With its high alcohol content and long-lasting, prominent flavour, Moutai has often been the holy grail for those who attempt at a food menu that complements world-renowned liquors. So little is written about the taste and texture of Moutai and how perfectly complementary food pairing menu is a much-welcome challenge that rests entirely in the hand of the chef. In this article experienced culinary chefs will showcase their designed menus that complement the Moutai liquor.  

The Culinary Art of Complementing Moutai Liquor 

“Culinary is an art that evolves with time. Now that we have access to a greater variety of food ingredients from different countries, we can afford to improve our dishes with better ingredients – each ingredient plays an important role in the holistic impression of a dish, expressed Chef Ngai. An example would be the Wok-fried Hairy Crab with Glutinous Rice Cake, because origins matter and when the best hairy crabs are sourced, it results in a dish that has a pronounced aroma and flavour, but one that doesn’t overpower the sweetness of the hairy crabs.  

The strong-flavour approach was also adopted for the Wok-fried King Prawn with garlic and preserved black bean, except that this seafood dish was spiced up with chili slices. “Seafood and Moutai go well together as the liquor bring out the natural sweetness of fresh seafood. But the taste of the dish must not be too bland or else it will be overwhelmed by the powerful flavour and texture of the liquor.”  

Another good example of food pairing with Moutai is the Braised Chicken with Pineapple, the dark soy sauce will mellow the sweetness and sourness of the pineapple, and what you get is a savory dish with a hint of umami, the pineapple slices completely soaking up the essence of the chicken. While this dish being similar to the jiang-fragrance of Moutai, is much thinned down throughout the cooking process that it complements but not override the liquor.

However, savoury dishes aren’t the only gastronomic match for pairing with Moutai – as Pastry Chef Kelvin Lai discovered with his dessert, Caramelized Apricot Chocolate Cake. The apricots are soaked in Moutai liquor to balance out the bitterness of the 72% cocoa dark chocolate used for the cake, creating a dessert that is rich in texture while tantalising the palate with its myriad flavours.

Wine and Dine Culture 

Food and wine have long been inextricably tied as wine and liquors is believed to enhance the ambience and lift the mood of eaters. The Moutai liquor is one that complements the food whether for big or small gatherings, and it surely does lighten the mood at the dining table in the Chinese culture. The great things about the Moutai liquor  are that it is fragrant with a long-lasting aftertaste, and it doesn’t give you headache even you drink much. The art of food and wine pairing has been celebrated for thousands of years.what is best paired with Moutai came from years of trial and error, and hours of actual cooking time from the chefs. But as is self-evident in the Moutai liquor, aged at least for four years each, the greatest things of life come with patience, perseverance, and time.