There is a Cantonese saying: "Any animal whose back faces the sun can be eaten". Cantonese cuisine takes this quite literally, embracing almost all edible meats. In addition to standard staple meats (pork, beef and chicken), snakes, snails, insects, worms, chicken feet, duck tongues, and entrails may be found at a traditional Cantonese table.
Cantonese (Yue) cuisine originates from Guangdong Province in southern China, more precisely, the area around Canton. Of the various regional styles of Chinese cuisine, Cantonese is the best-known outside of China. A "Chinese restaurant" in a Western country will usually serve Cantonese food, or an adaptation thereof.
Steaming, stir frying and deep frying are the most popular cooking methods in Cantonese restaurants, adhering to the philosophy of bringing out the flavor of the freshest ingredients. Cantonese cuisine is sometimes considered bland by those used to thicker, richer and darker sauces of other Chinese cuisines. It can be characterized by the use of very mild and simple spices in combination. Garlic is used heavily, especially in dishes containing ingredients of unpleasant odors, such as entrails. Spicy hot dishes are extremely rare in Cantonese cuisine. As a rule of thumb in Cantonese dining, the spiciness of a dish is usually inversely proportional to the freshness of the ingredients.
Fresh live seafood is a specialty in Cantonese cuisine. Many authentic restaurants maintain live seafood tanks. Cantonese seafood is best cooked by steaming, with a light seasoning of soy sauce, ginger, or spring onion added in order to bring out the natural sweetness of the seafood.
A unique Cantonese specialty is the slow-cooked soup, usually a clear broth prepared by simmering meat and other ingredients for several hours. Traditional Cantonese families have this type of soup at least once a week. The combinations are varied and numerous. The ingredients of a rather expensive Cantonese slow cooked soup may include whole chicken, dried cod gas bladders, dried sea cucumbers, dried scallops, and Bao Yu (dried abalone). A more affordable example could include pork bones, watercress and apricot kernels. The main attraction is the liquid in the pot, although the solids are eaten too, sometimes with soy sauce.
Hunan cuisine (sometimes called Xiang 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. Hunan is known for its liberal use of chilli peppers, shallots and garlic. Other distinguishing characteristics of Hunan cuisine include a focus on smoked and curing food in its dishes.
The Hunan menu will change following the season's alternation. In a hot and humid summer, a meal will usually start with cold dishes or a platter holding a selection of cold meats with chillies for opening the pores and keep cool in the summer. In winter, a popular choice is the hot pot, for heating the blood in the cold months. A special hot pot, the "lover's" hot pot, is famous for splitting the pot into a spicy and a lighter side.
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantonese_cuisine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunan_cuisine
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