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The Beer
Hefe-weisse, hefeweizen, weissbier; these are all terms for beers made with wheat and barley. In German, “Hefe” means yeast, “Weisse” means white and “Weizen” means wheat. The significance of wheat and yeast are obvious; “white” refers to the relative lightness in the color of these early golden ales. (Keep in mind that “white” here is a relative term, like “white” wine.)
After millennia of experimentation with every grain available (spelt, oats, rye, sorghum, millet—you name it), early man figured out that wheat is best suited for bread making and barley for brewing. Wheat contains proteins and gluten that give bread its elasticity, while barley has a tough husk ideal for draining the mash after cooking. Wheat breaks down when cooked and can gum up the works for brewing, while bread made from barley is, to say the least, dense.
Nonetheless, when used in its proper proportion, wheat has a lot to offer in the brewer’s realm. Most wheat beers are made with a blend of about 50/50 wheat and barley. The proteins left in the beer from the wheat give the beverage a kind of hazy glow and lighten its color. They also contribute to one of the most notable visual traits of these beers; their fluffy white heads.
First produced in commercial quantities in the 1400’s in Bavaria, hefe-weisse is a throw-back to the old top-fermenting ales that predate the ubiquitous lagers dominant in modern Germany. Ale yeasts impart the trademark notes of clove, banana, green tea, lemon grass and smoke that characterize almost every quality version of weissbier.
Almost extinct by the 1950’s, hefe-weisse made a huge comeback in the 1970’s and now accounts for almost a third of the beer consumption in Bavaria. Today, you’ll see it at every Bräuhaus and beer garden, and for good reason. This beer is at home from morning ‘till night—a better match to eggs benedict or huevos rancheros you will never find! Roast pork sandwich for lunch? Weissbier! Hunan Chinese for dinner? Weissbier! This beer is like Pinot Noir for me—a chameleon that is delicious paired with almost anything. Not only that, but with the live yeasts still in the bottle, hefe-weisse is a great source of B-complex vitamins and much tastier than a brewer’s yeast supplement pill!
My favorite brands are Paulaner-Salvator Hefe-Weizen (once a brewery run by the Pauline Monks, now owned by Dutch mega-brewer Heineken) and Späten Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse. Avoid domestic versions or Belgian witbiers, which will not have the flavor profile necessary for this pairing.
The Extras
This pair is best as a final course, complemented by soft candied ginger. (Reed’s, from the maker of Reed’s Ginger Beer, is my favorite brand). You can add any candied fruit you like, such as pineapple, pears and mangos. Also include a few Snyder’s German pretzels and good old Planter’s dry roasted peanuts. Since the cheese itself is not very salty, I enjoy the addition of the salty snacks. However, if you prefer more sweetness to end the meal, swap shortbread cookies (Walker’s) for the pretzels. As a twist, you can also create a Southwest feel by adding sticks of jicama dusted with ground chile piquin, chipotle, or guajillo peppers.
Why it Works
Many hefe-weisse drinkers add a lemon wedge or a squeeze of lemon to their beer to accentuate the brew’s natural citrus flavors. In this pairing, the lemon zest in the cheese achieves the same effect. Add ginger and peanuts and this pairing takes on a South Sea flavor that is as refreshing as it is satisfying. The age-old combo of sweet and salty is joined by a dose of sour and a hint of bitter. Include ground peppers and you have the Asian flavor concept of “umami” (loosely translated as pungent or spicy) covered as well. For more on the concept of umami, see future columns or look online at www.umamiinfo.com/.
Read about Mark Todd.
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