In Korea, Ginseng is eaten for both its medicinal properties and its unique taste; it's often said to have a bittersweet flavour but that description is far too limited. Ginseng's perfume is wonderfully pure and enticing. Ginseng and oxtail soup is not as well-known as the version that uses chicken. The oxtail provides sumptuous base flavours and a sticky quality. Ginseng and red dates give the soup contrasting bittersweet and sweet flavours while leeks lend an earthy richness. The soup is much lighter in colour than most other types of oxtail soup and so needs an accompanying drink that also leans towards the lighter, fresher end of the spectrum. Such a drink needs both freshness and density of flavours. Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or, Scotland There is a fine line between art and science, and Bill Lumsden, master distiller at Glenmorangie, is good at walking that line. His decision to mature whiskies in casks used previously to age sweet, rich sauternes, has given us Nectar d'Or. It's a wonderful match for the richness and brightly flavoured notes of ginseng and oxtail soup. The exotic ginseng extends the lime of extremely complex sauternes-cask finish notes. Serve the whisky chilled and watch as it plays with the sweet red dates in the soup. Available for HK$780 at Watson's Wine Cellar (tel: 2606 8828) Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 1999, France Blanc de blancs champagne is rumoured to be making a comeback, although I hadn't realised it had ever gone out of fashion. This top-of-the-line Comtes de Champagne needs about 20 years to reach its sublime best. When young, the wine is layered with creamy yeast and the freshness of chardonnay. The dosage, or sugar level, is relatively low and you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a bit on the dry side. But this line of acidity and flavour tightness is precisely what makes it work with ginseng and oxtail soup. The root and the sweet meat are a good platform for the gentle gas and link up nicely with the wine's fresh, vibrant acidity. Available for HK$1,006 at Fine Vintage (tel: 2896 6108) Coopers Original Pale Ale, Australia Although many corporations have attempted to buy out Coopers, the Adelaide-based brewery remains proudly family owned. This brew is many winemakers' top choice when drinking 'the other drop'. Coopers' pale ale - the one with the green label - has cloudy sediment but in 'chunks' smaller than those of its big brother: the red-labelled sparkling ale. Pale ale is creamy and has hints of citrus and floral notes, and it's incredibly satisfying - the key to pairing it with oxtail soup: the sweet and sticky broth extends the ale's fruitiness. The serving temperature of the two may contrast and clash but after mouthfuls of piping hot soup, the cool pale ale brings lightness and relief, giving the meal pause for conversation. Available for HK$360 (per 24-bottle case, for delivery on Hong Kong Island; add HK$20 for delivery to Kowloon) at Fine Beverage, Macau (tel: 853 2875 5880).
