Whisky & Food

Yilan's cuisine thrives on two ingredients that flourish particularly well on the plain: spring onions from Sanxing township and duck. Both appear in dishes found only here, and both pair well with the local whisky.

Yashang, Yilan's smoked duck, is salted, pressed flat, and sun-dried. It's then smoked over sugarcane until the skin turns dark and glossy and tastes salty-sweet. A Kavalan matured in sherry casks pairs well with this bold smoky, salty flavor. The dried fruit and caramel notes absorb the saltiness without overpowering the duck's smokiness.

The spring onions from Sanxing are thinner, sharper, and more aromatic than ordinary ones. In Yilan, they end up mainly in scallion pancakes, crispy on the outside, soft within, with a distinct, mildly sharp onion note. The fruity, bright Kavalan Classic pairs well here. Its vanilla and pineapple notes cut through the pancake's oil without masking the onion's delicate sharpness.

Both pairings work best when the whisky is served neat or with a drop of water in a nosing glass, not over ice. That way, the aromas and the dish truly meet. The cuisine and the whisky come from the same humid, warm plain, and that shows in the taste.

Both dishes come from a cuisine traditionally served with tea or beer rather than whisky. Anyone who tries the pairing anyway quickly understands why it works: the smoke, salt, and sweetness on the plate find their counterpart in the glass, because both duck and whisky mature and smoke in the same humid heat.