Hunan cuisine is also called Xiang cuisine. Hunan cuisine is one of the eight regional cuisines of China and is well known for its hot spicy flavor, fresh aroma and deep color. Common cooking techniques include stewing, frying, pot-roasting, braising, and smoking. Due to the high agricultural output of the region, ingredients for Hunan dishes are many and varied.

Known for its liberal use of chilli peppers, shallots and garlic, Xiang cuisine is known for being dry hot or purely hot, as opposed to the better known Sichuan cuisine, to which it is often compared. Known for its distinctive málà (hot and numbing) seasoning and other complex flavour combinations, Sichuan cuisine frequently employ Sichuan peppercorns along with chilies which are often dried, and utilizes more dried or preserved ingredients and condiments. Hunan Cuisine, on the other hand, is often spicier by pure chili content, contains a larger variety of fresh ingredients, tends to be oilier, and is said to be purer and simpler in taste[citation needed]. Another characteristic distinguishing Hunan cuisine from Sichuan cuisine is that, in general, Hunan cuisine uses smoked and cured goods in its dishes much more frequently.

Another feature of Hunan cuisine is that the menu changes with the seasons. In a hot and humid summer, a meal will usually start with cold dishes or a platter holding a selection of cold meats with chilies for opening the pores and keeping cool in the summer. In winter, a popular choice is the hot pot, thought to heat the blood in the cold months. A special hot pot called (yuan yang huo guo) lover's hot pot is famous for splitting the pot into a spicy side and a milder side.

The history of the cooking skills employed in the Hunan cuisine dates back many centuries. During the course of its history, Hunan cuisine assimilated a variety of local forms, eventually evolving into its own style. Now it contains more than 4000 dishes, among which over 300 dishes are very famous (citation needed), such as fried chicken with Sichuan spicy sauce and smoked pork with dried long green beans.

Representative Dishes:
Dongan chicken
Mao's braised pork
Beer duck
Changsha vermicelli
Steamed fish heads in chili sauce
Orange beef
Hot and peppery chicken
Spare ribs steamed in bamboo
Changsha-style stinky tofu
Mashed shrimp in lotus pod
Xiangdu roast duck
Sizzling rice soup
Lotus Seeds in rock sugar syrup
Pumpkin cake
Spicy frog leg
Oxtail porridge