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If you drink wine, you know that some wines complement
certain foods, and others don't. The same principle works with tea. Specific
characteristics of certain teas work particularly well with some foods, but not others.
We asked Teaism's Michelle Brown and Linda Orr and
"Serendipitea" author Tomislav Podreka for guidance.
| * If you like a buttery Chardonnay with certain foods,
you'll probably enjoy Gen Mai Cha, a Japanese green tea with toasted rice added to it,
with the same dishes. |
| * Likewise, Keemun, a "very winey" Chinese black
tea works with foods you'd eat with a big red wine. |
| * Curries, which are inhospitable to some wines, work well
with big, black Indian teas--Assam, Nilgiri. |
| * Jasmine tea, as well as oolongs in general, are good
dessert teas. And the roasted, complex woodsy flavors of Ti Kuan Yin in particular work
well with chocolate. |
| From Podreka, who suggested matches for teas not only to
the menu but also to his mood and the time of day: |
| * With a breakfast that includes sausages or other meat,
drink a Ceylon tea or an Assam. |
| * With lunch, try a good fruity tea, like
Pouchong, or very
green jade oolongs. |
| * With pastas, creamy pastas or those with vegetables work
well with a Temple of Heaven tea. A pasta with a tomato base goes better with a Ceylon, a
Yunnan or an Assam. For a pasta with pesto sauce, try a Darjeeling or oolongs such as Ti
Kuan Yin or Tung Ting. |
| * With meats or poultry, good choices are a Ceylon tea or
an Assam. With steamed poultry or fish, a light green tea like a Sencha works well.
Roasted poultry is enhanced by a darker green tea like a Hojicha, which has a pronounced
roasted flavor. For grilled meats or poultry, try a dark oolong like a fancy Formosa. |
| * Desserts work well with fruitier teas, like some oolongs.
Chocolate cake can handle richer oolongs like Ti Kuan Yin or Tung Ting as well as black
teas like Darjeeling, Ceylon and Yunnan. |
* With cheese, Darjeeling is right for
Stilton and pears. But a Ceylon or a Yunnan works better with a Camembert. |
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