Food for thought on snack options
By Ruby Gao |
April 11, 2013, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
MANY Chinese believe the relationship between food and tea to be complementary and mutually inspiring, exemplified by famous pairings such as sweet mooncake with Longjing green tea.
Many parts of the country have traditions of taking tea with food, leading to the development of a special Chinese food concept named cha dian (snacks and dim sum prepared for accompanying tea 2èμ?), usually bite-sized, with great variety, reflecting regional food culture.
Many Chinese chefs and other experts consider that tea enhances food.
"Chinese teas are diverse. Some are known for cutting through grease and balancing sweetness, while others are capable of reducing sharp acidity of food," says Ian Li, chef de cuisine at Park Hyatt Shanghai, who recently launched a Chinese-style afternoon tea featuring a Chinese tea and dim sum pairing.
And it's a two-way relationship, as tea specialists believe accompanying food can help make tea more palatable.
"Without food, tea drinking is inevitably too dull," says Wang Luoluo, a senior tea specialist based in Shanghai.
"Furthermore, food can relieve stomach pain brought on by drinking too much tea, especially green tea," she explains.
However, not all foods are suitable for pairing with tea and some important principles should be followed, the chef and tea specialist emphasize.
"Light and mild food is better, so as not to overpower the tea aroma, which is usually gentle yet profound. This is represented by the note of orchid flower often detected in Tie Guanyin (Iron Guanyin, a premium Oolong tea)," Wang says.
"Moist snacks and dim sum are best avoided, as the strong-flavored broth inside the dumpling will taint the tea," chef Li adds.
Tea specialist Wang says palate-numbing spicy food is not tea-friendly.
Instead, she advises tea lovers to opt for fine-textured accompanying snacks, as these better echo the smooth and silky characteristics of some brews, such as Chinese red tea.
Wang recommends snacks made from nuts, flower and fruit - for example, walnut shortbread, osmanthus puffs and jujube cake - for mirroring the fruity or nutty note usually found in Chinese tea.
Based on these general rules, food and tea pairings are best done through considering tea variety. "Pair desserts with green tea," says chef Li.
Li explains that many Chinese desserts, especially those made from jujube, red bean, green bean and lotus seed, are comparatively milder and lighter than Western pastries, and will not overpower the delicate green tea.
Moreover, green tea is characterized by long aftertaste, featuring a light and clean sweetness which is harmonious with the dessert.
And red tea is best accompanied by more acidic foods, agree Wang and chef Li.
"Red tea is generally much stronger than green tea and its bitterness can be covered, to some extent, by the sour taste of the fruity foods," Wang explains. "The tea also adds roundness to the tart food."
"The acidity of snacks and dim sum mainly comes from the preserved fruit used as ingredients - jujube, plum and lime especially," says chef Li. "This acidity is harmonious with some black tea featuring a sweet fruity aroma."
While Li advises not serving dim sum with more delicate teas, he recommends savory dim sum - mostly fried and filled with meat - with a glass of Pu'er (a fermented black tea), a classical pairing where the black tea cuts through the fat.
For chef Li, serving his signature spring roll filled with Peking roast duck with a cup of Lapsang souchong (a fermented black tea originated in China) is his most impressive pairing experience.
"Lapsang souchong has a distinctive aroma mixing fruit and a roasted wood-like smoky flavor," Li explains. "Peking duck is roasted directly over fire fueled by fruit tree wood. The tasting experience is a highlight of this kind of intrinsic yet subtle food and tea connection."
Tea specialist Wang recommends pairing Longjing with green bean cake, a traditional Chinese pastry filled with green bean paste.
The delicate green tea with a long aftertaste adds complexity and depth of flavor to the cake, she explains.
Many parts of the country have traditions of taking tea with food, leading to the development of a special Chinese food concept named cha dian (snacks and dim sum prepared for accompanying tea 2èμ?), usually bite-sized, with great variety, reflecting regional food culture.
Many Chinese chefs and other experts consider that tea enhances food.
"Chinese teas are diverse. Some are known for cutting through grease and balancing sweetness, while others are capable of reducing sharp acidity of food," says Ian Li, chef de cuisine at Park Hyatt Shanghai, who recently launched a Chinese-style afternoon tea featuring a Chinese tea and dim sum pairing.
And it's a two-way relationship, as tea specialists believe accompanying food can help make tea more palatable.
"Without food, tea drinking is inevitably too dull," says Wang Luoluo, a senior tea specialist based in Shanghai.
"Furthermore, food can relieve stomach pain brought on by drinking too much tea, especially green tea," she explains.
However, not all foods are suitable for pairing with tea and some important principles should be followed, the chef and tea specialist emphasize.
"Light and mild food is better, so as not to overpower the tea aroma, which is usually gentle yet profound. This is represented by the note of orchid flower often detected in Tie Guanyin (Iron Guanyin, a premium Oolong tea)," Wang says.
"Moist snacks and dim sum are best avoided, as the strong-flavored broth inside the dumpling will taint the tea," chef Li adds.
Tea specialist Wang says palate-numbing spicy food is not tea-friendly.
Instead, she advises tea lovers to opt for fine-textured accompanying snacks, as these better echo the smooth and silky characteristics of some brews, such as Chinese red tea.
Wang recommends snacks made from nuts, flower and fruit - for example, walnut shortbread, osmanthus puffs and jujube cake - for mirroring the fruity or nutty note usually found in Chinese tea.
Based on these general rules, food and tea pairings are best done through considering tea variety. "Pair desserts with green tea," says chef Li.
Li explains that many Chinese desserts, especially those made from jujube, red bean, green bean and lotus seed, are comparatively milder and lighter than Western pastries, and will not overpower the delicate green tea.
Moreover, green tea is characterized by long aftertaste, featuring a light and clean sweetness which is harmonious with the dessert.
And red tea is best accompanied by more acidic foods, agree Wang and chef Li.
"Red tea is generally much stronger than green tea and its bitterness can be covered, to some extent, by the sour taste of the fruity foods," Wang explains. "The tea also adds roundness to the tart food."
"The acidity of snacks and dim sum mainly comes from the preserved fruit used as ingredients - jujube, plum and lime especially," says chef Li. "This acidity is harmonious with some black tea featuring a sweet fruity aroma."
While Li advises not serving dim sum with more delicate teas, he recommends savory dim sum - mostly fried and filled with meat - with a glass of Pu'er (a fermented black tea), a classical pairing where the black tea cuts through the fat.
For chef Li, serving his signature spring roll filled with Peking roast duck with a cup of Lapsang souchong (a fermented black tea originated in China) is his most impressive pairing experience.
"Lapsang souchong has a distinctive aroma mixing fruit and a roasted wood-like smoky flavor," Li explains. "Peking duck is roasted directly over fire fueled by fruit tree wood. The tasting experience is a highlight of this kind of intrinsic yet subtle food and tea connection."
Tea specialist Wang recommends pairing Longjing with green bean cake, a traditional Chinese pastry filled with green bean paste.
The delicate green tea with a long aftertaste adds complexity and depth of flavor to the cake, she explains.
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