家鄉菜 Ethnic Cuisine

text : Yin Tung photo. Joe Yeung

Brined, spicy, pickled and aromatic – Hunan cuisine

Mao’s Braised Pork

They say this is Chairman Mao’s favourite dish.

Amongst the most well known eight regional cuisines in China, Szechuan and Hunan cooking are known to be spicy hot. For a long time, Szechuan cuisine topped the most sought after flavour; in recent years, Hunan dishes take over the chart.

Hunan cuisine, known as ‘Siang Chai’ in Mainland China, captures 99% of chili lovers. But in fact, ‘spicy hot’ is not the only character Siang Chai presents, the other key components to make Siang Chai so seductive are the brining, balanced acidity and the aroma in the cooking.

Hunanese love brined and cured meat, much like our European friends, it not uncommon to see dried meats hanging inside their dwellings.

Chili of different kinds plus regional spices are major ingredients used to heat up Siang Chai, but unlike Szechuanese who use Faraga (Szechuan peppercorn) that has a numbing effect, the hot spicy flavour in Hunan dishes is much more pungent.

Right amount of acidity brings out both the exotic chili flavour and the lingering aroma in a dish. Pickled beans and vegetables are palate pleasers and are often incorporated into the recipes.

Where to go for authentic Siang Chai with the real ‘kick’? Gordon Park Restaurant off No. 3 Road in Richmond is owned by a couple from Hunan, what they serve is nothing but what Hunanese eat back home.

Squid Hot-pot Soup

Fresh meat plus herbs and water are put inside the pot, bring to a boil and simmered for 6 hours, producing the most intense-flavour soup.

Clay Pot Duck

The whole duck is seasoned inside the pot and slow-cooked with pickled vegetables.

Salted Vegetable and Double-cooked Deep-fried Pork

The pork sits in the marinate juice for hours, hung dried, then deep-fried, and return to heat to be steamed with the salted vegetable.

Two-coloured Braised Fish Head with Noodles

Don’t be fooled by the red pepper, it’s the wild green pepper that makes you sweat and ask for ice water.

Steamed Cured Meat Platter

This platter contains four different meats: duck, chicken, fish and pork.

Gorden Park Restaurant
Gordon Park Restaurant
150-4160 No.3
Road,Richmond
604-304-3288

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