1.Sugar oil cake
Sugar and Oil Baba is a traditional famous food in Changsha. It is made of glutinous rice flour and sugar, and has a fine manufacturing process. It tastes sweet, soft and glutinous, sweet but not greasy, and is loved by the people. The main ingredients are white flour and sucrose, but the timing and amount of sugar should be accurately controlled, otherwise it will affect the taste. Freshly cooked sugar oil cake is golden and crispy, sweet but not thick, oily but not greasy, with a tempting color and aroma. Although not comparable to delicacies from mountains and seas, due to its cheap status, it can enter and exit ordinary people’s homes and is loved by the public.
2.Changsha stinky tofu
Changsha stinky tofu is a traditional specialty snack in Changsha, Hunan Province. It is made from high-quality soybeans through multiple complex processes. Its appearance color is dark black, and it tastes crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, very fresh and delicious. This snack has a unique flavor of “stinky smell, fragrant taste”, and is said to be “black as ink, fragrant as alcohol, tender as crisp, and soft as velvet”. In Changsha, this snack holds an important place in people’s hearts, especially for those who can enjoy spicy food. Paired with a slight spiciness, it can further highlight its flavor.
3.spicy salted duck
Sauce plate duck is a famous specialty dish in Hunan, deeply loved by local residents and tourists. This dish is mainly made of duck and sauce, with a slightly sweet taste, salty and fragrant duck meat, and no chili. It is a unique feature among the few Hunan dishes. The production process is quite complex, including soaking in over thirty precious traditional Chinese medicines, over ten types of spices, and undergoing 15 steps such as air drying and baking. The finished product has a deep red color, crispy and fragrant skin, rich sauce aroma, and a long-lasting taste. In addition to its deliciousness, sauce duck also has the effects of promoting blood circulation, regulating qi, strengthening the spleen, and nourishing the stomach. It is a delicious dish to accompany wine and a great gift.
4.Changsha style shrimp
Changsha style shrimp is a famous snack in Changsha, Hunan Province, known for its spicy and delicious flavor, and is deeply loved by both locals and out of town diners. This dish originated from places such as Education Street and Nanmenkou in Changsha, and has now spread throughout the city and even the whole province. The main ingredient of flavored shrimp is crayfish, which is native to North America and now grows in rivers, lakes, ponds, and swamps in southern China. In addition to its delicious taste, it also has high protein and low-fat nutritional value. The bright red shrimp paired with a spicy soup base is irresistible. In Changsha, there are many specialty restaurants specializing in shrimp flavors, such as “Sipai” at the south entrance and “Shengji” under the Bayi Bridge, both of which are great places to taste this delicacy.
5.Scraping jelly powder
Scraping liangfen is a popular traditional snack in Hunan province. It is mainly made from mung bean starch, scraped into strips by scraping, and then mixed with soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil and other seasonings for cold mixing. This snack has a sour, spicy and delicious taste, especially in summer, becoming a popular choice on the streets and alleys. When a customer shouts “come and have a bowl of shaved jelly”, the vendor will quickly make it, adding red chili oil, emerald green onions, and crispy peanuts to bring people the coolness and satisfaction of summer.
6.Steamed Fish Head with Diced Hot Red Peppers
Chopped Pepper Fish Head is a famous dish in Hunan cuisine, loved by many diners for its freshness, spiciness, deliciousness, and vibrant colors. This dish is mainly composed of ingredients such as fish head, red chili, coriander, fermented black beans, chopped green onions, ginger, and garlic. Among them, chopped chili from Hunan is the key seasoning. When making, it is usually steamed over high heat for ten minutes to maintain the tenderness and smoothness of the fish head and the freshness and spiciness of the chopped peppers. This dish not only embodies the spicy characteristics of Hunan cuisine, but also blends various flavors such as freshness, aroma, and tenderness, making it an indispensable authentic signature dish in Hunan cuisine.
7.Suoluo
Suoluo, also known as “drinking snail”, is a characteristic local snack in Zhengxiang District, Hengyang City, Hunan Province. The production process includes selecting evenly sized field snails or stone snails, placing them in a clear water basin, and dripping tea oil to make them spit out impurities and dirt. After several days of cleaning and preparation, the snail meat is mixed with lean pork puree, then the snail tail is pinched off, salt and Shaoxing wine are added and stir fried again. Finally, boil it together with ginger, chili, soy sauce, scallions, garlic, monosodium glutamate and other seasonings into a bone clearing soup pot. When eating, hold the snail’s mouth and inhale and extract it, and the snail meat enters the mouth, hence the name “Suoluo”. This soup has a delicious and fresh taste, with a refreshing and crispy texture. It is a favorite dish among Hunanese people for its ability to clear heat and stimulate appetite.
8.braised pork in brown sauce
Braised pork belly with Soy Sauce has a unique way of making in Hunan, known as Mao’s Braised pork belly with Soy Sauce. This dish originated from Chairman Mao’s love of Braised pork belly, especially his dislike of the taste of soy sauce, so he asked the chef to cook it with sugar instead of soy sauce. The authentic Mao’s Braised pork belly is made of streaky pork, cut into large pieces, cooked until it is soft, glutinous, delicious, and bright in color. In addition to sweetness, a small amount of chili is also added to make the taste sweet with a hint of saltiness and salty with a hint of spiciness, which is deeply loved by people.
9.Changsha Rice noodles
Rice noodles is a traditional food in Changsha with a long history. As early as the light years of the Qing Dynasty, there were shops producing Rice noodles. Rice noodles are white and slender, shaped like dragon whiskers, symbolizing good luck. The main raw materials include Rice noodles, shredded pork, pig bone soup and mustard tuber. There are two kinds of Rice noodles: round noodles and flat noodles, but Changsha people prefer flat noodles, which tastes salty and delicious. Rice noodles itself is tasteless, and its flavor is added by soup and seasoning. When consumed, simply boil it in hot water, add seasonings and oil, and it has a unique flavor that is deeply loved by people.
10.Sister group
Sister Tuanzi is a famous specialty snack in Changsha, made from fine flour ground from high-quality glutinous rice. The filling includes fresh meat, shiitake mushrooms, monosodium glutamate, and sesame oil. This kind of dumpling has a white and clean appearance, delicate and oily, and tastes fresh and refreshing, like a delicate white jade pagoda. In addition, the sister group is also related to a pair of young and beautiful sisters, whose stalls are becoming popular because of their beauty and delicious food.