Changsha at the table!
We knew it was the capital of Hunan province, but we did not know that renowned chefs awarded it, in 2017, the much envied title of Gastronomic Capital of International Rank! In fact, it was in Changsha that Hunan cuisine was born, reputed to be one of the eight best cuisines in China.
What characterizes it? A wide choice of ingredients, cooking techniques, from the simplest to the most refined, and the abundant use of seasonal vegetables. Achieving a perfect harmony between flavors (sour, sweet, spicy, etc.), aromas and colors is a constant search in local cuisines.
Stinky tofu is a typical food. In fact, it is fermented like our so-called “strong” cheeses in France or Belgium.
Another popular dish: chicken flavored and sautéed in rice vinegar, Sichuan pepper and chillies, served on a bed of vegetables.
And the unmissable Mao-style braised pork: the use of soy sauce and condiments such as sugar, ginger, garlic, peppers and rice wine make everything caramelize and offer a beautiful amber brown color .
The biggest restaurant in the world
It is, of course, certified by the Guinness Book of Records, and it is the “West Lake” located in Changsha. 14ha of surface with its “old” enclosures! it offers more than one hundred private dining rooms, pavilions Rooms of varying sizes including the essential Imperial hall: it can accommodate 800 guests on two levels and includes a stage dedicated sometimes to Chinese songs and sometimes to colorful shows Some 1000 employees including 300 chefs each with their own specialties ’employ to satisfy nearly 5,000 customers a day.
But what do most of them eat? We can get an idea knowing that West Lake imports 1200 kg of pork and 7000 chickens per week!
Added to this are more delicate dishes (among the finest fish, seafood, etc.) and more, let’s say, exotic. We will limit ourselves to the beautiful slices of snakes, artistically arranged on a typical plate. And since we are in China, we will have had the chance, beforehand, to attend a timed contest: who will be the fastest cook to hollow out the living animal, clean it and present it ready to be served?
The restaurant is very often chosen when it comes to managing family banquets to celebrate such and such an event. Whether they are ten, two hundred or more, the “West Lake” is the ideal infrastructure for this.
The famous Pozi Street
It is one of the “Eight Gastronomic Streets of China” pinned by the Voyages-Chine guide.
This shows the esteem that Changsha enjoys in this regard. It is also one of the oldest streets in the city. You can buy local handicrafts, applaud a traditional show and discover the particularities of nightlife. The cult restaurant is “The Palace of the Fire God”. You can taste it, some of the most popular dishes, such as: 4 duck dishes, stinky tofu, three-layer chicken, spicy shrimp, sticky rice balls and rice or milk cakes .
Other streets to pin, the street of Vegetables cooked in steam and the street of Jars.
80s nostalgia ?
No longer exists and the seller of grilled shrimp Wen Bin who made the glory of an old building dedicated to Chinese dishes and all-out crazy atmospheres of the 80s has changed course. He aims for the cultural dimension of a “Disney land” and off to a good start with the Super Wen He You Hisensa Plaza. It takes up 20,000 m2! It has opened up to a hundred semi-independent businesses, and can accommodate and entertain 20,000 hungry diners. We are far from street snacks, offering tofu, prawns, sausages… But it is today’s China that wants that ?
