You’ve likely seen Hunan Chicken and Szechuan Chicken on the menu of your favorite Chinese restaurant. They are both well-known for their use of high-quality ingredients. However, there are some critical differences between them.
Each is delicious as a light lunch or hearty dinner served with steamed brown or white rice. But the two dishes vary in texture, ingredients, and taste.
They come from two different parts of China, too. This article will compare and contrast them and delve into their differences so you can better grasp what sets them apart.
Hunan Shrimp Vs Szechuan Shrimp: The Differences
The distinctive flavors of Hunan and Szechuan varieties of shrimp set them apart. Szechuan Shrimp is often prepared with vinegar and sugar to give it a sweet and sour flavor. Hunan Shrimp tends to be spicier and more savory than Szechuan Shrimp.
Szechuan shrimp typically feature a red-pepper-based sauce, while Hunan shrimp are served with chicken stock or a chili garlic sauce made with black bean, chili bean, or chili paste.
A Hunan Shrimp recipe is characterized by its use of large shrimp and its preparation in vegetable oil alongside shredded ginger, garlic, red bell peppers, cayenne pepper, chopped green onions, blistered green beans, and other vegetables. Szechuan Shrimp uses smaller shrimp cooked with ginger, garlic, and fermented black beans in vegetable oil. Steamed rice accompanies both popular dishes. For Szechuan Shrimp, serve hot with noodles, chicken broth, or stir fry.
Hunan Shrimp is usually prepared in a hot wok and served with a spicy and flavorful sauce. However, it cooks at lower temperatures than Szechuan shrimp. It is seasoned with wine vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar to achieve its classic sweet-and-sour flavor.
Szechuan shrimp is from the Sichuan province, while Hunan shrimp is from the Hunan province.
Hunan Shrimp Vs Szechuan Shrimp: The Similarities
There are some similarities between Szechuan Shrimp and Hunan Shrimp, despite their taste and containing different ingredients. In both, large shrimp are braised in a sauce made from ginger, soy sauce, vegetable oil, and garlic.
They taste great with noodles, stir fry, or white rice. Finally, both meals taste great with steamed or stir fried vegetables and a savory sauce like hoisin or oyster.
Both Szechuan Shrimp and Hunan Shrimp are two tasty Chinese dishes with similar ingredients prepared in different ways and resulting in distinctive flavors. There’s something delicious for every palate, whether you like spicy food, like in Hunan, or sweet, like in Szechuan.
What Does Szechuan Shrimp Taste Like?
The overwhelming spice gives Szechuan shrimp a spicy flavor and a mild tingling sensation on the tongue. But once the heat has died down, a smattering of sweetness and saltiness will remain on the tongue.
The sweetness helps to counteract the heat, and some chefs will use brown sugar or honey to bring it out. The sauce is sticky, and the saltiness of the seafood contributes to the overall deliciousness.
What Is Hunan Sauce Made Of?
Chicken broth, red chili peppers, oyster sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, Japanese rice wine, chili bean sauce (“Douban Jiang”), and brown sugar are the base ingredients for Hunan sauce. The two main ingredients in chili bean sauce are fermented soybean paste and chili peppers.
What Is Hunan Seafood?
Hunan seafood is an always fresh Chinese seafood dish, and it’s spiced up with a variety of herbs and spices. It includes mussels, scallops, shrimp, and other fish prepared in an oil-based sauce.
It is spicy and flavorful, perfect for celebrations and everyday meals. It’s novel and tasty, thanks to the clever blend of flavors.
The key to a great Hunan seafood dish is achieving harmony between its spice level and sweetness.
Want it spicier? Throw in some more Szechuan peppercorns or red pepper flakes. Increasing the sugar and garlic content will make the dish sweeter.
Is Hunan Or Szechuan More Spicy?
It is up to you and your tastes to decide that. Hunan shrimp is typically spicier than Szechuan shrimp because of the garlic, red chili, or chili peppers used.
Szechuan shrimp uses savory and milder Szechuan peppercorns. Both dishes are adaptable to your preferred level of spiciness. Try different amounts of sugar and spices to see what works best for you.
The Hunan shrimp is the way to go if you want a genuinely spicy experience.
What Is The Difference Between Hunan And Szechuan Cooking?
There are critical differences between Hunan cuisine and Szechuan cuisine. Spicy ingredients like fresh chili peppers and garlic are common in Hunan cuisine. In contrast, the savory flavors of Szechuan cuisine come from ingredients like soy sauce and Szechuan peppercorns.
And while Szechuan dishes typically simmer in a sauce for longer, Hunan seafood generally is stir-fried. Both methods can produce tasty food; what matters is finding the right balance of spices and flavors for your personal cooking style matters.
You just have to try different things until you find what works best.
What Does Hunan Style Mean?
Hunan-style food is that which originates from China’s Hunan province. Essential ingredients like ginger, oil, and garlic combine with spicy, savory, and sweet flavors. The dishes are great for parties because they can be cooked quickly or slowly, depending on the host’s preferences.
Hunan cuisine is renowned for its robust flavors as well. Sichuan peppercorns and red pepper flakes are used to achieve that signature sweet-and-spicy Chinese flavor. The result is a tasty meal with enough human shrimp calories to satisfy your appetite.
What Does Hunan Shrimp Consist Of?
Hunan shrimp is a popular dish consisting of shrimp and stir-fried veggies and is named after its place of origin in China’s Hunan province. A hot sauce made of chili bean paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and garlic coats the ingredients.
The spicy prawns are served with green onions and blistered green beans. Hunan shrimp is a perfect dish because it is spicy but simple enough.
You can classify this meal as Hunan-style (or Xiang cuisine). Nonetheless, there are notable differences between the cooking methods of various regional chefs. As a result, there may be a few distinct but similarly named variants.
Even in the West, where they use a standard recipe, there may be several variations on the same theme, all of which share the same name. Rice or noodles are the typical accompaniments to this stir-fry. Shrimp, fresh or frozen, work just as well in the recipe.
What Is Spicier Hunan Or Szechuan, Or Kung Pao?
Most Americans mistake Hunan, Szechuan, and Kung Pao cuisine for three distinct Chinese spicy cuisines. Because fresh peppers are used in Hunanese cooking rather than processed pepper paste, many dishes from this province’s cuisine are classified as “spicy” or “hot” than their Szechuan counterparts.
The use of fresh peppers and the absence of sugar in the Hunan version make it spicier than Kung Pao. Garlic, soy sauce, ketchup, and rice vinegar give Kung Pao its bold flavor.
Why Is Szechuan So Good?
Szechuan cuisine is well-known for its signature ingredients’ bold, savory flavors, spiciness, oiliness, and numbing effects. Raw garlic, primarily in large quantities, is the source of the dish’s bold flavor. Most Szechuan noodle dishes, for example, feature garlic water as an aromatic ingredient.
What’s The Difference Between Szechuan Sauce And Hunan Sauce?
The spiciness level and adding other ingredients distinguish Szechuan from Hunan sauce.
Hunanese cuisine has a spicier and tangier flavor and is typically combined with vegetables. Szechuan cuisine is heartier and milder and is mixed with only peppers.
Here are some key differences to keep in mind between the two meals.
Spiciness: Although both dishes can have a spicy flavor, the ingredients used to create their unique profiles are very different. Common ingredients in Szechuan cuisine include peppercorns and dried red chili peppers.
It’s no wonder it gives some people “mouth numbness” and a tingly feeling on their tongues after consumption.
Conversely, Hunan cuisine’s spicy yet nuanced flavor comes from chili bean paste or powder (also “doubanjiang”), a common ingredient in Chinese cooking.
Additional ingredients: Serve Hunan cuisine with various side dishes, including broccoli. It includes vegetables like carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, green onion, zucchini, and corn.
You can customize this dish quickly and easily to accommodate various vegetable tastes. Sesame seeds, peppers, and even bell peppers are the traditional accompaniments to Szechuan cuisine.
Preparation: Chicken in Szechuan cuisine is traditionally prepared by cutting it into cubes, coating them in a flour-based batter, and then frying them. The peppercorns, red chili peppers, and red chilies are added to the chicken and sauteed while it cooks.
Many versions of Hunan cuisine involve slicing the chicken into thin strips before marinating it and then stir-frying it in hot oil with various vegetables.
Caloric Content: Szechuan cuisine has a higher calorie content than other dishes because of how it is cooked. The chicken is deep-fried before being added to the stir-fry. Its calorie count is boosted by the batter used to coat it.
Due to the increased amount of oil used in its preparation, it may contain as many as 36 extra calories per 100 grams. Hunan chicken has about 100 fewer calories per 100 grams.
Dish Sauce: Hunan dishes typically feature a light gravy that coats the meat and vegetables. However, Szechuan chicken is generally drier and served without any sauce or gravy.
Although typically made from chicken broth, some establishments add some gravy to their Szechuan dish.
Appearance: The reddish color of Szechuan cuisine is due to the chili bean powder or paste used in its preparation. Even though the dish lacks sauce, the chicken should be juicy and tender.
Brown gravy is the signature sauce of Hunan chicken, which resembles a meat and vegetable stew.
