"My parents have this web of covered dishes and thank you notes -- all of these social ties and ties to the land run really deep, but they would never have called them that." Bryant says.

Kombu can be deep-fried or sauteed as a vegetable, and it appears in the simmered dishes known as nimono, which is one of the principal ways of serving vegetables.

Hunan food is characterized by its hot and sour flavor, fresh aroma, greasiness, deep color, and the prominence of the main flavor in the dishes.