhance the overall competitiveness of the Hunan cuisine industry. Not long ago, Hunan Huatian Hotel Co., Ltd., as the main sponsor, jointly initiated the establishment of 10 well-known units and natural persons including Daronghe, Xiangxi Tribe, Yihua Aquatic Products, Paipai Food, and Hunan Cuisine Industry Promotion Association Huatian Hunan Cuisine Co., Ltd. is a milestone in the development of Hunan cuisine industry, but it is also the first step in a long march of thousands of miles. There are still many specific things to be done in the future.

Secondly, efforts should be made to promote innovation in the Hunan cuisine industry. Introduce a modern enterprise system, gradually formulate and improve various processing, service, and management standards, continuously improve the standardization level of Hunan cuisine and catering, and promote management innovation; focus on high-end, special, high-quality dishes (orders), flavor dishes (orders), and folk dishes (points), accelerate the industrialization process of catering food, develop Hunan-style cooked food, and promote dish innovation; adapt to diversified consumer needs, develop community services, customized services, develop green catering, theme restaurants and catering supermarkets, and promote business format innovation .

Once again, efforts must be made to optimize the development environment of the Hunan cuisine industry. Optimize industrial policies, incorporate the development of the catering industry into the overall economic and social development plan, and formulate development goals, policies, regulations and preferential measures. Improve the service system, strengthen department service functions, and reduce administrative intervention. Strengthen the construction of food culture, guide the catering industry to use advanced cultural concepts to operate enterprises, and enhance cultural taste. Pay attention to talent cultivation, reform vocational skills education, etc.