Hengyang's food scene is rooted in central Hunanese cooking — chile-forward, smoky, and strongly flavoured. Red-braised pork (hongshao rou), chopped peppers with steamed fish head, and various preparations with preserved vegetables are all well represented. The city's riverside streets have a good selection of local restaurants, open late and serving large shared portions at low prices.
Street food around the city centre includes rice noodle soup, scallion pancakes, and grilled skewers. The markets near the old commercial district are particularly active at breakfast and in the early evening.