Cider calls to mind some classic associations. It’s delicious in autumn, goes great with pork and can serve as a casual beer alternative. But these traits don’t begin to reveal cider’s breadth and flexibility. One whole world of cider pairing that’s both underappreciated and amazing is Asian food. World is an apt term here because Asian cuisines span a wide range, including spicy curries, delicate noodle dishes, savory vegetables and meaty mains such as roasts, barbecues and more.
The wealth of ciders on the market today can beautifully complement meals like this. To spark your imagination, here are four ways to pair cider with Asian cuisines.
The Asian dumpling party
Let’s set the scene. The dining room has been turned into a sumptuous buffet with steamers and platters of dumplings in all shapes and sizes. Dipping sauces and garnishes abound. Potted orchids decorate the table and, at its end, a pedestal planter has been repurposed as an ice bath for cider. All around the house, guests mingle with small dumpling plates and glasses of cider.
The party’s vibe is light, easygoing and completely delicious. The key is reaching out to your guests to help make it happen, then choosing the right cider. Ask a few of your more culinarily adept friends to either make or pick up some Asian dumplings. There are lots of choices, but you’ll definitely want to have crispy fried vegetable gyoza on hand and some soft pork bao buns. Try some shiitake mushroom-filled wontons and vegetable mandu from Korea. Max out the fun by making sure that some are steamed and others fried — and don’t forget soup dumplings with julienned ginger and black vinegar sauce!
For a gathering like this, we’ll want a workhorse cider with real flexibility. These dumplings, for all their variety, share a powerful dose of umami and salt, so you’ll want to drink something off-dry, pétillant and acid-driven. A great choice is Haykin Family Cider’s Roxbury Russet. Its bubbles and acid will refresh everyone’s palate so they can keep snacking with gusto. An off-dry cider is also a sure crowd- pleaser, being neither austere nor too sweet. The Roxbury Russet brings all of this, plus a wonderful range of savory aromas. As an alternative, 1911 Established’s Lafayette is a super approachable and tasty cider with ideal pairing flexibility.
The Indian takeout movie night
Sometimes you want a fun night at home but don’t want to cook. That’s how Indian takeout movie night came to be! It’s a delight to order a round of Indian appetizers and curries then pair them with cider and a Bollywood movie at home. Part of what makes takeout a treat is ordering different dishes and sharing them. Don’t skip the pakora and samosas to go along with your creamy and spicy curries.
It’s important to pick a cider with plentiful flavor to match the intensity of the food. Since Indian food is hardly known for being mild, try pairing a cider with plenty of body and upfront flavor. A hopped sparkling semi-dry cider goes great with appetizers and creamy or not-too-hot dishes, like navratan korma and aloo gobi. If anyone in the family wants to max out the spice, that’s when a still (or non-sparkling) cider becomes absolutely the right choice. Bubbles of any kind can kick up the perception of heat in spicy curries, so make sure to have a full-bodied semi-sweet still cider for a bit of relief. Eden Specialty Ciders’ Guinevere’s Pearls makes an ideal pairing. This cider has amazing depth of flavor and rich apple character.
As for the film portion of the evening, the Indian film Polite Society was a big hit in our house — it’s PG-13 with fantastic fight choreography and some exciting plot twists. Or if you want to catch up on Bollywood’s big budget, big award winner from last year, RRR is a riotously good time. Either choice, along with Indian takeout and cider, will make a night in feel like a special treat.
The summer sushi picnic
When gorgeous outdoor weather beckons, plan a summer sushi picnic. It can be as simple as buying an array of your favorite maki, nigiri and uramaki and enjoying them in your backyard with a zesty cider or two. If you’re feeling more ambitious, why not try making your own sushi rolls? The clean simplicity of sushi allows for some adventurous cider choices, so try it with bright, herbal drinks. Think high-acid ciders with botanical additions like flowers or fruit.
Since there are so many different ciders that mix these flavors with tartness, a few specific recommendations are in order. Ginger is often served with sushi as a palate cleanser, so it makes sense to reinforce this flavor connection with a pairing like Treehorn Cider’s Ginger. Bauman’s Cider Company’s Loganberry makes for another delightful semi-dry choice with sushi. To fill out the picnic fun, include some tasty extras like cut fruit and edamame in bento lunch boxes.
Cider bottles at the BYO Thai restaurant
There are some excellent Thai restaurants that do an astonishing job with food but maintain a bring-your-own-bottle policy when it comes to drink. By bringing a cider, it’s possible to pair the best Thai food in town with the perfect bottle. There’s a beautiful taste variety across Thai cuisine, but a still and tannic medium-acid cider is almost always a delicious pairing. Think UK heritage style in terms of the cider’s profile: something like Worleys’ Red Hen, Black Diamond Farm and Cider’s Solstice or Oliver’s Fine Cider’s Still Cider.
Any of these beverages will complement dishes like khao pad, tom yum soup, pad thai and larb beautifully. The tannins will help the ciders stay distinct and flavorful, while a bit of sweetness will match the more aromatic notes in the Thai dishes. If your local restaurant doesn’t have a BYO option or you don’t have a Thai food nearby, there are easy ways to bring those rich flavors into your own cooking with homemade peanut sauces, mung bean noodles, or plenty of coconut milk and basil worked into a prepurchased Thai curry kit.
The takeaway here is that there are nearly infinite ways to enjoy different Asian foods, and just as many ways to serve all of this deliciousness with cider. Keep in mind that cider can be paired to highlight contrasts in flavor, emphasize key elements of similarity or round out a palate. No matter how you go about it, there’s no limit to what fabulous meals and memories you can create with Asian food and cider.
Excerpted from the Cidercraft | American Cider Association 2023 State of the Industry Report.
