The Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook

When I first arrived in China, after briefly passing through Beijing and Xi'an, I settled down in Hunan Province for a couple of years. The day I arrived in Changsha, the provincial capital, I was met by a friend and whisked off to Chairman Mao's favourite restaurant. Changsha is full of Chairman Mao's favourite places. He was born nearby and was a student and, briefly, a teacher in Changsha before he headed off on his long march to become a statue.

So, we have Chairman Mao's favourite bookshop, Chairman Mao's favourite teashop, Chairman Mao's favourite DVD store etc.

However, back at this particular favourite restaurant, there is a picture on the wall of a youthful Mao look-alike sitting just inside the front door. So I hang up my cynical hat and get stuck into the food.

Hold on a minute! What is this?

What I am being served resembles nothing I was ever served in the Flying Lotus in London.
Is this Chinese food?

Well, it is Hunan food! And, there are some serious tastes in there!
 

I am not going to describe it to you, but instead point you in the direction of my favourite writer on Chinese food, Ms Fuchsia Dunlop. Very soon I'll save up my pennies to buy her new book. Then cook the stuff myself! In the meantime, there are loads of Hunan restaurants round Liuzhou (we are neighbours), so I won't go without!

tags: hunan  restaurant  mao  chinese food  changsha  food  liuzhou  fuschia dunlop  china  

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