"Should I add pineapple to sweet and sour pork?"
It's a choice that has long been controversial.
Which side do you prefer?
By the way, I'm a big fan of ants.
I mean, sweet and sour pork is quite sour. With each bite, you eat the sour pork, sour onion, and sour carrot, and your mouth fills with sourness. Then you add pineapple, and it becomes sweet and gentle.
The sweetness of the fruit is so gentle. As the sourness is reset, the sourness remaining in your mouth and the sweetness of the pineapple mix together, creating a new deliciousness. Although it may seem like a mismatch at first glance, I think it's a really good accent for the dish.
Of course, I know that there are many people who are not good at it.
But I think that's also based on preconceived notions. The preconceived notion that fruit and side dishes can't go together, that it's disgusting.
Maybe people are just put off by the unusual combination before even trying it. I think there are actually a lot of people who find that they actually like it once they try it.
Well, this is a place to talk about wine, not Chinese food.
In fact, I think the relationship between sweet and sour pork and pineapple is very similar to the relationship between cooking and New Zealand wine.
Far-fetched?
No, no, don't say that. Stick with me to the end. I'm sure you'll understand.
To explain this connection, we first need to explain two wine terms: "Old World" and "New World."
"Old World" refers to "Europe." Europe is a country with a tradition of wine. In some places, wine has been made for thousands of years. Wine is deeply ingrained in the food culture. Wines made in these places are closely related to daily life. Wine has been on the dinner table since birth, and alternating between side dishes and wine is a common dining scene. It is a country where wine is enjoyed just like miso soup is enjoyed by Japanese people.
The "New World" on the other hand is a country that did not originally have a wine culture. Winemaking was introduced to the country later from Europe. Japan also falls into the New World category.
These countries make wines that are not like miso soup. What do they mean? They are super fruity wines. They have such a strong fruity flavor that it almost feels like fruit is soaked in the wine. Is that a bit of an exaggeration? No, but compared to European wines, there are many wines that have a strong fruity aroma.
The leading wine is New Zealand wine. To be precise, it is "Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc" that accounts for 70% of the wine. It's so fruity. The aroma of grapefruit and passion fruit hits your nose, and the taste is juicy and slightly bitter. It's a perfectly fruity white wine.
These types of wines are not very popular with older Europeans because they feel that the extremely fruity drinks overpower the food.
However, there are many people in the New World who are not bound by such perceptions. After all, it is a drink made from grapes, so it is fine for the fruit's aroma and flavor to come out strongly. There are many people in Japan who like this type of fruity wine.
At this point, the sweet and sour pork pineapple problem is starting to become clear.
In other words, if you are okay with sweet and sour pork containing pineapple (i.e., if you don't think fruit gets in the way of the dish), then drinking a fruity wine after eating the dish won't feel strange. In fact, you'll probably find it delicious.
If you are one of those people, try pairing a Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, with your meal. You'll be amazed at how delicious the fruit flavor is and how well it pairs with the food (of course, there are also super fruity wines in Chile, Australia, and the United States).
If you don't like pineapple with sweet and sour pork, but you do like roast beef with orange sauce, you might understand this rule. Well, if you enjoy adding fruit to your meals, I'm sure you'll understand the appeal of fruity wines from New Zealand and other countries.
But of course, tastes vary widely.
The taste and smell you are born with, and the environment you grew up in can all affect your tastes, and even the same person's preferences can change as they age, so the opinions above are entirely my own personal views. Of course, I'm sure there will be criticisms.
However, what I wanted to say is that New World wines tend to be fruity, but that doesn't mean they can't be paired with food, and in fact, there are probably quite a few people who like that kind of pairing.
