Spice Up Your Life: What's so Special About Crayfish? Huda Restaurant Has the Answer
People of the world! Every boy and every girl: In the lead up to our second annual Hot & Spicy Festival on Apr 20-21, we’re Spicing Up Our Lives with a few of the vendors to see what searing treats they'll be doling out at the rapidly approaching fine spring weekend. This time: Kang Xiaowei from the mega-popular Huda Restaurant.
Since 1999, Sichuan restaurant Huda has drawn immense crowds of Beijingers to their flagship Gui Jie location. Those patrons can't get enough of Huda's famous lip-tinglingly spicy dishes, of which their numbing crayfish (麻辣小龙虾 má là xiǎo long xiā) is perhaps the most popular.
For this year's Hot & Spicy Festival, besides their notorious drawcard, Huda will bring some other exciting offerings: crayfish with minced garlic (蒜蓉龙虾 suàn róng long xiā), spicy and numbing rabbit head (麻辣兔头 má là tù tóu), spicy and numbing cold noodles (麻辣凉面 má là liáng miàn), and two drinks: plum juice (酸梅汤 suān méi tāng) and a type of beer made exclusively for Huda by Jing-A.
Below we speak to Kang Xiaowei, head of marketing at Huda, to tell us about what makes their crayfish so addictive as well as what we can expect from their showing at the festival.
Tell us about the dishes that you're bringing to the Hot & Spicy Festival. What makes them so special?
Firstly, our spicy and numbing crayfish are cooked using high-quality, fresh crayfish, with over ten types of seasoning, such as chilies and huajiao (Sichuan peppercorns). To make the crayfish with minced garlic, we season it with smashed garlic until the fragrance really permeates the whole dish. If you haven't tried garlicky crayfish before, you'll soon learn that it's finger-licking good! Finally, our spicy and numbing rabbit head is a Chengdu specialty. At Huda, we only use rabbit meat that’s high in protein and low in fat, cholesterol, and calories.
In your opinion, what are the most important elements that help make great spicy food?
The peppers used to make various sauces and dishes in different countries and regions can result in very different tastes, but I think that the ingredients that are paired with the peppers are also very important. They're also really versatile and can go with soup like in hot pot, on skewers, or added to hot dogs and burgers.
What drink from your menu will go best with your spicy food?
Our plum juice, which is made from plum, dried crabapple, rock sugar, licorice, and osmanthus, and is simmered on a low heat for 30 minutes. It's got just the right balance of sweet and tart, which makes it a great side drink when eating spicy food. Secondly, you can't pass up our specialized draft beer, which is brewed by Huda Restaurant in collaboration with Jing-A Brewing. It's low in alcohol and has a sweetish aftertaste, which matches perfectly with the spicy flavors of the crayfish.
In your opinion, which country in the world has the best spicy food and why?
I like Sichuan and Hunan cuisine – they both offer different types of spice with a variety of ingredients. I also like fried spicy Korean rice cakes.
What is the spiciest thing you have ever eaten? Would you recommend other people try it?
Tiger Bang Chili Sauce (虎邦辣椒酱). I often recommend it to my colleagues.
What are you looking forward to at this year’s Hot & Spicy Festival?
All the spicy food on offer by the vendors, the Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest, and feedback from visitors about our food.
Did you attend last year’s Hot & Spicy Festival?
I did. The food was of course the highlight – I ate a lot of different dishes and enjoyed all of them. I also like the bandana with the Hot & Spicy Festival logo on it; it’s very special and memorable.
Get your tickets to this year's Hot & Spicy Festival ahead of time and receive a free gift!
Photos courtesy of Huda Restaurant