Guide to journey through spice land

Hunan province is a place where the spice of life is a life of spice, where the chili pepper fuels the fire that burns in local people's souls.

That's perhaps why images of two of the fiery fruits crisscross the cover of Hunan: The Hometown of Chairman Mao Zedong, framing the quote: "Spice, embodying the essential spirit of Hunan people, is like a signpost leading straight to (their) hearts".

And it's perhaps why the book's opening sentence reads: "It goes without saying that the person at the table who likes the spiciest food is from Hunan province."