Tea pairing is the practice of select a specific type of tea to be enjoyed alongside a specific type of food. By pairing the tea and the food together, the flavor of both the tea and the food can be enhanced. For instance, teas with strong flavor should not be paired with foods that are also very strongly flavored, as the tea will overpower the food.
Additionally, teas that are weak in flavor should not be paired with foods that is heavy in flavor; the flavors of the food will overpower the flavor of the tea. All true teas originates from the same genus of plant: *Camellia sinensis*. Different type of teas are prepared from these plants by exposing the leaves of the tea plant to air, a process known as oxidation.
How to Pair Tea with Food
The less the leaves are exposed to air, the more delicate the flavor of the tea will be. For instance, white teas are oxidized the least, while black teas are oxidized the most. As a result, black teas have strong flavors compared than teas that are oxidized less.
Finally, there is teas that are not made from the genus *Camellia sinensis*, such as teas like peppermint tea and rooibos tea. Additionally, fermentation provides pu-erh tea with an earthy flavor. In order to allow the tea to taste correctly when served with food, it is important to prepare the tea according to certain methods.
For instance, the cook prepares green teas using water that is between 160 and 175 degrees Fahrenheit, since water that hot will scorch the delicate leaf and make the tea bitter. Black teas, in contrast, are brewed using water that is boiled. Additionally, the length that the tea is steeped in the water also affect the flavor of the tea.
For instance, green teas should be steeped for a short period of time in order to preserve its flavor. Herbal teas, on the other hand, should be steeped for a longer period of time to allow the flavor to become sweet. However, if the tea is steeped too long, the tea can become bitter, which will ruin the meal.
There are several principle that can be applied to pair tea with food. The first of these principles is to ensure that the weight of the tea match with the weight of the food. Light teas should be paired with light food, and heavy teas should be paired with heavy food.
Additionally, the second principle is to use contrast between tea and food. For instance, a bright tea can be used to balance fat in heavy foods like meat. The third principle is to use teas and foods that share certain flavors; for instance, Earl Grey tea and pastries both contain citrus flavors.
Finally, the fourth principle is to pair tea with food that originate from the same region of the world. For instance, both oolong tea and dim sum originates from the same regions of the world. As a result of these different principles, several tea and food pairing can be created.
For instance, the umami flavor of matcha tea combine well with the sweetness of mochi. Additionally, the grassy flavor of sencha tea balance well with the flavor of sushi. Earl Grey tea balances well with shortbread due to the bergamot in Earl Grey tea and shortbread.
Assam black tea flavor well with breakfast foods due to the malt in the tea. Additionally, pu-erh tea is flavorful with pork belly due to the earthiness of the tea. Finally, dark chocolate flavors well with rooibos tea due to the sweet flavor in the tea.
In addition to these examples, the type of food that is being eat can help to determine which tea to pair with the food. For instance, if people are eating pastries, citrus-floral teas like Earl Grey or Darjeeling should be selected. Additionally, if red meat are being eaten, teas like pu-erh or Assam black tea can be selected.
If seafood is being eaten, sencha and jasmine green tea can be selected. If curry foods that is spicy are being eaten, teas like masala chai or peppermint tea can be selected. Finally, foods like chocolate can be paired with teas like rooibos or pu-erh.
To prepare the tea according to these descriptions, there are step that must be followed in order to correctly store and prepare the tea. The tea leaves should be stored in airtight container that are removed from light to preserve their flavor. Additionally, when serving the tea, it should be served in hot form alongside the food.
Additionally, milk can be added to bold black teas, but should be avoided with delicate white teas. Finally, honey can be added to herbal tea to enhance its sweetness. By following these steps and principles, tea can be successfully paired with food to enhance the flavors of the food being eaten.