Beer with dim sum and Cantonese food

Cantonese cooking is about freshness

Cantonese food, from Guangdong and Hong Kong, is known for light seasoning that lets the main ingredient show. Steaming, quick stir frying and roasting are the core methods. Ginger, spring onion, soy sauce and oyster sauce are typical seasonings. Chilli is used far less than in Sichuan or Hunan cooking.

That means the main pairing risk is overpowering the food. A strong, bitter IPA will flatten a steamed prawn dumpling. Light, crisp and gently flavoured beers are the safe choice, with darker beers saved for roast meats and glazed dishes.

Steamed dim sum wants a light lager

Har gow (prawn dumplings in a thin, translucent wrapper) and siu mai (open topped pork and prawn dumplings) are the dim sum classics. Cheung fun, steamed rice noodle rolls with sweet soy, is soft and silky.

These are delicate. A Helles, soft and bready at 16 to 22 IBU, is our first choice. A Kölsch is similar, with a faint fruitiness. A German Pilsner works if you want more crispness, especially with siu mai, which has more pork fat. Serve these at 4 to 6 °C in small glasses that match the small baskets.

Char siu bao and the sweet glazes

Char siu is Cantonese barbecued pork, glazed with a sweet mix of honey, soy, hoisin and five spice, roasted until the edges caramelise. Char siu bao puts it in a soft, fluffy steamed bun. Baked char siu bao has a sweet glazed top.

Sweet glazes make bitter beers taste harsher, so we look to malt. An amber lager or a Vienna lager brings caramel notes that match the glaze. A brown ale at around 5% ABV is lovely with char siu, picking up the roasted edges. A hefeweizen is a soft, gentle alternative with the steamed buns.

Fried dim sum loves carbonation

Spring rolls, wu gok (taro puffs), fried wontons and turnip cake (lo bak go, pan fried until crisp) are the fried part of the menu. Fried food and carbonation are natural partners.

A crisp Pilsner or pale lager with about 2.5 volumes of CO2 lifts the oil. A pale ale with gentle citrus hops at 30 to 40 IBU adds a little more interest, particularly with turnip cake and its savoury bits of Chinese sausage and dried shrimp. Dipping sauces matter: a chilli oil dip calls for a wheat beer instead.

Roast duck and the Cantonese roasts

Cantonese roast duck and siu yuk (crispy roast pork belly) come from the same siu mei tradition as char siu. Roast duck has rich fat and lacquered skin. Siu yuk has a crackling top and juicy layers beneath.

These can take more body. A dunkel or a schwarzbier brings toasty or lightly roasted malt that echoes the roasted skin without heavy sweetness. A Belgian dubbel, with dried fruit notes, pairs well with roast duck and plum sauce, though at 6 to 7.5% ABV it should be a small pour. Crisp pork belly also suits a Pilsner, whose bitterness cuts the fat.

Steamed fish, greens and soups

Steamed whole fish with ginger, spring onion and soy is a Cantonese banquet centrepiece. Stir fried greens such as gai lan with oyster sauce round out the meal, along with soups like wonton noodle soup.

Steamed fish needs a delicate beer: a Kölsch or a light lager. Gai lan, slightly bitter, is better with a soft Helles than a hoppy beer, since bitter greens and bitter beer pile up. Wonton noodle soup is a comfortable match for a Helles or a light wheat beer. Our beer and food pairing basics explain why delicate food needs delicate beer.

Dim sum is traditionally eaten with tea. Yum cha, the Cantonese name for the meal, literally means drinking tea. Tea cleans the palate with tannin and warmth, which is a useful hint. A beer for dim sum should do the same kind of job: refresh quietly and get out of the way. That is why the soft lagers win over the strong, hoppy beers.

Indo-Chinese is a different story

In India, much of what is sold as Chinese is Indo-Chinese: chilli chicken, Manchurian, Hakka noodles and Schezwan fried rice. It is hotter, sweeter and more garlicky than Cantonese food. With these dishes, low bitterness matters more than delicacy. A hefeweizen or a witbier handles the chilli best. For more on spicy street food, see our guide to beer with street food.

Here is a simple test for a dim sum outing. Order har gow and char siu bao. Pour a Helles and an amber lager. You will probably find the Helles lets the prawn shine, while the amber makes the char siu taste richer. That is the delicate food, delicate beer rule at work.

Your first step: at your next dim sum meal, ask for a Helles or Kölsch instead of the strongest lager on the list. Taste it with a steamed dumpling first.

Common questions

What beer goes best with dim sum?

A Helles or Kölsch. Soft, bready and low in bitterness, they let delicate steamed dumplings shine.

What beer suits char siu?

An amber lager, Vienna lager or brown ale. Caramel malt matches the sweet honey and hoisin glaze.

What beer goes with Indo-Chinese food like chilli chicken?

A hefeweizen or witbier. Low bitterness handles chilli heat better than an IPA or strong lager.