Winesforasianfood

THE DIFFICULTIES OF CHOOSING WINES FOR ASIAN FOOD.

It does not ease the problem of choice, but probably the best thing to do is to remember that wines have
evolved to a great extent alongside European cuisines in indigenous settings. The matching of wines to
European food is therefore considerably easier and long practised. In Asian food settings, wine is not a natural
or traditional match, so the combination can be somewhat more difficult. It is however not impossible and
takes a little more imagination and can be great fun for the adventurous.

IN GENERAL – There are no rules, and these are not rules, only ideas.
It’s time to experiment.

The thinking is this: if Asian cooking is untraditional with wine, the best wines for Asian foods may very well be
the most untraditional blends.

CHINA - 2,000 years of cooking

With a population of 1.4 billion, there are many mouths to feed in China. The region's vast history and
geography can be felt throughout the many facets of Chinese cuisine. The peppers, garlic, ginger and onions
are now considered classic components of Chinese cooking and were originally delivered to the region by
Buddhist missionaries two thousand years ago.

Traditionally, Chinese culinary characteristics are divided by region. The northern portion of China has a
distinct Mongolian influence, characterized by the nomadic simplicity of the fire pot. Since rice is not grown in
the north, there is more emphasis on noodles, soybeans and breads. The region is also climatically cooler than
the south, encouraging meals which are slightly heavier in content. During the winter months, stews and
casseroles are commonplace which permits the drinking of slightly heavier red wines.

To the south, Cantonese cooking evolved in a rich agricultural region, and local cuisine highlights fresh fruit
and seafood. Here the whole food experience is lighter and more varied. Wines offering lightness, and flowery,
exotic fruit aromas and flavors should be used, such as a Sauvignon Blanc which also has a slight exotic fruit
experience. This grape variety provides freshness of palate and can complement most light dishes.
For red wine drinkers, a Tempranillo provides a lightness in flavor, as well as providing a degree of acidity which
is ideal with the heavier dishes, or dishes which contain sauces of contrasting tastes. This can also be applied
to the cuisine in many other parts of Asia.

Spicy foods prevail in the western mountain regions of Szechuan and Hunan. Famous for its Szechuan
peppers and the richness and spice in its cuisine, this region presents more problems in wine selection.

Of course not all dishes are spicy, and a meal is interspersed with milder dishes, which makes wine selection
even more difficult. Normally various wines can be presented at a meal, and can be selected to suit the different
stages of a meal. If this is not the intention and one type of wine needs to suit all dishes, an alternative wine
may be a classic light and fruity Rosado.
Rosado, a lovely pink colored wine, as well as being slightly sweet in background taste, will when served cold,
complement the spicier dishes as well as provide a light accompaniment to the less spicy dishes. The
startlingly bright and glittering pink color of these Rosado’s can also be seen as an attractive partner to the
multi-colored meal typical of this region.

A more adventurous alternative, would be to drink a light, flavorsome and fruity Cava (Spanish for Sparkling
Wine, which is a wine made using the champagne method, and which is produced in Northern Spain). The
drinking of cava with a meal is slightly unorthodox, but for celebrations and elaborate events can be a display of
healthy decadence.
The choice is however critical. Cavas can be complex in taste, often very dry and can contain a very high level
of bubble activity which can detract from the taste of a meal. A cava which is light in flavor, light in bubbles,
fresh, slightly fruity with a not overly dry background taste is what is needed. A Cava Brut, or the not so dry
alternative, Seco make a good alternative accompaniment to most meals.

DIM SUM
In terms of Chinese culinary history, dim sum are relatively new on the scene. Since the 10th Century, however,
the Cantonese have acquired a dim sum repertoire of around 2,000 varieties of the teatime snacks. The larger
specialist dim sum restaurants will usually prepare up to 100 of them on any one day such as har gau (shrimp
dumplings), cha siu bau (barbecued-pork buns) or tsun guen (real spring rolls).

The sheer number of differing tastes makes a choice of wine difficult. The nature of the food is such that each
dim sum is made up as a bun, or dumpling, or roll. These are then fried, steamed or boiled. The overall
sensation from the slightly fatty meat, the oil from deep frying and the pastry envelope gives a premature
feeling of being satisfied. To overcome this sensation, a red wine which has a slightly acidic content, which is
low in alcohol and tannin, and of a dry taste is recommended. Tempranillos, rounded off with a mixture of
either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot fulfil these prerequisites.

DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN EUROPEAN AND ASIAN CUISINE.
Asian-style cooking is wonderful - it is classic and traditional in its own right, but it is very different way from
European cuisines. There are differences in ingredients, as well as texture, color and presentation giving a
distinctive sense of balance and harmony in the cooking style. A typical Asian banquet can be a wide range of
culinary experiences, and can include fish, all types of meat dishes which can be sweet, spicy or salty.
How do you select wines to cater for all these different tastes. European cuisine, led by the French, rely on a
depth of flavor in sauces and natural stocks. There is also a more rigid structure to the various courses which
arrive at a European meal, hence making wine selection easier. In Asia the emphasis is on the constant
balancing and contrasting of tastes and textures.

According to Alford and Duguid, "The basic (Southeast Asian) palate is hot, sour, salty, sweet, and sometimes
bitter. If you order a green papaya salad from a street vendor in Thailand, the last thing the vendor will do before
serving the salad is to give you a small spoonful of the salad, asking for your opinion. If you'd like it hotter,
more chillies will be added; if you want it saltier, more fish sauce; more sour, lime juice; sweeter, more palm
sugar…And while this balancing act takes place in an individual dish like a green papaya salad, it also shapes a
meal, determining what dishes should be served alongside others…"

Generally the best wines for Asian foods are those with moderate levels of alcohol, softer tannin, crisper
acidity, and sometimes (but not always) a judicious amount of residual sugar. It is a question of harmony and
balance within the context of hot, sour, salty and sweet food sensations. Heavy wines like the Chardonnay and
Bordeaux wines, do not usually contribute anything in any positive way to a normal Asian meal. They may be
fine on their own, but high alcohol levels and strong tastes detract from the fragrance of typical Asian cuisine.

Unconsciously there are a wide variety of Asian dishes which may be bitter or strong tasting, and are balanced
with sauces which are often sweet in texture and taste. Examples of these sauces are plum sauces, ginger or
citrus syrups, and in Southeast Asia, coconut milk or lemon with sugar. In each case the sweetness balances
some other ingredient, whether that be duck, chicken, pork, fish or vegetable, or even hot chillies or spices.

Often therefore a wine which is not overpowering and is low in alcohol, with fragrant aromas and tastes can
often contribute an exotic note of its own to the overall experience.

Wines containing grape varietals of southern Europe, such as Xarel.lo, Macabeo, Syrah, Parellada, Tempranillo,
Garnacha are generally more fragrant in taste, with fruity and light aromas, and are mostly lower in alcohol and
tannin, but are still strong enough to cut through any fatty meats, but at the same time complement sweet,
sour, salty or spicy sauces.

As wine making develops, and fairly unorthodox coupages of different varietals become more common, the
resultant wines tend to fit more easily with many of the unorthodox styles of fusion cooking being done all
around the world.

Spain is the producer of a very large and diverse range of excellent wines and cavas.
They produce wines to suit everybody's taste and pocket.

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