planet tea

"In the end, goodness is for the mouth to decide"
—Lu Yu the Cha l’ Ching

I would like to tell you that pairing food with tea is a science, but in reality, pairing relies greatly on an individual’s "informed" opinions. The ability to understand and relay these opinions is the crux of why pairing any sort is important. Pairing illustrates that you have explored the natural interplay between food and tea. It is a marvelous way to heighten a dining experience and expand the universe of profiles that define tea. To be able to enhance the presence of food or emphasize the flavors of a given tea is a truly rewarding challenge.

When I discuss the importance of pairing tea and food in foodservice environments, I always stress that the best that can be offered is a guideline—a helping hand to achieve a nicely balanced list of tea that complements the food offered by your establishment. Whether your menu consists of foie gras or bagels and cream cheese, I don’t believe the process has to be any more complex. Rather, pairing tea with food should be an enjoyable step in designing your overall menu.

Before you begin, you must realize that tasting doesn’t require an extremely sophisticated knowledge of food or tea. If you already enjoy food on any level, then you probably have a tasting vocabulary, however expansive or limited it may be. Never be afraid to express what comes to mind when you are tasting tea, because no impression is too slight, and all observations lead to Rome, so to speak.

To illustrate my point, let’s take a complex but marvelous example---oolong. When tasting a lightly oxidized Tung Ting, you will notice many different characteristics. Initially, you will probably take in the aroma, the single most influential element of tea. The range of bouquet should immediately lead you to a floral impression. Soon your senses will target a more specific fragrance, perhaps white flowers of some sort. Finally, you might pinpoint that wonderful aroma as that of a gardenia.

After you smell the tea, you’ll experience its texture and taste. The texture of this Tung Ting Oolong will probably impart a buttery feel—a coating sensation. Beyond texture lies taste. With this tea you should notice fruity notes—perhaps flavors of coconut, pineapple and peach—and then there will be earthy notes, predominantly of fresh cut wood and nuts. Bring the taste of the fruit, specifically peach, together with the wood and nut notes, and imagine sucking on the pit of a peach after you have eaten the flesh of the fruit. Now you have a peach-pit flavor. This is the ideal flavor profile of an oolong, especially a Tung Ting.

So what does it all mean? Well, now that you have broken down the complex profile of a single tea you should understand how important it is to match that profile with complementary smells, textures and flavors of food. For example, the floral bouquet of the aforementioned oolong would make it the perfect counterpart to a spicy dish. At the same time, its buttery texture would combine well with baked goods and chocolates, and its fruity notes would work with various types of fish and meat. This may seem like quite a lot for a single tea to handle, but tea is deliciously versatile. You’ll know when you’ve discovered the perfect marriage of flavors; simply let your palate be a guide.
Sometimes a laundry list can best illustrate the art of pairing tea with food. On the following pages is a suggested pairing table. If what you are looking for is not listed, look for a similar item and ponder the possibilities.

Fresh Fruit

I would recommend sweeter greens and lighter black teas, such as First-Flush Darjeeling or a lightly oxidized oolong. Late autumnal oolongs are also pleasant with fruit

Chocolate

A surprising array of tea presents itself with chocolate, depending on the strength of chocolate. With dark chocolate, try Pu-erh, Assam, Darjeeling, Oolong (any), or Gyokuro. With milk chocolate, try Yunnan, Dragonwell, Sencha, Darjeeling, or Oolong (any).

Dessert Pairings

Baclava: 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
Crème Brulee/Caramel: Darjeeling, Ti Kuan Yin, Tung Ting oolong, Dragonwell, Assam, Ceylon Green and Black
Crepes: 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: Yunnan, Assam, Pu-erh, Formosa, Oriental Beauty and Buddha’s Finger Oolong
Dessert with Rasberries: Darjeeling, Vietnamese Green, Ceylon Green and Black
Dessert with Strawberries: Darjeeling, Dragonwell, Ti Kuan Yin
Fruit Compote: Ceylon, Darjeeling, 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

Herb & Spice Pairings

Basil: Oolong, Darjeeling, Dragonwell, Gunpowder, Qui Ding Cha
Capers: Qui Dind Cha, Vietnamese Green, Gunpowder, Ceylon UVA
Chilies: 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 Pairings

Chanterelles: Assam, Nilgiri, Ceylon, Pu-erh
Common: Assam, Ceylon, Nilgiri, Dooars
Morels: Assam, Tung Ting Oolong, Autumnal or Second-Flush Darjeeling, Pu-erh

Cheese Pairings

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, Darjeeling, Cameroon
Edam: Ceylon, Autumnal Darjeeling, Buddha’s Finger Oolong
Gorgonzola: Chun Mee, Ha Giang, Ceylon, Pouchong
Muenster: Tung Ting Oolong, Pouchong
Provolone: Ceylon, Nilgiri

Chicken Pairings

Curry: Darjeeling, Pouchong, Dragonwell, Jasmine Green
Fried: Assam, Ceylon, Nilgiri, Kenya
Lemon: Tung Ting Oolong, Darjeeling, Ceylon, Gunpowder
Roast: Ceylon, Gunpowder, Assam
Fish PairingsFried: Dragonwell, Chun Mee, Gunpowder
Grilled: Dragonwell, Chun Mee, Gunpowder, First-Flush Darjeeling
Smoked: Oolong (any), Darjeeling, Ceylon, Dragonwell
Ham PairingsBaked: Ceylon, Assam, Kenya
Smoked: Oolong (any), Darjeeling, Dragonwell

Miscellaneous Food Pairings

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: 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 and 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
Salami: Ceylon, Nilgiri
Salsa: Vietnamese Green, Ceylon Green
Turkey: Oolong (any), Darjeeling, Ceylon, Yunnan
Vegetables (raw): Ceylon, Nilgiri, Chun Mee, Sencha

Tomislav Podreka is the founder of Serendipitea, one of the largest independent importers of fine and specialty teas in the United States. He is the education chairman of the American Premium Tea Institute. A popular speaker on the history and philosophy of tea, he travels across the country lecturing and giving tea tastings. He lives in Connecticut. For more information, visit serendipitea.com.