Wine pairing with five ‘bizarre’ Chinese dishes

Chicken feet, snake soup, ‘husband and wife’s lung slices’, stinky tofu and century eggs. These names alone can cause a shudder to run through even the most hardened diner. Imagine pairing a wine with them.

‘century eggs’, a famous starter and cold dish in China

These bizarre dishes are viewed by many Chinese as delicacies, but perhaps an insurmountable challenge for many westerners.

And for these brave souls who are itching to try these dishes out, we talked to experts from ASC Fine Wines, Corney & Barrow, Cheers Wines and Summergate to come up with wine suggestions to add on to the unorthodox dining experiences.

Scroll through the pages to discover five of China’s famous bizarre dishes and wine pairing options. Be sure to tell us which wine pairing in your opinion works best.

Century Eggs

‘Century eggs’ or ‘thousand-year eggs’ or simply ‘Pidan’ in Chinese are in fact not aged for a century or a thousand years. They are preserved eggs made in a saline solution mixed with clay and rice husks for a few months that changes yolk into grey/black colour and egg white into transparent brown/grey jelly. The dish is notorious because of the colour and its pungent smell that compelled Thais to give it another moniker – ‘horse urine eggs’.

Seasoned with soy sauce, chili and spicy green peppers, the dish is often served as a starter to work up your appetite, believe it or not.  

Linda Tan, Asia marketing manager for Corney & Barrow, recommended a Muddy Water Pinot Noir 2012 (HK$235) from New Zealand to go with this unconventional dish. “This wine is rather versatile, slightly bolder than French Pinot Noir, that should go well with the fermented egg style as well as having fresh spices that fit the spiciness or green pepper,” she explained.

Cheers Wines’ chief wine consultant, Angqian picked a Coppiere Pinot Grigio (86 RMB) instead, saying “It’s purely fruity and crisp in taste, which is a good partner for the umami flavour in the egg”.

Cindy Chan from Summergate opted for a Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 (HK$ 335).

“Century egg with spicy green pepper is a dish with strong taste, with a bit of spiciness. This pairs well with a red wine that also has strong flavours to balance all the exciting flavours on the palate. Also Cabernet Sauvignon tastes a bit like the green pepper, with the peppery taste,” she commented.

Chris Kong from ASC Fine Wines went for a Yalumba Y Series Viognier (118 RMB) instead, arguing that “the soft and silky structure of the wine can go very well with the egg. Its aromas of orange blossom, spices and raw ginger and its slight sweet taste complements nicely with green pepper’s spiciness”.

Smelly Tofu

Unlike century eggs, this is exactly what the name suggest. Its smell is so notoriously repulsive, people have compared it to athlete’s foot or a blocked toilet. A whiff is perhaps potent enough to kill your appetite yet this dish is a popular street snack in China, even a sensation in places like Hunan province and Taiwan.

It’s made by soaking fresh tofu in a brine of fermented milk, meat or vegetables. Other ingredients can be added to give extra flavours. The brine fermentation can take as long as several months depending on how strong you want the smell to be.

For this dish, almost every wine merchant recommended a Gewürztraminer. Chris Kong of ASC believes that a Trimbach Gewürztraminer AOC (251 RMB) can help lessen its unique odour. “The smell of the tofu is strong, and Trimbach has a rich, floral and semi-sweet style. Its aromas can lessen the unpleasant smell while its sweetness can balance out the spicy sauce that normally comes with the dish.”

Cindy Chan from Summergate also went for a Gewürztraminer, suggesting a Famille Hugel Gewurztraminer Estate 2012’s (HK$245) floral aromas can mask the unpleasant smell. “This wine is quite floral, and can keep the freshness flavour in the palate. For people that are not used to the smell, with this wine they may be able to try a few more bites,” she commented.

Angqian of Cheers picked a Micheal Schneider Gewurztraminer (110 RMB) to “counter the smelly tofu”. 

Linda Tan’s choice is a Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Olivier Leflaive 2009 (HK$1,000). “This rich and fat wine with mineral and crystalline overtones will match well to the fried texture of tofu,” she said. But if you are deterred by its price tag, go for a Bodega Ruca Malen Sparkling Brut Traditional Method NV (HK$150) instead, she added, noting that the acidity will through the texture of the tofu, as well as its cheesy flavours.

Snake Soup 

Yes, that’s right. It’s snake soup. It’s the go-to winter dish for locals in Hong Kong to slurp. Snake is believed in Chinese medicine to have the effects of increasing blood circulation and curing arthritis. The snake is skinned and cooked in boiling water, and the soup is added with minced dark mushrooms, fragrant chopped ginger and other herbs to make the hearty broth. The meat itself tastes a lot like chicken, if it helps you to try it out.

Angqian of Cheers suggested a Hans Greyl Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough New Zealand (165 RMB) for its “refreshing acidity and grassy notes”.

Cindy from Summergate also went for a white but a Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay Limarí Valley 2014 (HK$155) because the creamy texture of the snake soup and its complex flavours will match well with a “creamy and structured” Chardonnay.

Also rooting for a white is ASC’s Chris Kong, who selected a Kim Crawford Marlborough Dry Riesling (213 RMB). “The snake soup can balance the acidity in the wine, and the aromas of the white go very well with all kinds of herbs and spices used in the soup,” he commented.

Linda Tan of Corney & Barrow, however, broke away from white wine pairing tradition and said that in fact Chinese yellow wine is an ideal match. “If we are to pair it with a western wine, perhaps a Sherry Amontillado could work. It tastes very much like a Chinese wine but with more of the nuttiness and have a rounder palate,” she said, explaining her choice, a Amontillado Medium Dry Sherry from Antonio Barbadillo (HK$140).

Chicken Feet

If you like nibbling on cashews or peanuts with beer, don’t be surprised if you see Chinese substituting nuts with Chicken feet. In Chinese, the name of the dish is called Feng Zhua, meaning ‘Phoenix claw’. There are several different versions of Chicken feet. Pickled version soaked in brine with chili is popular in Sichuan province in southwestern China, and there are also braised and marinated versions. Chances are you will see Chinese gnawing at the bony feet while watching TV and games. In Guangdong and Hong Kong, it’s also a popular dim sum choice.

For the spicy version of the dish, Angqian from Cheers, recommended a well-chilled low alcohol sweet white wine such as Fashion Victim Moscato Italy Venento (150 RMB) to “balance out the burning feeling”.

Linda Tan of Corney & Barrow pointed out the wine choices vary depending on the sauce, but usually when it’s served with thick and strong sauce, a Il Pino di Biserno Tenuta di Biserno 2009 (HK$410) will suffice, thanks to “its warm, sweet, pepper-spiced dark fruit”. 

But given its chewy and gelatinous texture, Cindy Chan of Summergate chose a Champagne Louis Auger Brut NV (HK$268) for the dish.

For the braised version, Chris Kong of ASC Fine Wines believes a fruity and rich Merlot like Norton Barrel Select Merlot (116 RMB) can do the trick.

Fuqi Feipian (夫妻肺片) or ‘husband and wife’s lung slices’  

Despite what its name suggests, this famous Shichuanese dish, is made of thinly sliced beef and beef offal or in some versions beef stomach or tongue (pork is also used in some cases). The dish is often served cold with spicy sauce.

Because of its spiciness, Chris Kong of ASC dismissed the idea of pairing it with high-tannic red wine and chose a Brown Brothers Moscato Rosa (RMB 145) instead. “This semi-sweet rosé is full of flavours of berries and rose pedals. Its sweet taste can help lessen the feeling of spiciness, while bringing out the meatiness in the dish. The light bubbles of the wine also comes with pleasant acidity,” he elaborated on his choice.

Following the same pairing philosophy to lessen spiciness, Cindy Chan of Summergate, suggested a Fairview Darling Chenin Blanc 2016 to balance the spiciness and increase the freshness.

Linda Tan of Corney & Barrow believes a fresh and/or sweet white such as a James Hardwick Riesling Muddy Water 2013 (HK$155) can nicely pair with the spicy dish. While a Mosel Riesling will never disappoint, according to Angqian from Cheers. His choice is a refreshing Koenig Mosel Riesling (98 RMB).