Changsha people are not Hunan. Hunan Hunan cuisine. Therefore, the characteristics of Hunan cuisine basically summarize the habits and food culture of Changsha people. Generally speaking, the dietary customs in Hunan mainly have the following characteristics:

1. In Hunan, "eating" has rich social significance. First of all, in people's weddings and funerals, eating is always an important content. Marriage is called "eating wedding wine"; Dead people, commonly known as "eating meat"; If you add a population, you must eat a "full moon"; For your birthday, you should eat poached eggs and eat "birthday noodles". Secondly, "eating" is also one of people's important social means. When friends and acquaintances meet, the first greeting is often: "Have you eaten?" When you visit a friend's house, you can eat 11 or 12 dishes, which means that you have received the most enthusiastic hospitality from your host.

2. In Hunan, due to geographical and climatic reasons, rice is cultivated in most areas, and rice is the staple food in people's daily diet. However, in a few mountainous areas, especially in some places in the mountainous areas of northern Hunan, corn, sweet potato and potato can only be the staple food for planting dry food crops. In recent years, the economy of these areas has gradually developed, producing flue-cured tobacco or medicinal materials, which can be sold to the country in exchange for rice, so rice and corn have gradually become the staple food. Sweet potato and potato are gradually separated from staple food and become raw materials for making starchy food, brewing wine, sun-dried vegetables, etc. or feed for raising livestock. In Hunan, people eat three meals a day, whether in urban or rural areas. The difference is that in cities, breakfast is more casual, with the heaviest dinner in a day and the heaviest weekend diet in a week. In the countryside, there is no obvious difference between three meals a day. Every lunar festival or solar term, the diet is generally more grand than that in the city. Within a year, the diet around the Spring Festival is the most important. In addition, no matter in the city or the countryside, almost every household has to make some pickles, dried vegetables, pickles, preserved vegetables and preserved vegetables according to the seasons. Whenever a guest arrives, the table is always served to show the housewife's skills and housekeeping ability.

3, regardless of men and women, old and young, they are generally fond of spicy food. Whether it's three meals on weekdays, a banquet in a restaurant, or a drink between three friends and four friends, there must be one or two Chili dishes.

It is said that pepper originated in tropical South America and was introduced to China in the late Ming Dynasty. Hunan's geographical environment is called "lowly and wet land" in ancient times, which is rainy and humid. Pepper has the effect of keeping out cold and rheumatism; In addition, Hunan people eat rice as their staple food all year round, which can directly stimulate saliva secretion, stimulate appetite and stimulate appetite. When more people eat, they form a spicy custom. People in Hunan eat peppers in a variety of ways. Soak the red pepper in a sealed acid jar, and it is sour in the spicy, which is called "sour and spicy"; Combine red and spicy, pepper and garlic, which is called "spicy"; Chop the big red pepper and marinate it in a sealed jar, which is salty and spicy, so it is called "salty and spicy"; Chop the big red pepper, mix the dry rice powder and marinate it in a sealed jar. When eating, it can be dry-fried or mashed, which is called "spicy"; After crushing red pepper, add garlic seeds and fragrant black beans, and soak in tea oil, which has a strong fragrance and is called "oily and spicy"; Barbecue the big red pepper in the middle of the fire, then tear off the thin skin and mix it with sesame oil and soy sauce. It is spicy and sweet, which is called "fresh and spicy". In addition, dried and fresh peppers can also be used as cooking ingredients, and there are many ways to eat them. Especially in Miao Village, a Dong township in western Hunan, whenever guests arrive, they always use dried Chili stew to entertain them. When persuading guests, they always politely invite them to eat "Chili" again and again instead of "meat", which shows that they are very fond of spicy food. In recent years, Hunan cuisine has been popular with customers in Europe, America and Southeast Asia, especially in the United States and Canada. In the United States, in front of some Hunan restaurants, there is a sign painted with big red pepper, which reads Hunan pepper, and the apron of the waitress in the museum is also embroidered with big red pepper.

4. Hunan people love bitter taste. According to documents, its origin can be traced back to the pre-Qin period. There is a poem in "Chu Ci Evocation" that says "be bitter and salty, be sweet and do something". The "great bitterness" here is said to be lobster sauce. So this condiment made from beans has a history of more than 2111 years. Up to now, people in Hunan still have the habit of eating lobster sauce, such as "Liuyang fermented soya beans", which is one of the famous local specialties. Others, such as Bitter Claw and Tartary Buckwheat, are also popular among Hunan people. Bitterness not only has its historical origin, but also has its local characteristics. Hunan is located in the subtropical zone, with a long summer heat. Traditional Chinese medicine explains the meaning of summer heat: weather dominates heat, local gas dominates humidity, and humid heat is steamed, which is called summer heat; When people are in the midst of qi communication, they feel sick, which is summer sickness. And "bitterness can purge fire", "bitterness can dry dampness" and "bitterness can strengthen the stomach". Therefore, people eat some bitter food properly, which is helpful for clearing heat, removing dampness and regulating stomach, and is of great benefit to health care. Looking at the topography of Hunan, the northern part of Hunan is mostly a lake area, the southern part of Hunan is mostly a mountainous area, and the central part of Hunan is a typical hilly area. This geographical difference leads to the diversity of dietary customs in various parts of Hunan. We divide it into three wind-eating areas, namely, Xiangxi wind-eating area, central and southern Hunan wind-eating area and northern Hunan wind-eating area.