Huogongdian (Fire Palace)

Originally called Qianyuan Palace, Huogongdian was built in 1577 during the Ming dynasty as a temple to the fire god, standing on Pozi Street in old Changsha. Over the Qing dynasty the open ground before the temple filled with food stalls, and vendors here made stinky tofu, sister dumplings and sugar-oil glutinous balls famous, fusing temple-fair culture with the city's food culture.

Huogongdian brings together nearly every traditional Changsha snack, with its stinky tofu the most renowned of all; a local rhyme says "Fire Palace has everything," making it the first stop for visitors discovering Hunan flavours.

Its signature stinky tofu is steeped in a long-fermented brine, then deep-fried until crisp outside and tender within and dressed with chilli sauce; the house also keeps alive sister dumplings, sugar-oil balls and other old-method snacks, a living museum of street food.

Huogongdian is a recognised emblem of Hunan food culture and the host of the national-level Huogongdian Temple Fair.