Food pairing
Beer with szechuan food
Chilli heat combined with the numbing tingle of Szechuan pepper.
Chilli heat plus the numbing tingle of Szechuan pepper, which is a physical sensation rather than a flavour and behaves differently from ordinary heat.
Alcohol and bitterness sharpen the chilli, and the numbing effect makes a delicate beer hard to taste at all. Something with a little sweetness and enough character to register is the practical answer.
Szechuan food rules a lot of beer out, but several beers do the job it needs equally well. Pick between them on preference — the reasons matter more than the order. The attribute doing most of the work is chilli heat.
What to drink
Czech dark lager — outstanding
Gentle sweetness and modest strength take the edge off the chilli rather than sharpening it.
English porter — outstanding
Gentle sweetness and modest strength take the edge off the chilli rather than sharpening it.
Munich Dunkel — outstanding
Gentle sweetness and modest strength take the edge off the chilli rather than sharpening it.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Sweet stout — outstanding
Gentle sweetness and modest strength take the edge off the chilli rather than sharpening it.
Caution: A richer dish than this beer can clear from the palate.
Bière de Garde — outstanding
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Dunkelweizen — outstanding
Gentle sweetness and modest strength take the edge off the chilli rather than sharpening it.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Dubbel — outstanding
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Oud Bruin — outstanding
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
What not to drink
- American barley wine — Capsaicin is an irritant rather than a flavour, and alcohol and hop bitterness both intensify it. A sweeter, lower-strength beer will do more for the heat.
- Lambic — A light beer against a heavy plate tends to disappear.
- Milkshake IPA — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.