What do chocolate and cheese have in common with tea? Apart from delighting our taste buds, they may not have things in common. But each of them goes well together with tea. If you have not heard about tea pairings, this article is for you.

True tea lovers have come up with different ways to enjoy their teas. That has led to trying different foods with tea. According to J. Wesley Uhl, people in China drink tea while eating seeds, people in the Middle East pair their local style of tea with a plethora of cookies and nuts, while in southern Asia people prefer a savoury snack with tea.

Because our taste differs so much in terms of what we like and what we don’t like, people have experimented recommended a variety of combinations. However, among all these recommendations, a trend has emerged towards tea & chocolate and tea & cheese pairings.

Tasting experts say that when we pair tea with chocolate or cheese a ‘third flavour’ is revealed. What they mean is that by mixing the 2 ingredients, we achieve a flavour that we would otherwise not get had we only tasted tea or chocolate (cheese).

Let’s find out what makes these two combinations stand out.

Tea and chocolate pairing

There is no hard rule of what type of tea to be paired with what type of chocolate. But, many people seem to agree that chocolate goes best with black tea and dark oolongs. That is because the roastiness and oxidation of the tea match the pungency of the cocoa, while the sugar in chocolate brings out more of the tea’s flavour.

My favourite tea & chocolate pairings are white chocolate & matcha / jasmine green tea, milk chocolate & Earl Grey / Masala Chai.

How to taste. Order a box of mixed chocolates. Brew one tea at a time. Start by taking a chocolate bite and then a hot tea sip to melt the chocolate in your mouth. Take another tea sip to enhance the flavour of the pairing. Let the two merge in the month before swallowing. You can take notes of which combinations you like and why.

Tea and cheese pairing

If you are vegan like me, you’ll definitely skip this part. For all others, keep reading…

These two seem to be an unexpected combination. But remember the old idiom – opposites attract. An astringent tea would be mellowed by the fat and salt of the cheese. In addition, the warmth of the tea will unlock the underlying sweetness of the cheese or even surprising flavour notes.

The general guidance is to match strong, robust teas with pungent cheeses, while delicate teas go well with lighter, smoother cheeses. It’s also better to brew the tea stronger than usual so that it can withstand the cheese flavour.

How to taste. Order a mixed cheese board. Select the teas you like to try. Taste one tea with each cheese and decide whether you like it or not. Then another tea with each cheese, and so on. For the best experience, you should start with the mildest cheese and finish with the strongest. As with chocolate pairings, you can take notes of which combinations you like and why.

Other tea pairings

Below are some suggestions of other foods you can try with tea:

• Nuts with astringent or bitter teas
• Fruits and very light foods (e.g. white fish dishes) with mild-tasting teas (white or yellow tea)
• Nuts or seeds with astringent teas
• Barbecue with gunpowder tea
• Smoked meats and deserts with dark oolong
• Rich foods (e.g. steak) with black tea
• Light foods (e.g. salads, vegetarian dishes) with green tea.

Final remarks

As I was saying earlier, there are no hard rules when it comes to tea pairings, but it’s worth making some general remarks:

• A good pairing should give you a good balance (compatibility) of flavours, meaning you should be able to taste both the tea and the chocolate/cheese at the same time. Balance can be achieved through either contrasting or complementary flavours.
• You should avoid tasting too many combinations at one sitting because you will overwhelm your taste buds. To better taste, it’s a good idea to eat nuts between tasting different combinations to cleanse your palate.
• Keep the pairing food at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before the tasting so that you can get the best flavour out of it.
• Use pure loose leaf teas, without milk or sweeteners.

While keeping these remarks in mind, my recommendation is to experiment as much as possible and decide your own favourite pairings! Have fun tasting!