Pairing

配 (pèi) means to match. A Chinese meal is shared: many dishes arrive at the table together, and everyone tastes a little of everything. So the best drink is not the one that matches a single dish perfectly, but the one that can follow the whole meal. In Chinese there is even a word for the dishes that go with drinking: 下酒菜 (xiàjiǔcài).

Four simple principles

Match intensity with intensity. Delicate dishes need delicate drinks; rich, spicy or slow-cooked dishes need drinks with character.

Fat loves alcohol and acidity. Fatty dishes, such as pork belly or duck, are refreshed by the acidity of wine or the strength of baijiu.

Watch the spice. Strong chilli makes alcohol feel hotter and tannins harsher. With very spicy food, choose drinks that are fruity, slightly sweet or very cold.

What grows together goes together. A drink and the food of its own region usually understand each other: Sichuan baijiu with Sichuan food, Shaoxing wine with the dishes of Zhejiang.

Wine

Ningxia reds, often based on Cabernet Sauvignon, are a natural match for lamb, a meat Ningxia is famous for, and for grilled and roasted meat. Softer, fruitier reds, such as Marselan, are worth trying with roast duck, red-braised dishes and mushrooms. Whites go with steamed fish, seafood and lighter vegetable dishes. Sparkling wine is excellent with fried snacks and dumplings.

Baijiu

Baijiu needs food with character, and it is rarely drunk without food.

Strong aroma baijiu and spicy Sichuan dishes grew up together: its richness and fruit stand up to chilli and numbing Sichuan pepper. Sauce aroma baijiu suits rich, slow-braised dishes such as red-braised pork (红烧肉, hóngshāoròu), and savoury cold dishes. Light aroma baijiu, cleaner and more delicate, goes with cold starters, steamed dishes and simpler food. The classic companions are simple: peanuts (花生米, huāshēngmǐ) and braised cold cuts (卤味, lǔwèi).

Rice wine

The most famous pairing is warm Shaoxing wine with hairy crab (大闸蟹, dàzháxiè) in autumn. Traditional Chinese thinking considers crab a "cold" food, and warm wine with ginger is said to balance it. Huangjiu is also a cooking wine: drunken chicken (醉鸡, zuìjī) and drunken crab (醉蟹, zuìxiè) are marinated in it. In Shaoxing's taverns it is drunk with fennel beans (茴香豆, huíxiāngdòu) and salty snacks. Dry and semi-dry styles go with braised and savoury dishes; sweeter styles with desserts and nuts.

Beer

Beer belongs with street food and casual meals: barbecue skewers (烧烤, shāokǎo), spicy crayfish (小龙虾, xiǎolóngxiā), hot pot and, in Qingdao, clams. Light, cold lager cools the heat of chilli better than any other drink.

Spirits

Chinese brandy and whisky work best after dinner, on their own or with dark chocolate and nuts. Gin belongs in cocktails, before the meal.

At a European table

You do not need a Chinese menu to enjoy Chinese drinks.

Rice wine is the easiest bridge: try semi-dry Shaoxing wine with aged cheeses such as Parmigiano, with cured ham, with roasted nuts, or with mushroom dishes, as you would a dry sherry. Baijiu works with intense, savoury food: cured meats, strong cheeses, smoked fish, or a spicy dish. Ningxia reds go with the same food as a good Cabernet: grilled meat, game, mature cheese.

In short

Match intensity, use acidity and alcohol to cut through fat, be careful with chilli, and when in doubt, choose the food of the drink's own region. And try our cocktail recipes for an easy way to bring baijiu to dinner

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