Hubei cuisine

Hubei cuisine, also known as Chu cuisine or E cuisine, is derived from the native cooking styles of Hubei Province in China.

Hubei cuisine
Chinese	湖北菜
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Húběi cài
Chu cuisine
Chinese	楚菜
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Chǔ cài

History

Hubei cuisine has a history of more than 2,000 years. The names of dishes and cuisine styles can be found in ancient literature such as Chuci of Qu Yuan.

Ingredients

As Hubei has plenty of lakes, rivers and marshlands, freshwater produce are used as major ingredients in the local cuisine. A key ingredient that is found within many Hubei-style dishes is the lotus root.

Style

Hubei cuisine emphasizes the preparation of ingredients and the matching of colors. It specializes in steaming techniques. Its style is influenced by the cooking methods of the cuisines of neighboring provinces such as Sichuan and Hunan. As a result, Hubei cuisine also uses dried hot pepper, black pepper and other spices to enhance the flavor of dishes.

Hubei cuisine comprises four distinct styles:

• Wuhan style specializes in soups as well as noodle dishes, such as hot dry noodles. Additionally, Wuhan is famous for its dry pots, which are similar to hot pot but without the soup base.
• Huangzhou style, which is more oily and tastes more salty than the others.
• Jingzhou style, which specializes in fish dishes and uses steaming as the primary method of cooking.
• Miao people style, which tastes thick, with the sour and hot most outstanding. It is found in the southwest of Hubei province.

Signature dishes

English	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	Pinyin	Notes
Three-Delicacy Dried Bean Curd Sheet	三鮮豆皮	三鲜豆皮	sān xiān dòu pí
Hot Dry Noodles	熱乾麵	热干面	rè gān miàn
Fish Cakes and Ball	魚糕丸子	鱼糕丸子	yú gāo wán zi
Mianyang Three Kinds of Steamed Food	沔陽三蒸	沔阳三蒸	miǎn yáng sān zhēng

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  Freshly made noodles drying in the sun in Futu, Huangshi Municipality
• 
  Chilli peppers sold in Wuhan

Gallery

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  Steamed fish cakes
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  Reganmian, the Hot Dried Noodles
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  Doupi, named after its outside layer made of green bean powder and eggs
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  Mianwo, deep-fried salty doughnut
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  Shaomei, a local variety of Shumai
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  Hot Dried Noodles and Danjiu (sweet rice wine with eggs)
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  Doupi
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  Steamed Wuchang Bream
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  Lotus Root Soup with Pork Bones
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  Fried Hongshan Caitai with garlic and chili
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  Fried Lotus Rootlet
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  Fried Dousi with beef
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  Cibayu, ciba-style grass carp
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  Ganbian Ousi, fried lotus root sticks
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  Shao Mianwo, deep-fried doughnut of sweet potato cubes
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  Jiguanjiao, fried jiguan dumpling (shaped like a chicken comb)
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  Hutangfen, rice noodles in peppery carp soup
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  Miba, semisweet rice pancakes
• 
  Yuyuan (fish balls in broth made from the same fish)
• 
  Pianpiya (crispy duck, sliced)
• 
  Mianyang Sanzheng (The Three Steamed Dishes of Mianyang)

See also

• List of Chinese dishes