If you ever visit a Chinese restaurant, the waiter suggests everyone for Mongolian beef or Hunan beef due to their popularity. However, most foreigners don’t know the difference between mongolian beef vs hunan beef.
In the beginning, they both look identical on plate but the disparity lies in the flavours, texture, ingredients used and preparation method.
Mongolian beef is not from Mongolia if you think so. It actually emerged from the Taiwanese mongolian barbeque later popularised as a Chinese American dish.
It has an essence of sweetness, savouriness and garlicky. On the other hand, hunan beef is a chinese dish which is cooked in thin and rich broth for refreshing flavours. Hunan beef recipe is one of the easiest to remake at home.
This guide will elaborate deliberately on mongolian beef vs hunan beef. So, the next time when you read the Chinese menu and can not decide, you can choose the one that you prefer and also explore other varieties.
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What is Mongolian beef?
Mongolian beef, by its name, seems as if it belongs to Mongolia but it is not. It originally is a Chinese American recipe that is liked for its bold and glazing sauce.
It can be prepared quickly through stir-frying but beef slices are simmered on high heat in the rich flavourful sauce for enhancement of taste. The coated sauce has an indication of sweetness that comes along with umami that coats the beef and vegetables.
Driven by its widespread popularity, it became very much liked across the world and began eating as a staple in many Asian-inspired restaurants and Chinese households.
The recipe is easier than we expect andcan be cooked by using key ingredients such as beef, garlic, soy sauce and green onion. At first, Mongolian beef recipe is cooked over a high flame until the sauce turns thick in texture as it later covers the vegetables and beef.
It is suggested to add vegetables like onion, broccoli or bell peppers as it gives freshness and crunchiness in the dish. It has 350-650 kcal calories that are accompanied by other essential nutrients.
To be exact, Mongolian beef is not a single dish but consists of many variants that include classic Mongolian beef, with broccoli, Mongolian beef noodles.
What is Hunan beef?
Hunan dish plays an essential part in the history of China as a traditional cuisine. It is one of the eight great culinary traditions that still matter to them.
It emerged in Hunan province as a stir-fry dish made up of thinly sliced beef.Hunan beef recipe looks difficult at first but you can cook this dish with fresh vegetables, chilli-based sauce, aromatic spices and most importantly beef easily the way restaurants do. It tastes spicy, savoury and smoky with a scant of sweetness.
The ingredients are cooked on high heat to properly marinate the meat and the vegetables. Hunan beef is preferred the most at Chinese American restaurants and at local restaurants that toned down the spiciness just the way they liked.
It is perfect to serve the balanced mouthfeel that incorporates the tenderness of the meat, crispiness of vegetables, aroma of spices for an outstanding experience.
This dish also has a number of variations across the world, such as classic Hunan beef, Hunan beef with broccoli and others. Hunan has an exceptional versatility in cooking methods.
Key Difference Between Hunan and Mongolian Beef
Mongolian beef vs Hunan beef is an all time debate that makes people question how exactly they are different from each other. In this regard, there is a difference of origin, flavour, appearance, texture and ingredients. Here, I will break down the distinctions they possess that make them unique.
Origin
First and foremost, the mongolian beef dish emerged from Taipei during 1950, still it was popularised as a Chinese-American dish. Due to its expansion, it was adopted by Chinese restaurants present in North America.
It mainly focused on meat, dairy products, and aromatic seasonings. In contrast,Hunan beef originated in Hunan province in China as a hunan cuisine.
It was an authentic spicy dish which is one of eight great culinary traditions. This dish emphasizes the heat level and strong aromatics for an unforgettable taste.
Flavour
When I compared Hunan beef vs Mongolian beef taste, I noticed how opposite they taste of each other. While Mongolian-style beef has balanced flavours that people prefer as it contains a scant of sweetness and umami’s savour.
The caramelized sauce has an essence of garlic and ginger that delivers rich and comforting flavour. Whereas, hunan beef is a dish that retains bold and flavours in layer for hit. It overall delivers a spicy, savoury, tangy and smoky experience.
Ingredients
Before you light up the flame, using the right ingredients is the foundation of any cuisine. Eventually they should be cooked perfectly. Mongolian beef includes a protein source (steak, beef or any meat), sauce ingredients, vegetables and aromatics such as ginger, garlic or brown sugar.
Usually, green onion is used but along with broccoli or onion, the texture of sauce enhances. Certainly, hunan beef mainly contains vegetables and most importantly chilli based ingredients for its authentic taste. Aromatics are used heavily for impactful dining.
Heat level
It is one of the easiest ways to differentiate between them as mongolian beef is moderately sweet while hunan beef is extremely spicy.
In terms of heat, mongolian beef stands moderately and predominantly that heat comes from red pepper flakes and dried chillies, which generally go unnoticed.
Unlike Hunan beef recipe is mainly known for its exceptional spiciness that comes from fresh red chillies, dried chillies, chili paste and chili oil along with other sources. Although the flavour is balanced with aromatics like ginger, garlic or umami.
Appearance
Primarily, the appearance of the dish makes the difference before you even taste as they both look entirely unique. By the illustration of mongolian beef, it appears rich and glossy as it is coated with thick caramelized brown sauce.
The glaze of sauce is absorbed into beef and vegetables look shiny. While hunan beef is colourful due to the addition of multiple vegetables and sauces. It looks vibrant in red, green or orange colours. Such features make a visual distinction between mongolian beef vs hunan beef.
Nutritional Value
The amount of nutrition available in both dishes are different as they contain distinctive ingredients. Their recipe, portion, preparation method and ingredients everything differs. As for mongolian beef, it retains 450-650 kcal calories aside fat, sugar and protein.
The calories are in abundance due to the cornstarch added for thickening of sauce. However, hunan beef includes 300-500 kcal of calories along with other major nutrients.
It contains less calories due to the limited amount of sugar but more vegetables. Consequently proving hunan beef as a healthy option.
| Basis | Mongolian beef | Hunan beef |
| Origin | Emerged from Taiwanese Mongolian barbeque and popular as Chinese American dish, not exactly mongolian | Originated in Hunan province as Hunan cuisine, one of the eight great culinary traditions |
| Appearance | Glossy and dark brown in colour as ingredients are coated with thick sauce | Vibrant and colourful with red, yellow and orange vegetables and aromatics |
| Texture | Tender thinly sliced beef or steak with glossy and sticky sauce | Tenderised beef submerged with varieties of vegetable into light sauce |
| Flavour | Taste moderately sweet and spicy, savoury, garlicky and balanced | Tastes boldly spicy, tangy and aromatic with savoury umami touch |
| Heat level | Moderately spicy as red pepper flakes and dried chilis are added | High spiciness as spice based ingredients are added |
| Calories | Contains 450-650 kcal of calories per serving | Contains 300-500 kcal of calories per serving |
Mongolian beef Vs Hunan beef Comparison With Other Varieties
There are several other varieties when mongolian beef vs hunan beef are compared. It includes kang pao, szechuan beef, pepper steak and Beijing beef.
All of them are different from each other and deliver distinctive flavours and texture that people prefer. Here, I have discussed the comparison between all the varieties of beef.
Hunan beef Vs Mongolian beef Vs Kung Pao beef
They are all stir-fried-based dishes that eventually causes a confusion between kung pao beef vs hunan beef. Hunan feet is a spicy stir-fried dish, while kung pao is a balanced dish that tastes nutty while also has immense sweet, spicy and tangy flavours. It gives a tingling sensation due to mala as sichuan peppercorn.
Nonetheless, the main disparity between Mongolian beef vs kung pao beef is their spiciness. The taste feels numbing and delivers a tingling sensation. If you consider the taste of Mongolian dishes, it is sweet and savoury.
Meanwhile, kung pao is really very spicy and nutty, which is glazed into a balanced sauce. You can always go for kung pao if you love to enjoy a balanced meal that is not entirely sweet or spicy in taste.
Hunan beef Vs Beijing beef
They originate in China but still have an entirely different flavour, texture and ingredients. Hunan beef is an authentic hunan cuisine which is cooked with a distinctive source of spices such as chili peppers, garlic, sauces and fresh vegetables.
They are stir-fried quickly into a thick and caramelized sauce. Whereas, Beijing beef is popularised as a Chinese American dish that can be deep-fried or stir-fried for the thickness of the sauce.
The beef turns crispy while cooking and only onion or bell peppers are added. These features are the difference betweenhunan beef vs beijing beef.
Mongolian beef Vs Hunan beef Vs Szechuan beef
In most Chinese restaurants, these three dishes are commonly ordered at different periods of the day. Mongolian beef Vs Hunan beef Vs Szechuan beef, they are cooked in a way that satisfies a person’s hunger.
In the beginning, Mongolian beef is known for having a balanced flavour with minimal vegetables and thick sauce that is sweet, savory and tangy in flavour.
In contrast, hunan tastes spicy, bold and authentic. As for szechuan beef, it originates in Sichuan province cooked with special peppercorns for all the spiciness, savoriness, smokiness and aromatics. If you are a spice lover then szechuan and Hunan are the best choices for you.
Mongolian beef Vs Pepper Steak
In the comparison of Mongolian beef Vs Pepper Steak, there are some main features that you can compare to choose the one you like. Primarily for mongolian beef, it is highly sweet and savoury in taste.
The vegetables are added to it except bell peppers. Having said that, the flavours are quite balanced for everyone. Even so, bell peppers are the main ingredient of pepper steak that offers mild spiciness. All the vegetables used in the dish are coated with light savoury sauce for a unique experience.
Mongolian beef vs Hunan beef: Which one should you choose?
Mongolian beef vs hunan beef is commonly compared around the world and it eventually creates confusion when you have to choose one of them.
The choice depends entirely on the taste, spice tolerance and nutritional values. It also matters what type of meal you personally desire as everyone has different tastes.
If you prefer something that has balanced flavours and a tender texture, then mongolian beef is something that you should try.
It has minimal spiciness and sweetness along with aromatics like garlic and ginger to balance the savouriness of the dish. The brown sugar caramelized with soy sauce gives substantial glaze.
On the contrary, if you go for hunan beef, then be prepared for the spiciness you are going to experience. This dish is prepared with different sources of spiciness such as peppers, dried chili and sauces to build the heat.
Along with aromatics like garlic and ginger that enhance the spiciness. As for exceptions, it is filled with varieties of vegetables that add crunch and authenticity.
Conclusion
In the end, the choice between Mongolian beef Vs Hunan beef depends entirely on the taste, texture, ingredients, spice level and how they are prepared.
The most important thing is what exactly do you prefer according to your taste buds. They both are cooked in different manners as they originated in different regions.
In regards with mongolian beef, it is a chinese american dish made with tender slices of meat coated in a rich and caramelized soy sauce and brown sugar.
This dish was at first influenced by Taiwanese Mongolian barbecue. On the contrary, hunan beef tastes hot, spicy and bold because of fresh and dried chilis along with chili oil. The abundant vegetables are submerged in thin and dry sauce that absorbs into the meat.
Now, the difference between Hunan and Mongolian beef indirectly affects our decision as they both are unique in their own ways. Though, if you prefer a balanced meal, so mongolian is the best and if you are a spice lover then go for hunan beef.
FAQs on Mongolian beef Vs Hunan beef
What does Hunan beef taste like?
If you taste hunan beef, then it will taste extremely spicy, savoury and bold. It is prepared with different spices such as fresh chili peppers, soy sauce and dried chili. The sauce is significantly thin and dry in texture.
What is another name for Mongolian beef?
Mongolian beef is also known as stir fried beef with green onions. It means that it is made with tender flank steak that was simmered on high heat with green onions and other vegetables for a balanced mouthful dish.
What does Mongolian beef taste like?
Mongolian beef tastes exceptional and balanced as it is moderately sweet, tangy and savoury, garlicky. The sauce of this dish is thick and glossy that makes the dish look authentic and delicious.
What dish is similar to Mongolian beef?
The dishes that are similar to mongolian beef are beef and broccoli, Beijing beef, teriyaki beef and kung pao beef. They all have some things in common such as tender meat, soy sauce based and stir fried on high heat.
