What’s better than enjoy good wines with good friends? There are numerous occasions to enjoy wine when you’re not eating a full meal. Whether enjoying a relaxing afternoon with friends, having an after work party with colleagues or a late night snack with music, the proper combination snacks and wines will embellish any social gathering. The wine you pair with snacks should be easy-going, reasonably-priced and have specific qualities that bring out the best qualities of the snacks. Here are some of my favorite Chinese snacks with natural wine companions. It’s party time!
Shanghai Stinky Beancurd (臭豆腐)
Chinese readers need no introduction to this wonderful dish, but many international visitors to Shanghai never get past the pungent aromas and actually eat stinky beancurd. In just the same way many of my Chinese friends are turned off by the powerful aromatics of blue cheese, my foreign friends run away from stinky beancurd. Someday, someone will have to explain to me how you could love one and not the other. Both are stinky and both are truly yummy. When pairing stinky beancurd with wine we can borrow from the experience of Europeans in matching their stinky cheeses with wine. Whether you’re in England chomping on Stilton cheese, in France savoring Roquefort cheese or in Italy munching Gorgonzola, your preferred wine will always have a level of sweetness. The sweetness in the wine effectively offsets the pungent flavors and balances the palate. This is a historic “tried and true” method with the most stinky of cheeses that also works well with stinky beancurd. For something light, I suggest a Moscato d’Asti from northern Italy. The aromas and flavors of honey and sweet fruit are sure to assuage you palate of any odious flavors. If you desire a more weighty and heady drink, Port is another great wine with stinky beancurd. The powerful sweet fruit and nut flavors of the Port, along with the higher alcohol, stand up to the strong flavors of the snack while cleansing your palate. These sweet wines also offset the spiciness of the chili sauce that’s often served with stinky beancurd.
Taiwan’s Deep-fried Chicken Nuggets (盐酥鸡)
You can’t really say you’ve been to Taiwan unless you have tried the island’s famous deep-fried chicken nuggets. Health food this is not, but it’s an hedonistic treat with few parallels in the culinary world. Typically sold at carts located in the many alleyways of Taiwan’s cities, this is one of the most popular snack foods in Taiwan. In addition to the chicken nuggets, the vendors often offer a selection of other chicken parts including innards and some vegetables. Choose your favorites and they are fried right in front of you often forcing you to take a step back to avoid the popping hot oil. After frying the pieces are sprinkled with a little salt, pepper with some deep-fried Taiwan basil leafs added and perhaps some minced garlic and put into paper bags to bring home. As you walk home the aromas emanating from the little paper bag make it very difficult not to sample a few pieces on the way home.
When I do a large wine event in Taiwan I’m usually so busy looking after the numerous details of food and wine service, as well as introducing the wines, that I have little time to eat. After the event, I select a suitable bottle of unfinished wine and bring it home with me. On the way, I stop at one of my favorite chicken nugget vendors and get a selection of the delectable treats. This often includes the small fried chicken nuggets, chicken hearts or giblets and my favorite, chicken ass. The sweet, salty and fatty qualities of the deep-fried chicken treats meets a perfect partner in a fruity red wine with moderate tannins as the wine washes the mouth of all grease while highlighting the natural flavors of the chicken. I find that the fruity-spicy nature of Iberian wines work especially well with these deep-fried snacks.
Guangdong Baked BBQ Pork Pastry (叉烧酥) Who doesn’t like freshly baked pastries? Guangdong style baked barbeque pork pasty is one of China’s most popular and scrumptious snacks. Served warm, these treats are crunchy on the outside with sweet and savory char siu barbeque pork filling. Inside the crusty pasty is an irresistible mixture of slow-roasted diced pork, oyster and hoisin sauces, sesame oil, vinegar, Shaoxing wine and sweetener. The contrasting sweet and meaty flavors and layered textures of the crust and soft interior are delightful by themselves but even more delectable when enjoyed with a fresh and fruity red wine. Excellent choices would be a young Chianti Italian wine or Villages level red Burgundy wine. The freshness of these wines cuts through the grease and accentuates the savory nature of the cakes while the fruitiness deliciously complements the sweetness of the char siu barbeque sauce.
