Choppin’ broccoli: Are you vowing to eat more veggies? Lots of luck pairing bitter broccoli with wine. It’s high sulfur content makes compatibility notoriously tricky.
When cooked, this cruciferous vegetable releases sulfurous compounds that not only don’t smell great, but also can affect the flavor and aroma of the wines and foods they are served with.
“For people who are looking for a spectacular pairing with broccoli, well, I just don’t think that happens,” said David Snyder, a wine instructor at the Wine School of Philadelphia.
Even when served in a pasta dish broccoli can become the dominant element of the meal.
The safe bet, Snyder said, is a low acid white wine, such as a chardonnay. This helps moderate the bitterness. A high acid white paired with a bitter food such as broccoli ends up “stripping the flavor of the food and leaving a sour taste in the wine.”
Another slightly more adventurous option would be a high-tannin (often translating to bitter) cabernet sauvignon. The bitterness in the tannins will cancel out the bitterness in the broccoli and all the other flavors will come out.
Associated Press
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