Dining with Asian Food and Wine (October 2022)
【Diwali Lighting Celebration. Photo Credit: Alamy.com】
Dining with Asian Food and Wine
October 2022: Diwali
By
Ronald Jan, M.D.
In India, possibly the most celebrated festival of the year begins on the 13th day of the dark half of the lunar month, Ashvina. This usually occurs in the latter half of October or early November. It is called, “Diwali” meaning “row of lights” to celebrate the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and to honor Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi. Commonly, Diwali is a post-harvest festival celebrating the bounty following the arrival of the monsoon. Families gather to celebrate and exchange gifts especially gifts of “mithai” (“sweets”). One such mithai is Gulab Jamun “Indian styled honey balls soaked in homemade syrup” featured at Mehfil’s Indian Restaurant in Roseville, California. (Indian People lighting candles celebrating Diwali. Photo Credit: Google.com)
【Gulab Jamun at Mehfil’s Indian Restaurant. Photo Courtesy of Ronald Jan, M. D.】
Although most Asian desserts are only mildly sweet and would be overwhelmed by the sweetness of some dessert wines, this dessert is so sweet that it calls for a very sweet wine that may be affected by botrytis, a fungus that concentrates the flavors and lends a depth of sweetness prized by many. Such wines that would pair well with Gulab Jamun would be…
…a French Sauternes, sweet with high acidity and high alcohol with apricots and citrus peel and notes of toast and vanilla,
【French Sauternes. Photo Credit：wine-searcher.com 】
…a German Trokenbeerenauslese, sweet with low alcohol and flavors of honey, dried stone fruit (peaches and nectarines), candied peel,
【German Trokenbeerenauslese. Photo Credit: wine-searcher.com】
…a Hungarian Tokaji Aszu, sweet with deep amber color and high acidity with aromas and flavors of orange peel, apricot, and honey,
【Hungarian Tokaji Aszu. Photo Courtesy of Ronald Jan, M. D.】
…a South African Vin de Constance (Constantia) from late harvest Muscat de Frontignan, sweet with notes of honey, apricot, pressed flowers, kumquat, and quince,
【Vin de Constance. Photo Credit: wine-searcher.com】
and
…a French Coteau du Layon’s Chaume in the Loire Valley sweet with floral aromas & flavors of stone fruit (e.g., peaches).
【Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley’s Coteau du Layon. Photo Credit: totalwine.com】
No doubt, this sweet Gulab Jamun could pair up well with any of these sweet dessert wines as well as….
…a fortified sweet wine such as Australia’s Rutherglen fortified Muscat, luscious & sweet, amber to brown in color with notes of oxidative aromas of raisins, apricot, and dried fruit.
【Australia’s Rutherglen Muscat available at Corti Bros.in Sacramento. Photo Courtesy of Ronald Jan, M. D.】
Whichever dessert wine people decide to pair with the very sweet Indian Gulab Jamun, it will be a wonderfully sweet way to celebrate light over darkness with family and friend.
About the author: Dr. Ronald G. Jan who specializes in Vascular Surgery is a Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of California at Davis School of Medicine. As a hobby, he holds WSET level 3 certification in wines and has been writing and publishing wine commentaries attracting lots of readers.
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