On Wednesday, Michelin Guide-recommended dumpling house Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao hosted an exclusive dumpling and tea pairing.
The event was held in Midtown Manhattan at their Koreatown location. The concept of the evening was ‘Six Flavors, One Reunion’. This aligns with Nan Xiang’s goal of recentering their flavors and celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival!
The event’s hosts kicked off the event by giving guests some background information on the significance of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Myths of the Mid-Autumn Festival story was illustrated on a handout. Guests were also given a tea pairing guide to aid in tasting the notes within each dish.
Firstly, each guest was presented with six different soup dumplings. It was truly a test in resisting temptation. Guests patiently waited for each of the paired teas to be presented and poured to accompany each dumpling. Subsequently, Tea Instructor Cissie Yin walked through the event, explaining the origins of each tea leaf, giving a rationale as to why it accompanied each dish.
The pairings were carefully crafted to enhance the flavors of both the tea and dumplings. The Aged Raw Pu’er tea, brewed from leaves that were over 400 years old, was a standout. This tea is paired with the Crab Meat & Pork Soup Dumpling, balancing the crab roe’s oiliness and refreshing the palate. Additionally, the pairings started out with lighter flavors, progressively getting richer as the tasting went on. The guests also enjoyed a Mooncake and tea pairing for dessert.
The Pairing Lineup
Pairing 1 – Luffa & Shrimp Soup Dumpling paired with White Peony tea
Pairing 2 – Chicken Soup Dumpling with Dragon Well Green Tea
Pairing 3 – Scallop & Pork Soup Dumpling with Dong Ding tea
Pairing 4 – Signature Pork Soup Dumpling with Wuyi Rock Tea
Pairing 5 – Crab Meat & Pork Soup Dumpling with Aged Raw Pu’er
Pairing 6 – Truffle & Pork Soup Dumpling with Golden Junmei tea
Pairing 7 – Mooncake with Egg Yolk & Lotus Seed Paste with Dianhong Black Tea with Dark Rose
Additionally, guests were also given goodie bags containing all four seasonal Mooncake flavors offered. Despite being a hardcore Matcha fan, this author highly recommends the Egg Yolk Mooncake. In essence, the event felt similar to a non-alcoholic wine tasting experience. The evening was a celebration of flavor, tradition, and craftsmanship, perfect for any occasion!
