Cognac and Cantonese cuisine

These Cantonese dishes are among the eight on the set menu paired with cognac. The combination was created by a team of celebrated Cantonese chefs and food critics. Photos provided to China Daily

While most people around the world swill cognac between meals, Chinese often imbibe the quality brandy with food.

This has prompted LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton to release pairing principles for cognacs to complement Chinese cuisine through its "rediscovering Chinese taste" campaign initiated on Dec 3 in Guangdong province's capital, Guangzhou.

The French luxury-liquor giant invited celebrated Cantonese chefs and food critics to create a set menu of eight dishes for that day's tasting event, in cooperation with six prestigious Cantonese restaurants in the city.

Food-and-beverage critic He Weisheng tells China Daily the team spent over half a year visiting restaurants to develop the menu and pairing principles.

"In southern China, cognac is as popular as Moutai (a leading luxury brand of the traditional Chinese liquor, baijiu) in the north. Treating guests to dinner without cognac is just embarrassing for many people here," He says.

"Southerners like cognac because of its sweet aftertaste but even more so because cognac has rounder flavors and greater aromas compared with other spirits."

That makes it perfect to pair with Cantonese cuisine, which is distinguished by a light and slightly saccharine character, He says.

The different chemical reactions it has with different foods diversifies dining experiences, he explains.