This is the latest in a series of RAS "storytelling dinners," each focusing on a different region of China or type of cuisine.

Hunan banquets are known for their showstopper dishes—steamed fish head with pickled chilli peppers, dry-pot bullfrog, braised softshell turtle, fish roe and fish maw stew, blood duck, piles of spicy crayfish—everything you'd expect from a region famous for its lake and river produce. There's a primal pleasure to cracking, peeling, and gnawing for choice bits, not to mention licking your fingers afterwards, and we wouldn't dream of badmouthing these dishes.

But there's a less showy offshoot of Hunan cuisine that can teach us just as much about the region's food culture. The homestyle cooking of Hunan's capital city Changsha is what we'll be focusing on during this storytelling dinner. As we sample the bold flavors of its cozy stir-fries, attendees will learn about the fermentation, brining, and curing techniques that are crucial to preserving vegetables and meats in Hunan's hot and humid climate.

It will also give us the opportunity to talk about Hunan's relationship to the ancient state of Chu, which looms large in the Chinese historical imagination. The lush and unruly kingdom, which encompassed the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and the mighty Dongting Lake, was long viewed as a semi-barbarian land where shamans summoned spirits, and generals sent elephants into battle. The state of Chu was a sprawling southern wilderness against which the people of the Central Plains reaffirmed their civilized status, and the distinctive foods of Chu fed into this narrative.

The state of Chu would later gain renown for its many famous sons: Laozi, the founder of Taoism; Qu Yuan, the exiled poet whose tragic fate inspired the invention of zongzi rice dumplings; and Xiang Yu, the hegemon who lives on in the opera "Farewell My Concubine" as well as the game of Chinese chess. Attendees will get a whirlwind tour of this fascinating period of history as we eat our way through an array of spicy, smoky, and pungent dishes.

Note: We will try to accommodate vegetarians and other dietary restrictions, but this meal will not be suitable for vegans.

Convened by: Lilly Chow, RAS Food Focus

Seating for this dinner is limited to 10.

Registration is open to RAS members only.

If demand is high enough, we will offer a repeat session of this dinner. Keep an eye on your RAS Events WeChat group for announcements.