Pairing Tea with Foods

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Pairing tea with food is an adventure with different flavors. It is similar to wine that 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.

General: Assam, Breakfast Blends (i.e. English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast), Pu-erh, Yunnan

Higher Tannin: Ceylon, Irish Breakfast, Kenya pair best with milk

Heartier Greens: China green tea such as Green Pu-Erh or Gunpowder

Stronger Brunch Foods: Earl Grey, Lapsang Souchong

Cheese and Tea Pairings
Just like wine and cheese go together so does tea.

Asiago: Keemun, Pai Mu Dan

Brie: Dragonwell, Ha Giang, Darjeeling, Tung Ting Oolong

Camembert: Dragonwell, Chun Mee, Gunpowder, Ha Giang, First-Flush Darjeeling, Sikkim

Cheddar: Tung Ting Oolong, Darjeeling

Cream Cheese: Ceylon, Darjeerling, Cameroon

Edam: Ceylon, Autumnal Darjeeling, Buddha’s Finger Oolong

Gorgonzola: Chun Mee, Ha Giang, Ceylon, Pouchong

Muenster: Tung Ting Oolong, Pouchong

Provolone: Ceylon, Nilgri

Chicken & Tea Pairings
Generally, Chinese green teas accompany chicken dishes. The preparation of the chicken dish determines which tea to use.

Curry: Darjeeling, Pouchong, Dragonwell, Jasmine Green

Fried: Assam, Ceylon, Nilgiri

Lemon: Tung Ting Oolong, Darjeeling, Ceylon, Gunpowder

Roast: Ceylon, Gunpowder, Assam

Chocolate & Tea Pairings
Tea pairs well with chocolate so long as the flavors do not overwhelm one another. Black teas are the preferred choice for chocolate.

Dark Chocolate: Assam, Darjeeling, Earl Grey, Gyokuro, Oolong or Pu-erh

Milk or White chocolate: Darjeeling, Dragonwell, Oolong, Sencha or Yunnan

Dessert & Tea Pairings
Many people prefer to enjoy a cup of tea with dessert.

Baklava: Darjeeling, Pouchong, Oolong (any), Ceylon Black and Green

Carrot Cake: Sencha, Dragonwell, Vietnamese Green, Ceylon Green and Black, Darjeeling, Ceylon, Assam

Cheesecake: Sencha, Dragonwell, Vietnamese Green, Ceylon Green and Black, Darjeeling, Keemun

Citrus: Earl Grey

Crème Brûlée/Crème Caramel: Darjeeling, Earl Grey, Ti Kuan Yin, Tung Ting Oolong, Dragonwell, Assam, Ceylon Green and Black

Crêpes: Darjeeling, Oolong (any)

Dessert With Apples: Darjeeling, Dragonwell, Ti Kuan Yin

Dessert With Apricots: Oolong (any), Darjeeling

Dessert With Bananas: Ti Kuan Yin, Tung Ting Oolong, Pouchong, Ceylon

Dessert With Black Currants: Dragonwell, Darjeeling, Oolong (any)

Dessert With Coffee Or Mocha Flavors: Yunnan, Assam, Pu-erh, Formosa, Oriental Beauty, Buddha’s Finger Oolong

Dessert With Raspberries: Darjeeling, Vietnamese Green, Ceylon Green and Black

Desserts With Strawberries: Darjeeling, Dragonwell, Ti Kuan Yin

Fruit Compote or Tart: Ceylon, Darjeeling, Earl Grey, Yunnan, Dragonwell, Ti Kuan Yin

Pecan Pie: Oolong (any), Darjeeling, Assam, Ceylon

Pumpkin Pie: Dragonwell, Ceylon Green and Black, Darjeeling

Vanilla: Keemun, Ceylon, Darjeeling, Nilgiri

Fresh Fruit & Tea Pairings
The popular choice of tea with fruit is iced tea.

First-flush Darjeeling

Lightly oxidized Oolong

Late autumnal Oolong

Fish/Seafood & Tea Pairings
In general, Japanese green teas, Oolong, and smoky black teas pair well with fish and seafood. Oolong is an ideal choice for seafood like crab, lobster, scallops and shrimp.

Fried: Dragonwell, Chun Mee, Gunpowder

Grilled: Dragonwell, Chun Mee, Gunpowder, First-Flush Darjeeling

Smoked: Oolong (any), Darjeeling, Ceylon, Dragonwell

Ham & Tea Pairings
The saltiness of ham requires a heavy body tea. Dependent on the way the ham is prepared determines the type of tea to be used.

Baked: Ceylon, Assam, Kenya

Smoked: Oolong (any), Darjeeling, Dragonwell Herb, Spice & Tea Pairings Tea itself is an herb—a flavorful leaf of a plant. Herbs are ideal flavor enhancers to customize tea.

Basil: Oolong, Darjeeling, Dragonwell, Gunpowder, Qui Ding Cha

Capers: Qui Dind Cha, Vietnamese Green, Gunpowder, Ceylon UVA

Chiles: Assam, Yunnan, Keemun, Formosa White Tip Oolong

Cinnamon: Yunnan, Assam, Autumnal Darjeeling, Formosa White Tip Oolong, Pu-erh

Garlic: Sencha, Gunpowder, Gen Mai Cha, Dooars

Ginger: Tung Ting Oolong, Jasmine Pouchong, Darjeeling

Mint: Darjeeling, Tung Ting Oolong, Pouchong, Gunpowder

Mustard: Gunpowder, Chun Mee, Nepalese and African Varieties

Nutmeg: Assam, Darjeeling, Yunnan, Ceylon

Vanilla: Keemun, Tung Ting Oolong, Pouchong, Vietnamese Black, Kenyan

Mushroom & Tea Pairings
Typically, mushrooms are described as “meaty flavored” and need an aggressive tea to accompany them. Other vegetables interplay nicely with light tasting teas.

Chanterelles: Assam, Nilgiri, Ceylon, Pu-erh

Common Mushrooms: Assam, Ceylon, Nilgiri, Dooars

Morels: Assam, Tung Ting Oolong, Autumnal or Second-Flush Darjeeling, Pu-erh

Miscellaneous Food & Tea Pairings
Various miscellaneous foods for tea to pair with.

Anchovy: Ha Giang, Ceylon Green, First-Flush Darjeeling, Gunpowder, Chun Mee, Pouchong

Antipasto: Dragonwell, Pouchong, Ceylon, Dooars, Nilgiri

Avocado: Tung Ting Oolong, Pouchong, Darjeeling, Sencha

Bacon: Assam, Gunpowder, Ceylon

Baked Beans: Ceylon, Assam, Kenya, Yunnan

BBQ Fish: Gunpowder, Hojicha, Chun Mee

BBQ Meat: Ceylon, Yunnan, Gunpowder

Beef (Ground Beef, Stews, Roasts, Briskets): Ceylon, Yunnan, Formosa Oolong, Kenya, Nilgiri, Gunpowder

Blinis with Salmon: Tung Ting Oolong, Darjeeling

Buffalo Wings: Ceylon, Darjeeling

Carpaccio: Tung Ting Oolong, Darjeeling, Ceylon

Clam Chowder: Dragonwell, Chun Mee, Ceylon Green

Corn: Sencha, Hojicha, Chun Mee

Corn Bread: Ceylon, Assam Kenya, Yunnan

Couscous: Ceylon, Assam, Nilgiri, Yunnan, Gunpowder

Curry: Darjeeling, Jasmine Black or Green

Eggplant: Ceylon, Darjeeling

Eggs: Darjeeling, Oolong (any), Keemun, Assam, Ceylon, Kenya

Hamburgers: Ceylon, Darjeeling, Assam, Nilgiri, Kenya

Lamb: Ceylon, Darjeeling, Yunnan

Lasagna: Assam, Ceylon, Nilgiri

Macaroni & Cheese: Sencha, Ceylon

Meat Loaf: Yunnan, Keemun, Nilgiri, Kenya

Mexican: Assam, Ceylon

Pizza: Ceylon, Yunnan, Keemun

Polenta: Darjeeling

Pork: Darjeeling, Ceylon, Oolong (any), Hojicha, Lapsang Souchong, Dragonwell, Gunpowder, Chun Mee

Potato Salad: Oolong, Pouchong, Darjeeling, Dooars, Nilgiri, Ceylon

Prawns: Dragonwell, Ti Kuan Yin, Dragonwell, Ha Giang, Ceylon Green

Quiche: Darjeeling, Ceylon, Sencha, Dragonwell, Chun Mee

Red Meat: Ceylon, Chinese Black Keemun, Flavored Black Tea, Lapsang Souchong, Oolong, Moroccan Mint Tea

Salami: Ceylon, Nilgiri

Salsa: Vietnamese Green, Ceylon Green

Spicy Foods: Ceylon, Chinese Black Keemun, Flavored Black Tea, Lapsang Souchong, Oolong, Moroccan Mint Tea

Turkey: Oolong (any), Darjeeling, Ceylon, Yunnan

Vegetables (raw): Ceylon, Nilgiri, Chun Mee, Sencha

Enjoy your tea with whatever you desire. Surely, you will find the ideal tea to pair with your appetizer, entrée, or dessert.

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