Delicacies of Hunan and Hubei

The two provinces of Hunan and Hubei share nearby Sichuan’s liberal use of chillies in their cuisines. Although the cooking styles here are regarded as being of separate schools from that of Sichuan, they do share similar traits, especially when it comes to fiery flavours. The dishes are not always hot, but they are always complex in terms of ingredients. Hubei food has one unusual feature: the skilful blending of seafood flavours with meat and poultry, as in the unique dish Dragon Phoenix Eels.