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In Changsha, the day can begin with a bowl that does not ask you to slow down. Rice noodles arrive hot; the person eating them has somewhere to be. Yet breakfast offers a few minutes in whic
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Hunan food is famous for heat, but the first taste of chili is only the beginning of the story.
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Some teas are made to be opened quickly. Anhua dark tea carries the shape of distance. It is a post-fermented tea from Anhua County, in Hunan — and its most recognizable forms, the pressed
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Here is a piece of travel advice nobody gives you before Zhangjiajie: leave room for rain.
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Fenghuang is easy to remember at night. Lights draw a golden line along the Tuo River, reflecting timber houses in the water. But if you can give the town a second look in daylight, the rive
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The first thing that may happen when you step into a Chinese home is that a cup of tea appears in your hands.
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The tiger is a memorable face of 湘绣 (Xiāng xiù), Hunan's embroidery tradition, because its makers learned to make fur seem to lift from silk. Look closely at the eye: many shades of thread c
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The first argument often begins before the box is open: sweet or savoury?
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