Pungent tofu benefits from sweetness of wine
TODAY’S iDeal feature article explores the fascinating world of fermented tofu. Reporter Li Anlan points out that most fermented bean curd are not particularly pungent or stinky. These mostly neutrally flavored tofu, depending on what ingredients they accompany, are relatively easy to pair with wines. More pungent fermented tofu styles are a different matter altogether. Some application is needed to successfully pair wines with the delicious but wine challenging piquant flavored fermented tofu.
When matching strong flavored fermented bean curd dishes with wine it’s a good idea to emulate how Europeans pair stinky cheeses with wine. Whether you’re in England munching on Stilton cheese, in France relishing Roquefort cheese or in Italy savoring Gorgonzola, your preferred wine usually has a rather high level of sweetness. The sweetness in the wine effectively offsets the pungent flavors and balances the palate. Ideally the sweet wines you enjoy with fermented tofu should also feature good acidity as this will cleanse your mouth. This time-honored guideline of matching sweet yet fresh wines with stinky cheeses also works well with more pungent forms of fermented bean curd including the incomparably delicious stinky bean curd. One of the world’s greatest sweet wines has all the requisite attributes to make fermented tofu even more appetizing.
Tokaji is a style of sweet wine from the Tokay wine region in northeastern Hungary. Though Sauternes is arguably the world’s most famous noble rot sweet wine; the winemakers of Tokay learned the secrets of making superb Botrytis Cinerea Tokaji sweet wines centuries before their contemporaries in Bordeaux.
An assortment of long hidden bottles of Tokaji wines dating back to the 1571 vintage was recently discovered in Hungary. In 1730 the region became the world’s first classified appellation for making wine. The Sun King, Louis XIV of France famously stated that the sweet wines of Tokaji were, “Vinum Regum, Rex Vinorum” or the wine of kings and the king of wines. Musical geniuses like Beethoven, Schubert and Strauss also lavishly praised the wines. In modern times Tokaji wines are so treasured and beloved in Hungary that they are even mentioned in the national anthem.
The principal grape in Tokaji wines is Furmint, a late ripening variety that’s prone to noble rot. By law Furmint must comprise 60 percent of the Tokaji blend and may be blended with five other varieties. In descending roles of importance the authorized blending grapes are Harslevelu, Sarga Muskotaly, Koverszolo, Zeta and Kabar. In the late spring and summer the Furmint grape develops thick skins and as they ripen in later summer and early fall the skins become thinner allowing the sun to evaporate much of the water within and concentrating the sugars of the grape. In the same conditions other varieties often ripen to the point of bursting but the Furmint variety uniquely develops a second skin that in effect seals the inner juices from the progressive rot until its time for harvest.
The two most praised styles of Tokaji sweet wines are Aszu and Eszencia. Aszu wines are rated according to residual sugar or sweetness from 1 to 6 puttonyos. In particular, the concentrated 5 and 6 puttonyos wines provide a sublime sweet drinking experience with seductive honeyed apricot, pineapple and lychee fruit flavors with spicy ginger and nutmeg notes. As with Sauternes wines, the acidity in Tokaji wines provides balance and prevents a palate killing sweet overload.
The Tokaji Eszencia wines are unique. Even sweeter than 6 puttonyos Aszu wines, these wines are harvested as late as December or even January and are made from the free run juice of the botrytised grapes. These are among the world’s sweetest wines and are lower in alcohol than Aszu wines but they still have a healthy acidic backbone, Eszencia wines are replete with syrupy honey and candied fruit flavors. Tokaji producers to look for in Shanghai include Oremus, Andrassy Pinceszet, Chateau Megyer, Hetszolo and Royal Tokaji.
If you desire a more weighty and heady drink than Tokaji, Port is another great wine to enjoy with fermented tofu. The powerful sweet dark fruit and nutty flavors of the Port, along with the higher alcohol, stand up to even the strongest flavored fermented bean curd dishes.
Should you fancy something less sweet with palate coating gentle bubbles then there’s a charming sparkler from northwestern Italy that’s also a fine partner to pungent Chinese bean curds. Moscato d’Asti from the town of Asti in Piedmont features all the pleasing aromas and flavors of honey and sweet yellow fruit that delightfully assuage your palate of the delicious but odious flavors pungent tofu bequeaths.
Though I absolutely adore great sweet wines I must admit there are times when I prefer something drier. There are some technically dry red wines that feature abundant fruitiness that also pair beautifully with pungent fermented tofu preparations. Among the most appropriate are the legendary powerhouse Italian Amarones, potent and ripe California Zinfandels and concentrated and heady Shirazes from the Barossa Valley in Southern Australia.
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