辣椒與湘味

對湖南人來說，吃辣的習俗不僅存在于市井煙火間，更在文化和基因里得到了傳承。人們常說吃辣有三重境界：第一重是不怕辣；第二重是辣不怕；第三重是怕不辣，也是吃辣的最高境界。在湖南，幾乎家家戶戶都會腌辣椒、醬辣椒、曬辣椒，日常飲食中也是“無辣不成菜”。在別的地方，人們把辣椒當佐料，而湖南人則把辣椒當菜。

For people from Hunan Province — known by its abbreviationas Xiang，eating spicy food is embedded in their kitchens，in their culture，and， some might say， even in their genes.Local people speak of three levels of eating spicy food.The first is not being afraid of spice.The second is being able to handle it.And the third一perhaps the most Hunan of all—is fearing only that the food isn't spicyenough.InHunan，nearly everyhousehold knows howto make pickled chillies，soypreserved chillies， and sun-dried chilli peppers.In their daily life，there is acommon saying： ^eNo spice，Nodish.\"Whileinother parts of China，chilli is used as a seasoning or garnish， in Hunan，chilliesare eatenas dishes.

湖南的辣椒種類繁多，堪稱全國之最。據報道，湖南有13個國家地理標志辣椒產品，另有200多個地方特色品種。這些不同種類的辣椒經過湖南人的加工，有的成為辣椒肉醬、辣椒魚醬、辣椒罐頭等網紅產品，有的成為剁辣椒、泡辣椒、白辣椒等調味品。按照辣的程度，這些辣椒和醬可依次分為甜辣型、微辣型、中辣型和猛辣型四個等級。

Hunan has the greatest variety of chillis in China. Ithas13 chilli productswith National Geographical Indication（GI） status，along with over 200 other regionallydistinctivevarieties.Thesedifferentvarieties of chillies have been processed by the people of Hunan intoa wide range of products，including internetfamous items such as minced meat chilli sauce， chilli anchovy sauce，and cannedchillies.Somevarieties have also been made into traditional ingredients such as chopped chilli， pickled chilli，and white chilli. Accordingto the intensityof their heat，these vibrant peppersand sauces are classified into four tiers：sweet spice，mild spice，medium spice，and hot spice.

在眾多湖南辣椒中，來自湘陰的樟樹港辣椒尤為聲名遠揚，因其培育周期長、產量少，以“好吃”和“昂貴”著稱，常常供不應求。來到湖南的食客們都以能吃到樟樹港辣椒為一大樂事。這種辣椒生長前期呈長羊角形，后期則漸變為短羊角形，辣椒把幾是帶彎的傘把形狀。別看它其貌不揚，吃起來層次感非常豐富，集香、脆、甜于一體，別有一番風味，獲得了一大批食客的青睞。當地人把樟樹港辣椒加工成辣椒醬、辣椒餅等特色產品，成為游客們非常喜歡的伴手禮。2022年，神舟十四號載人飛船帶著樟樹港辣椒種子進入太空，開展育種實驗。如今，這些從太空回來的“天椒”種子已經開始培育嫩苗，這一批突變種將為食客們提供品質更好、風味更佳的樟樹港辣椒。

Among the many varieties ofchilli， the Zhangshugangchilli from Xiangyin standsapart， celebratedfarandwide.Withalonganddelicate breedingcycleanda modest yield，it has earned a reputationasachilliboth exquisitely tastyand dear. Theprizedchilli isoften in such high demand that supply can scarcely keep pace.For diners visiting Hunan，tasting the Zhangshugang chilli is yet a profound pleasure.Inits early stage of growth， the chilli stretcheslongandslender，resemblingaram'shorn. Asitmatures，itcurlsinward， takingon the shapeof ashorterram'shorn，withastemthatbendslikethe crook of an old umbrella handle.Modest in appearance andeasilyoverlooked， thishumblechilli surprisesthe palatewithitslayeredcomplexity-adelicatefusion offragrance，crisp texture，and a hint of sweetness.It is thisdistinctivecharacterthathascaptured the hearts offoodloversfarandwide.Localshavetransformed Zhangshugang chilli into a range of specialty delights fromrichchilli sauce to flavourfulchilli pancakes.These belovedlocal products havebecome favourite takeaway gifts for travellersto bringhomea tasteofHunan.In 2022，China’sShenzhou XIVcrewed spacecraftcarried Zhangshugangchilli seeds intospace，where theywere used ina germination experiment.Now， these heavenly seeds-having journeyed through space and returned to Earth - have begun to nurture a new generation. These space mutant seeds promise to bring food lovers Zhangshugangchilliesof evengreaterqualityand richer flavour，deepening the legacy of this beloved spice.

對地道的湖南人來說，什么菜式配什么辣椒都極有講究。比如，炒肉得用香辣兼備的朝天椒，才能炒出肉的鮮美和辣椒的香辣；湘系名菜“剁椒魚頭”要選用汝城朝天椒才算正宗；要是做酸辣湯，那就得用酸中帶辣的泡辣椒，才能喝出湯的酸爽和辣椒的味道；而素炒大白菜，則要在白菜上點綴一撮紅辣椒，既增味又添色。此外，辣椒自身也能成為名菜，如虎皮辣椒、油燜辣椒、擂辣椒等經典湘菜，僅僅幾個辣椒就能讓人輕松干掉兩三碗米飯。在湖南人的日常生活中，辣椒無處不在，就連談戀愛，湖南人都要用辣椒來傳情達意。要是哪個小伙子想追湖南妹子，就得先過辣椒這一關。如果連辣椒都吃不了，還怎么談得上湖南人的浪漫呢？

Fornative Hunan people， the relationship between chilli and cuisine is never casual - every dish， every pepper， follows itsown tradition.A proper stir-fried pork， for instance，mustbe paired with FacingHeaven Chillies. Onlythencanthesavoryrichnessofthemeatandthe fragrantheatofthechilliestrulycomethrough.The region'siconicdish-SteamedFishHeadwithChopped Chilli- demandsnot just any chilli， but the Chaotian Chillies especially sourced from Rucheng County to be considered authentic. To make a hot and sour soup， only pickledchillieswitha tangy，spicy kick will work; it is the verycombinationthatbringsoutthesoup'ssourfreshness and the bold，layered heatof the chillies. While something ashumbleasa stir-fryof Chinese cabbageisnot complete withouta garnishofa small handful of vivid red chillies， enhancingboththecolourandthetasteofthedish.In Hunan，chilliesaren't just ingredients-theyare the stars of the plate.Dishes like Tiger Skin Chilli （Pan Fried Chilli），

Youmen Chilli（Oil Braised Chilli），and Lei Chilli （Mashed Chilli） have become classics.With justa handful of chillies， these simple yet powerful dishes can stir the appetite so deeply thataHunannative might finish two or even three bowls of rice without asecond thought.In the everyday life ofHunan people， chillies are everywhere - on the table， in the fields，and evenin themattersof theheart.Whenit comes to courtship，chillies playa surprisingrole as well. In Hunan，affection is often expressed through chillies.If a young man wishes to win the heart of a Hunan girl，he must first prove himself through chillies.Forif hecannot evenhandle theheat，howcanhehopetospeakoflove？

至于湖南人為什么愛吃辣椒，大概與這里的氣候有關。湖南三面環山、一面臨水，夏季炎熱潮濕，冬季寒冷干燥，是人們常說的“卑濕之地”。辣椒有驅寒、祛風濕的功效，夏天吃可以驅濕，冬天吃可以御寒，幫助人們減輕氣候對身體的影響。因此，吃辣椒成了湖南人適應當地氣候的一種生活方式，同時也養成了他們嗜辣的口味。對湖南人來說，辣椒是餐桌上的必備品，沒有辣味，簡直就等于無味。如果想與湖南人比吃辣，那可是個不小的挑戰，畢竟這里每人每年消費的鮮食辣椒都在100斤以上呢！

Asforwhy Hunanpeopleare so fond of eatingchillies，much of ithas todowith the region'sclimate.Hunanisringedbymountains onthreesidesandfaceswateronthefourth， creating a basin-like geography. Summers arescorchingandhumid，whilewintersare coldanddamp，and itiscommonlyknown as a low-lying and damp land. Chillies are believed to dispel cold，warm the body， and even ease rheumatism. In summer， they helpdriveoutdampness;inwinter，theyward off the chill. Over time， eatingchillies has helpedHunanpeopleadapttotheregion's challenging climate. Chillies have become a vital part of their everyday diet， shaping notonlytheirmealsbutalso their palate. For Hunan people，chilliesare a daily necessity- without them， food simply tastes too bland. And if you ever try to go head-to-head with a Hunan local in a spicy food contest， prepare yourself. After all， each person here consumes over 100 kilogramsof freshchilliesevery year.