Spicy Crayfish

Kouwei xia is heavily seasoned crayfish, stir-fried and braised over high heat with chilli, perilla, garlic and spices until glossy red and deeply flavoured, the headline dish of any Changsha late-night table.

Spicy crayfish emerged in the Changsha night markets of the 1980s and 90s and grew popular as Hunan cuisine spread nationwide and Hunan TV's entertainment programmes carried it across the country, becoming an emblem of the city's nightlife.

Served by the heaped basin and eaten by hand, diners suck the sauce from the heads and pair it with cold beer or sweet rice wine, the liveliest way to spend a summer night at a roadside stall.

Its intense heat, the distinctive fragrance of perilla and the finger-licking communal ritual are the unmistakable marks of Changsha spicy crayfish.