湘菜简称湖南菜，它历史悠久，源远流长，逐步发展成为颇负盛名的地方菜系湖南地处长江中游南部，气候温和，雨量充沛，土质肥沃，物产丰富，素称“鱼米之乡”。
优越的自然条件和富饶的物产，湘菜在选料方面提供了物质条件。
湘菜由湘江流域、洞庭湖区和湘西山区为基调的三种地方风味组成。
湘江流域菜以长沙、衡阳、湘潭为中心，其中以长沙为主，讲究菜肴内涵的精当和外形的美观，色、香、味、器、质和谐的统一，因而成为湘菜的主流。
洞庭湖区菜以常德、岳阳两地为主，擅长制作河鲜水禽；湘西地区菜则由湘西、湘北的民族风味菜组成，以烹制山珍野味见长。
湘菜品种繁多，门类齐全。
就菜式而言，既有乡土风味的民间菜式，经济方便的大众菜式；也有讲究实惠的筵席菜式，格调高雅的宴会菜式；还有味道随意的家常菜式和疗疾健身的药膳菜式。
据有关方面统计，湖南现有不同品味的地方菜和风味名菜达800多个。
湘菜的基本刀法有十几种之多。
厨师们在长期的实践中，手法娴熟，因料而异，具体运用，演化参合，切批斩剁，游刃有余。
使菜肴千姿百态、变化无穷。
整鸡剥皮，盛水不漏，瓜盅“载宝”，形态逼真，常令人击掌叫绝，叹为观止。
湘菜历来重视原料互相搭配，滋味互相渗透。
湘菜调味尤重酸辣。
因地理位置的关系，湖南气候温和湿润，故人们多喜食辣椒，用以提神去湿。
用酸泡菜作调料，佐以辣椒烹制出来的菜肴，开胃爽口，深受青睐，成为独具特色的地方饮食习俗。
湘菜的烹调方法历史悠久，到现在已经形成几十种烹调方法，在热烹、冷制、甜调三大类烹调技法中，每类技法少则几种，多的有几十种。
相对而言，湘菜的煨•\功夫更胜一筹，几乎达到炉火纯青的地步。
煨，在色泽变化上可分为红煨、白煨，在调味方面有清汤煨、浓汤煨和奶汤煨。
小火慢•\，原汁原味。
有的菜晶莹醇厚，有的菜汁纯滋养，有的菜软糯浓郁，有的菜酥烂鲜香，许多煨•\出来的菜肴，成为湘菜中的名馔佳品。
著名的菜肴有：腊味合蒸东安子鸡麻辣子鸡红煨鱼翅汤泡肚冰糖湘莲金钱鱼东安子鸡早在唐玄宗开元年间，湖南东安人就开始烹制东安鸡，至今已有1200多年的历史。
此菜造型美观，色泽鲜艳，营养丰富，具有香、辣、麻、酸、甜、脆、嫩等特点。
Hunan Cuisine 湖南菜英语介绍Also known as Xiang Cai, Hunan cuisine [kwiˈzi:n] has already developed into a famous culinary[ˈkʌlinəri]厨房的school in China. Hunan dishes consist of local dishes from the Xiangjiang River area, Dongting Lake area and WesternHunan mountain area. Hunan's culinary specialties are akin [əˈkin]同类的to those of the chili-rich Sichuan dishes. It is also characterized by thick and pungent flavor. Chili, pepper and shallot are usually necessaries in this division. However, Chili, peppers, garlic (suan) and an unusual sauce, called "strange-flavor" sauce (guai wei jiang) on some menus, enliven many dishes, with a somewhat drier intensity than that of their Sichuan counterparts. Sweetness, too, is a Hunan culinary passion, and honey sauces are favored in desserts such as water chestnut or cassia flower cakes.Hunan is known as "the land of fish and rice". Like the west in latitude, it has the added bonus of lowlands for rice cultivation and a rich ocean's edge for fish.Hunan food is characterized by its hot and sour flavor, fresh aroma, greasiness, deep color, and the prominence of the main flavor in the dishes. Hunan food is hot because the climate is very humid, which makes it difficult for human body to eliminate moisture. The local people eat hot peppers to help remove dampness and cold. The main cooking methods for Hunan dishes are braising,double-boiling, steaming and stewing. It is also renowned for its frequent use of preserved meat in cooking.Rice is the staple in Hunan, but northern-style side dishes and fillers are also popular: bean curd "bread" rolls or dumplings and savory buns. They are further signs that Hunan is one of China's culinary heartland, incorporating many flavors and regional influences.Typical courses include: Dong'an chick; peppery and hot chick, stir-fried tripe slivers, tripe in duck's web soup, lotus seed with rock candy, Xiaoxiang turtle, steamed pickled meat, and hot and spicy frog leg.毛氏红烧肉———StewedPorkinHome-made“Mao”StyleSauce干锅茶树菇土鸡———StewedChickenandTeaTreeMushroominSupremeStockwithChili腊味合蒸———SteamedAssortedPreservedMeat鸳鸯鱼头———FishHeadwithTwoFlavors秘制串烧虾———Deep-friedShrimpwithHome-madeSauce金汤甲鱼———StewedTurtlewithChilli，GarlicandVinegarinSupremeSoup特色五福拼盘Special five varieties葡国碳烧肉Portuguese roast pork脆皮靓烧鸡Crispy chicken湛江皇后水晶鸡Zhanjiang Crystal chicken金牌回香鸡Golden tasty chicken盐香脆皮鸡Salty crispy chicken高州葱油先鸡Gaozhou style shallot favour Chicken蜜汁碳烧叉烧Honey charcoal pork碳烧靓排骨Charcoal spare ribs骨香乳鸽Tasty baby pigeon锦绣烧味拼盘Assorted barbecue meat新派卤水拼盘New style soy sauce stewed meat新派卤水掌翼New style soy sauce stewed goose wing and feet 新派卤水大肠头New style soy sauce stewed pig’s intestine新派卤水肚仔New style soy sauce stewed pig’s tomach新派卤水脚仔New style soy sauce stewed pig’s hoof盐?肾片Baked salty chicken kidney凉拌海蜇Marinated cold jelly fish刀拍黄瓜Marinated cold cucumber小食类Entree日式海蜇Japanese style Jelly Fish日式八爪鱼Japanese style Octopus凉拌青瓜Marinated cold cucumber凉拌粉皮Marinated cold bean pasty蒜香肾片Garlic taste kidney蒜香猪耳仔Garlic taste pig’s ear麻辣凤爪Spicy hot chicken feet琥珀核桃Deep fried walnut in Syrup大边炉Big Border Stove东安子鸡Dong Zi An Chicken青韭鱿鱼丝Fried Squid Sliced with Leek翠竹粉蒸鮰鱼Steamed Hui Fish组庵鱼翅Zuyan Shark’s Fin麻仁酥鸭Sesame Kernel Crisp Duck沙律海鲜卷Seafood Roll with Mayonnaise五彩鲜贝Five-Color Fresh Scallop酸辣百叶Hot and Sour Centifolious Stomach煎连壳蟹Fried Crab酸辣鸡丁(湘菜）Hot and Sour Diced Chicken焦盐兔片Sliced Rabbit with Jianyan豉椒划水Braised Grass Carp with Dry Chilli君山银针鸡片Sliced Chicken with Junshan Yinzhen Tea子龙脱袍Braised Eel发丝百叶Fried Centifolious Stomach with Yulan仔姜炒肉丝Fried Meat Slice with Ginger酸辣鸡丁Hot and Sour Diced Chicken红烧猪脚Braised Pork Feet糖醋排骨Sweet and Sour Spareribs辣椒炒肚片Fried Pig Belly with Green Pepper酸辣笔筒鱿鱼Sleeve-Fish Roll in Sweet and Sour Sauce红椒酿肉Red Chilli Wrapping Pig Meat冰糖湘莲Sugar Candy LotusHunan cuisine is one of the eight regional cuisines of China and is well known for its hot spicy 辣味的flavor [ˈfleivər]味，滋味，味道；风味, fresh aroma[əˈrəumə]芳香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 chili peppers, shallots and garlic, Xiang cuisine is known for being dry hot (干辣) or purely hot, as opposed to the better known Sichuan cuisine, to which it is often compared. Sichuan cuisine is known for its distinctive málà (hot and numbing) seasoning and other complex flavour combinations, 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, and tends to be oilier. 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 [ˈhju:mid]潮湿的summer, a meal will usually start with cold dishes or a platter大浅盘holding a selection of cold meats with chilies for opening the pores毛孔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 (鸳鸯火锅yuān yāng hǔo gūo)lover's hot pot is notable for splitting the pot into a spicy side and a milder side.[edit]HistoryThis article is part of the seriesChinese cuisine中國菜Regional cuisines[show]Overseas cuisine[show]Religious cuisines[show]Ingredients and types of food[show]Preparation and cooking[show]China portalv·d·eThe 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. It now contains more than 4,000 dishes, such as fried chicken with Sichuan spicy sauce (麻辣鸡丁) and smoked pork with dried long green beans（干豆角蒸腊肉).。