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Pairing Tea with Foods

Pairing tea with food is an adventure with different flavors as it provides an extensive range of tastes. Tea is a palate cleanser or mid-course transition to bridge a person from one course to the next. Just like wine, tea can also be used as a flavor enhancer to complete the culinary journey of a dish.

Breakfast and Brunch

People in the West generally prefer black teas for breakfast for their higher caffeine content, compatibility with milk, and complementary to Western breakfast foods. Examples of good breakfast teas are English Breakfast, Scottish Breakfast, and Irish Breakfast.

General

Assam (Assam Loose Leaf), Breakfast Blends (Breakfast Blends Loose Leaf), Pu-erh, Yunnan
Higher Tannin: Ceylon (Ceylon Loose Leaf), Irish Breakfast (Irish Breakfast Loose Leaf), Kenya pair best with milk
Heartier Greens: China green tea such as Green Pu-Erh or Gunpowder
Stronger Blends with Brunch Foods Earl Grey ( Earl Grey Loose Leaf), Lapsang Souchong

Cheese and Tea Pairings

Just like wine and cheese go together so does tea and cheese.

Asiago: Keemun ( Keemun Loose Leaf), Pai Mu Tan
Brie: Darjeeling ( Darjeeling Loose Leaf)
Camembert: Gunpowder , First-Flush Darjeeling, Dragonwell, Ha Giang, Tung Ting Oolong, Sikkim
Cheddar: Darjeeling ( Darjeeling Loose Leaf), Tung Ting Oolong
Cream Cheese: Ceylon ( Ceylon Loose Leaf), Darjeeling ( Darjeeling Loose Leaf), Cameroon
Edam: Ceylon ( Ceylon Loose Leaf), Autumnal Darjeeling, Buddha’s Finger Oolong
Gorgonzola: Ceylon ( Ceylon Loose Leaf), Pouchong , Chun Mee, Ha Giang
Muenster: Pouchong , Tung Ting Oolong
Provolone: Ceylon ( Ceylon Loose Leaf), Nilgri

Chicken and Tea Pairings

The preparation of the chicken dish determines what tea to use.

Curry: Darjeeling (Darjeeling Loose Leaf), Pouchong , Jasmine Green, Dragonwell
Fried: Assam (Assam Loose Leaf), Ceylon (Ceylon Loose Leaf), Nilgiri
Lemon: Darjeeling (Darjeeling Loose Leaf), Ceylon (Ceylon Loose Leaf), Gunpowder , Tung Ting Oolong
Roast: Ceylon ( Ceylon Loose Leaf), Gunpowder , Assam ( Assam Loose Leaf)

Fish, Seafood and Tea Pairings

Japanese green teas, oolong, and smoky black teas pair well with fish and seafood.

Fried: Gunpowder , Dragonwell, Chun Mee
Grilled: Gunpowder , Dragonwell, Chun Mee, First-Flush Darjeeling
Smoked: Any Oolong ( Oolong Loose Leaf), Darjeeling ( Darjeeling Loose Leaf), Ceylon ( Ceylon Loose Leaf), Dragonwell
Crab: Any Oolong (Oolong Loose Leaf)
Lobster: Any Oolong (Oolong Loose Leaf)
Scallops: Any Oolong (Oolong Loose Leaf)
Shrimp: Any Oolong (Oolong Loose Leaf)

Dessert and Tea Pairings

Tea and sweets can compliment one another very well.

Carrot Cake: Sencha, Ceylon Green and Black, Darjeeling (Darjeeling Loose Leaf), Assam (Assam Loose Leaf), Dragonwell, Vietnamese Green
Cheesecake: Sencha , Ceylon Green and Black, Darjeeling (Darjeeling Loose Leaf), Keemun (Keemun Loose Leaf), Dragonwell, Vietnamese Green
Crêpes: Darjeeling (Darjeeling Loose Leaf), Any Oolong (Oolong Loose Leaf)
Dessert With Bananas: Pouchong , Ceylon (Ceylon Loose Leaf), Ti Kuan Yin, Tung Ting Oolong
Dessert With Raspberries: Darjeeling (Darjeeling Loose Leaf), Ceylon Green and Black, Vietnamese Green
Desserts With Strawberries: Darjeeling (Darjeeling Loose Leaf), Dragonwell, Ti Kuan Yin
Pecan Pie: Any Oolong (Oolong Loose Leaf), Darjeeling (Darjeeling Loose Leaf), Assam (Assam Loose Leaf), Ceylon(Ceylon Loose Leaf)
Pumpkin Pie: Darjeeling (Darjeeling Loose Leaf), Ceylon Green and Black, Dragonwell

Chocolate and Tea Pairings

Tea pairs well with chocolate, so long as the flavors do not overwhelm one another.

Dark Chocolate: Assam ( Assam Loose Leaf) , Darjeeling ( Darjeeling Loose Leaf), Earl Grey ( Earl Grey Loose Leaf), Gyokuro , Oolong ( Oolong Loose Leaf) or Pu-erh
Milk or White Chocolate: Darjeeling ( Darjeeling Loose Leaf), Dragonwell, Oolong ( Oolong Loose Leaf), Sencha , or Yunnan