Taiwanese cuisine & wine: Love across borders

By Ryan Chen
Translated by S. Ying

The saying, "Love transcends all borders", can also be applied to food-wine pairings. While a cuisine and wine may be from very different parts of the world, complementary tastes can make them a perfect match. The question here is whether this principle applies to the unique flavors of Taiwanese cuisine, or does local dining only go well with shaoxing wine, Taiwan Beer or aged kaoliang liquor?

Generally speaking, Taiwanese cuisine has intense flavors, tending to be saltier and oilier and using strong spices to accent flavors. While the use of ginger, garlic, green onions and other unique Asian spices often overpowers the strong tannins of red wine, there are some wines to consider for Taiwanese dining.

First, I present Gewurztraminer from Alsace, with its blended aromas of roses and lychees and a flamboyant bouquet of fruit notes. Gewurztraminer's sweetness can offset the spices in Asian cuisine and pairs well with spicy dishes like kung pao chicken or sweet and sour pork.

Riesling, originating from Germany, has a naturally-high acidity and pronounced fruit flavors. Spatlese wines, made from the Riesling grapes, pair well with cold cuts, spicy salads, sweet honey ham and hairy crab. You may even drink Spatlese to complement unique Hakka dishes like stir-fried pork intestines with ginger.

Seafood, fish and fried dishes go well with New Zealand's Sauvignon Blanc. For heavier-tasting dishes, you can consider special wine choices like Spain's Fino Sherry, whose very interesting oxidation properties make it a good match for tapas-style delicacies like sausages, cold cuts, roast duck, soy sauce chicken and fried appetizers. Oloroso Sherry, also from Spain, is usually darker with obvious nutty aromas, and can be a perfect companion for the famous pork-belly dish, dongpo pork. My most memorable food-wine pairing was drinking 10-year-old Tawny Port from Portugal with fermented tofu. The incredible harmony between these two items on my palate was a very pleasant surprise.

If you aren't able to find any of the above wines, champagne and sparkling wines are always a safe option, and pair impressively well with most Asian cuisines. Eat, drink and be merry, while enjoying the fun of finding your foods, perfect wine match. Cheers!

臉書粉絲專頁-Ryan
pinj8372@hotmail.com