Beer. It Goes With Food... Some Food/Beer Pairings from Central/Eastern Europe

I was born and raised in Canada but my stomach’s home is in the beer halls and sausage houses of Eastern Europe. I grew up in a family where our Polish and Ukrainian heritage was not only known to us but experienced on a daily basis through language, food and eventually beer. That means that my siblings and I grew up on all the things that you associate with Central and Eastern European cuisine: pork sausages (kielbasa), garlic pickles, tons of pierogies covered in sour cream and potatoes sprinkled with dill. That means rye bread and butter with every meal. And of course cabbage, cabbage, cabbage….. And more cabbage. Did I mention pickled carrots and beets yet? Because, yeah. Those too!

So, when I was assigned to do a food pairing blog post for class my mind went immediately to what I know and what I love: Rich, meaty, starchy foods that pair best with the beers of the region. That translates into Pale Lagers, Dark Lagers, and Pilsners for the most part…..

So, let’s examine a few pairings, shall we?

Bigos (Cabbage Stew)

There are as many Bigos recipes as there are Babcias making it, but the basics in my house were sour cabbage and sweet cabbage, fried up kielbasa and bacon, some mushrooms, and tomato paste. Throw that in the oven and let it cook low and slow… Usually, eaten with rye bread.

My immediate beer pairing here is Pilsner. It’s crisp and effervescent, which cuts into the richness of the pork sausage and the bacon. Also, Pilsners are great palate cleansers, which helps with the assertiveness of the sour cabbage and tomato paste.

You could also substitute a Pale Lager, which is light and refreshing against the heaviness of the stew. On the other hand, a Dark Lager could offer some caramel notes and sweetness that will balance out the sourness of the cabbage and complement the fattiness of the meat. Do whatever makes you happy.... or drink whatever's in the fridge.... 

Pierogi (Dumplings):

Everyone knows and has had pierogies at one time or another. They come in many varieties but are often just cheese/potato dumplings served with sour cream. They’re usually boiled and served with some fried onion and bacon bits on top.

The trick to pairing this with beer is not going too intense in any direction because the flavours in the pierogi are fairly bland. In my opinion, a Pale Lager is the way to go. The sweetness will balance out the sourness in the sour cream and the richness of the bacon bits. Also, it will complement the earthiness of the potatoes and the slight bite of the fried onions.

If you were to go in a different direction with the beer, I’d suggest a Wit or another light bodied Belgian ale with some citrus/peppery zest.

Kielbasa (Sausage):

Pork sausage is king in Central/Eastern European cuisine, so I can’t not mention it. It’s fatty, it’s rich, it’s salty, and it’s often served with horseradish and mustard…. I’m literally salivating as I write this… So, what beer to pair? As far as I’m concerned, Dark Lagers are it! They’re refreshing and can be slightly hoppy, which will balance out the fat and they can be quite malty, which will complements the richness of the meat. Also, that malty sweetness with serve as a great balance to the heaps of spicy as hell horseradish you must eat with it!

Porters, Stouts, Brown Ales, and other malt forward beers would lend themselves well to the high fat kielbasa as well. 

In the end, beer and food pairing is about eating the food you like and drinking the beer you like. So, I will leave you with my personal philosophy on the subject:

I LOVE BEER AND I LOVE FOOD, AND I WILL EAT AND DRINK ANYTHING DELICIOUS YOU PUT IN FRONT OF ME.

Here's links to a few restaurants in Edmonton that serve fine Central/Eastern European food (as seen here) and the delicious beers that go with them! Go there! Now!

http://www.ctfinebistro.com/home

http://bistropraha.com/

https://www.facebook.com/syrenaclub/info?ref=page_internal