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Fusion, balance, harmony, contrast…? Well, perhaps all of these at once! The objective of a pairing is above all to increase the pleasure of the senses.
Just like wine, in a pairing with tea we seek a communion of aromas and textures. The food-and-tea pairing is then truly magical when it is successful.
There are thousands of teas in the world, and each of them is different. There are hundreds of basic dishes, and each one is particular. What are the few principles that guide my inspiration when I choose a pairing?
To understand it better, here are first a few reflections on what happens when you combine a tea and a dish. When a tea marries a food on the palate, the interactions multiply and the alchemy operates. Different sensations can occur:
The food can bring out a positive characteristic of the tea and vice versa. If you eat a fig muffin with a summer Darjeeling, the honeyed and dried-fruit notes will be totally enhanced. The woody pole of the tea will be attenuated.
The food can also weaken a slightly negative characteristic of the tea and vice versa. For example, fat weakens tannins, and a very tannic tea can express its aromas much more if the texture of a cheese softens that of the tea.
The tea can bring new aromas to the food and vice versa. The food or the tea then becomes more complete and unique thanks to this combination.
The tea and the food can interact perfectly, creating an aromatic sensation stronger than that of the tea or the food alone. A new story is offered!
It is by being aware of these different possibilities that I imagine and explore a new pairing. The definition of the dish, or better, tasting it (when possible beforehand) allows me to understand its profile, the dominant notes, all the nuances, the complexity, the tastes, the textures, the aromas. From this knowledge, I imagine the world of notes that could marry.
In a pairing, the tea must, above all, enhance the dish and vice versa. You must avoid one or the other taking over and erasing the other. It is therefore important, first of all, to respect each one’s intensities. A strong dish calls for a strong tea in the majority of cases, and vice versa.
It is then interesting to explore the aromatic world and to look for notes in the tea that are common with the dish. The profile need not be identical. A few resonating notes will make it possible to build a bridge and construct a new sensation.
The search can sometimes be done through contrast. With the tea, you bring an olfactory world completely different from the dish. A dark chocolate and jasmine pairing, for example. The two coexist, remain elegant, without disturbing each other.
The best way then to build a pairing remains experimentation. Be bold! We continue to regularly offer you pairing suggestions with teas to guide you in this exploration.
But these are only proposals. A pairing is good if it brings you pleasure!