Dou fu fa, made from the humble soya bean, is one of the simplest
but most nutritious of dishes. The texture is like silk but it has a lot more depth. The best dou fu fa should have discernable soya bean texture and the taste should be slightly earthy, but with a refreshing edge. It's usually used in desserts, but because the dou fu fa itself doesn't have any added sugar, it can also be a sensual savoury dish with the right toppings such as ikura (salmon roe) or even grated Sardinian bottarga (dried fish roe). The wine needs to respect the subtlety of both texture and flavour, as well as the seasoning or syrup used to finish the dish.
Belvedere Vodka, Poland
This top-shelf vodka is as velvety as dou fu fa and is the perfect match with a savoury dish with saffron-infused fish broth and fresh crab meat. It would also go well with sous-vide cooked egg with white truffle shavings, although quail eggs are preferable because the stickiness of a large hen's egg infringes on the delicacy of the dou fu fa. The vodka should be served chilled but not icy cold. The spirit's textural alcohol notes sit alongside the earthy soya bean curds and add more silkiness and palate lubrication. In the egg and truffle combination, the scented truffles give richness without confusing the textures or adding weight.
Available for HK$300 from Moet Hennessy Diageo (tel: 2976 1888)
Dow's 10 Year Old Tawny Port, Portugal