Unlike coffee, tea is delicate and not overpowering. Tea can be appreciated alone or with food. Tea and food pairing is not new but has become more sophisticated due to the 'tea movement' in North America. Genmaicha with Japanese food, oolong with Chinese food, and black tea with scones are all examples of pairings with which people are quite familiar.
Although tasting principles can be applied to pairing tea with food, the bottom line is to let your palate as well as your imagination guide you. Perfect pairing is subjective and there are no hard and fast rules. Nevertheless, there are several tips that may be helpful:
- Determine if the focus is on the food or on the tea.
- Know the flavor profile and weight of the tea. Know the flavors, cooking method, weight of the food or dish. Identify the dominate flavor.
- Complement tea and food by matching the flavors (e.g., A steamed sole and a Japanese Gyokuro).
- Contrast tea and food by counterpointing the flavors (e.g., A piece of rich carrot cake and a light Dragon Well).
- Beware of the bitterness, sweetness and astringency in the tea. Consider the saltiness, sourness and sweetness of the food. See below for the tricks your taste buds can play on you:
Food/Tea
|
Tea Bitterness
|
Tea Sweetness
|
Tea Astringency (Tannin)
|
Salty food
|
Neutralizes
bitterness
|
Brings out
sweetness
|
Reduces
astringency
|
Acidic food
|
Mellows
bitterness
|
Complements
sweetness
|
Reduces
astringency
|
Sweet
Food
|
Overly sweetness
Heightens bitterness
|
Reduces sweetness if food is sweeter
|
Increases
astringency
|
 |
| Sencha with Japanese food |
Food
|
Tea
|
|
Breakfast
|
Bagel with cream cheese & lox
|
|
Break
|
Apple
|
|
Lunch
|
Mac & Cheese
|
|
Break
|
Digestive biscuits
|
|
Dinner
|
Stir-fry beef and rice
|
|
Après
Dinner
|
Vanilla ice cream and berries
|
