Changsha: A City You Won't Want to Leave
Changsha is the capital city of Hunan Province, honored with the reputation of 'Star City'. Recently, Changsha has entered a period of rapid development. Coupled with the huge influence of Hunan's major TV stations, Changsha's popularity is growing day by day, attracting many tourists to visit every year.
Hunan cuisine is the main fare in Changsha. Hunan cuisine has a long history. During the Warring States period, the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan recorded many Hunan dishes in his famous poem 'Summoning the Soul'.
Landmark food icon — Fei Dàchú (Stir-fried Pork with Chili Peppers). For out-of-towners who love Hunan cuisine, most choose Fei Dàchú. Generally, you have to queue up at this restaurant, so be sure to pick the right time. For lunch, it's best to wait outside the restaurant around 11 o'clock.
Stir-fried pork with chili peppers is full of wok aroma and bursts with flavor. The pork belly has a perfect ratio of fat to lean. The chilies are not too spicy and have a meaty texture. Mix the chilies, pork belly, and rice together — it's incredibly fragrant. Finally, pour the meat juice over it; the taste is endless. Taking the simplest things to the extreme — that's Fei Dàchú's stir-fried pork with chili peppers. A must-recommend.
Preserved egg and chili smashed eggplant: The seasoning is excellent. The eggplant is soft, and the chilies are slightly crisp, not too spicy, making it a great dish to go with rice.
Lettuce in black bean sauce: The soy sauce has vinegar added, and dry chilies are sprinkled on top. The slightly sour and spicy flavor turns out to be wonderfully delicious. I can imitate this at home in the future.
Average cost is less than 60 RMB per person, and they give you an old-style popsicle as a gift. Refreshing.
Changsha stinky tofu is the eternal black classic of Hunan. The soul lies in the soup and toppings being fully soaked into the tofu, making it 100% crispy and flavorful.
Flavorful crawfish: Hunanese have developed crawfish to the extreme — crawfish tails, whole crawfish, oil-exploded crawfish... The most amazing is the brightly colored, thick-soup flavorful crawfish, delivering an authentic 'Hunan flavor' straight to your chest.
Wenheyou Old Changsha Fried Food Shop is a must-go BBQ and skewer spot for foodies. When you go, you must order the shrimp and ribs. Besides BBQ, the Wenheyou large grilled sausages are also very good. I order one every time I go. It looks a bit greasy, but you can rest assured when eating it — you won't gain weight. And this place truly offers an authentic old Changsha flavor.
Jinji Tangyou Baba at the gate of Changjun Middle School: Because it's at the school gate, hygiene and safety are reliable. The sticky, oily feeling seems very greasy, but only when you taste it do you understand the sensation. Many people can't stop once they start eating.
Sexy Tea — this internet-famous milk tea brand is probably known to many, but it's a milk tea that can only be had in Changsha. How many times has your mind been recommended the Orchid Latte? Why not take some free time to taste it yourself? Sexy Tea has stores in many large shopping malls!
Mianmian ice (shaved ice): The shop is located on Pozijie Street, and it's very friendly. Not only can you take photos inside, but there are also quite a few handsome and beautiful staff. There's a steady stream of people coming in to eat. During peak hours, it might be a bit crowded. The prices are not too expensive, generally around 20 to 30 RMB.
Sijie Noodle House is also a famous internet-famous shop. Because Zhang Yixing, a native of Changsha, really likes this place. Besides the most famous beef rice noodles, there is also steamed egg with meat patty. But if you want to eat the steamed egg with meat patty, you have to go early, because it often sells out in advance. Many of Changsha's snacks and delicacies are quite spicy, so having a bowl of light rice noodles feels really nice.
Mengzhong BBQ: If you come in summer, you can also eat crawfish here. This is also a place where many celebrities come to have skewers, which shows how delicious it is. Mengzhong BBQ generally opens at 6 pm. Eating here gives you a special feeling of having skewers — you feel that having skewers should be like this. Recommended items: beef fat, pork aorta, garlic chicken. The beef fat here is really fragrant.
