How Hunan Chinese Food Got On The Map
As authentic Chinese food grows in popularity, more people will be drawn to the flavors of Hunan province. Very few Americans know the story of the man who was influential in making Hunan Chinese food famous in America. Here is what you should know about Henry Chung.
Hunan Chinese Food pioneer
Henry Chung was born in Tao Hua village, Hunan in 1918. From an early age, spicy was a huge influence on him. In his book, Henry Chung’s Hunan Style Chinese Cookbook, he noted that the elder women in the village relied on peppers and other ingredients to create a unique style of food.
His journey to deliver spicy Hunan Chinese food to America was not easy. For many years after leaving China, he spent time trying to find his niche in America. He ran an ice cream parlor, shoe repair store and even a toy store. He would not have success until his mid-50s when he opened his restaurant HUNAN in Sanfrancisco.
Initially, many Cantonese Chinese in San Francisco rejected the Hunan style food because of its reliance on spice. It was the non-Cantonese who flocked to the restaurant in the wake of President Nixon’s visit to China, and a review by New Yorker writer Tony Hiss, who labeled Hunan as the best restaurant in the world.
Ironically, it was the strong spice aroma that lured Hiss into the restaurant. He happened to be walking by the restaurant during Thanksgiving in 1976.
Hiss was instrumental in developing Chung’s book and wrote the forward. Hiss was intrigued by the complexities of authentic Hunan Chinese food.
Chung would open several restaurants in San Francisco. Despite his popularity, many people who visited would ask for Cantonese style dishes that they had in other states. Chung stayed true to his mission to deliver authentic Hunan Chinese food to America. Many Hunan style restaurants opened in San Francisco and across America, but it was Chung’s impact that made this possible. Chung died in San Francisco at the ripe age of 99, leaving a lasting imprint on American culture.