Spice And Ice: Pairing Wasabi-Infused Snacks With Their Cooling Counterparts
Wasabi carries a lot of complex and spicy flavour notes which are excellent embellishments for building layered tastes in a number of dishes prepared in Asian culinary cultures. This is a spice that is generally incorporated in these offerings either as a sparingly served dip or as a tasteful accent that acts as a flavour break between two helpings of sushi or tempura.
Sometimes, wasabi is also used to build flavour in dishes like tossed peas or spicy edamame which are finished off with a little helping of the robust taste of this spice extracted from what is known as Japanese horseradish.
And such a potently flavoured adornment is of course an excellent pairing with a number of different chilled drinks that balance out some of the more pronounced flavour notes of a freshly made wasabi dip. These blends are complete with crisp tastes, citrusy accents and fizzy textures which make for an interesting contrast with the spicy flavours of wasabi-infused snacks.
Read on below to know more about some of the chilled cocktails that can be paired with wasabi-infused snacks to taper down some of their more pronounced tasting notes:
Cucumber Vodka Collins And Wasabi Peas
One of the drinks that can be prepared for pairing with the slightly umami and quite spicy taste of wasabi tossed peas is a cucumber vodka Collins made using 30 ml Ciroc Ultra Premium Vodka or any other premium vodka of choice. Muddled cucumber chunks introduce crisp and juicy flavours into this drink which lend it a fresh and chilled character that undercuts some of the more robust and warm notes of the wasabi peas.
Sake Spritz And Wasabi Smeared Sushi Rolls
Sushi rolls stuffed with prawns or avocado are many times smeared with a thin layer of wasabi to introduce its spice and acidity into this Asian staple. The wasabi prepared for this purpose is quite potent and pungent and in effect becomes one of the more pronounced flavour notes on the sushi platter. Such a dish can be brought together with a sake spritz whose bubbly texture and cool temperatures tone down the spiciness of the wasabi.
Coconut Water Paloma And Wasabi Rice Crackers
An interesting tropical blend brought about by blending coconut water with 30 ml Don Julio Blanco Tequila or any other premium tequila of choice, this cocktail is a fresh and lightly sweet drink that can counteract the spiciness of rice crackers flavoured with wasabi. The light and chilled notes of the coconut water paloma also undercut some of the deep and earthy notes of the wasabi to bring about a balanced flavour combination accentuated by the crispy texture of the rice crackers.
Lemongrass Whisky Highball And Tempura With Wasabi Dip
Use 30 ml good quality Japanese whisky to prepare a simple highball infused with the grassy aroma of lemongrass. The flavours of this herb will not only bring a fresh note into the highball cocktail but it will also manage to develop nuanced tasting notes when paired with deep-fried veggie or prawn tempura served alongside spicy wasabi dips. The earthiness of the dips will be balanced out by the slightly spicy and citrusy notes of lemongrass.
Yuzu Gin And Tonic And Wasabi Tossed Edamame
Infused with the citrusy touch of about 10 ml yuzu juice, this gin and tonic prepared using 30 ml Tanqueray No. 10 Gin or any other premium gin of choice carries a crisp and acidic flavour which offsets the more pungent and robust spice of wasabi edamame. The spiciness of this dish coated in the deep flavours of earthy wasabi and a peppery Sichuan sauce become suitably toned down when the tanginess of the yuzu and the herbaceous notes of the gin are fused with this favoured Asian snack.
Also Read: 5 Cocktails Where Wasabi Is The X Factor
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
