Tea & Food Pairing: a Match Made in Heaven

Tea can be a versatile beverage that complements a wide range of foods. For example, a light and floral green tea can pair well with sushi, while a robust and malty black tea can complement a hearty stew. Herbal teas like mint or chamomile can also be paired with desserts.

Pairing tea with food
When pairing tea with food, it's important to take into account the flavors of both the tea and the food. For example, a smoky tea like Lapsang Souchong can complement a rich and savory dish like steak, while a fruity and floral tea like Darjeeling can complement a light and refreshing dish like seafood.

Japanese teas
Houjicha, one of our Japanese teas, has a very unique flavor profile, which makes it suitable for several types of food, like mushrooms or foie-gras. In order to make it, green tea leaves undergo gentle roasting and as a result, it develops a nutty, toasty fragrance.

Japanese tea is very handy to pair with food. It contains lots of umami, which is called the fifth taste after sweet, salty, bitter and sour.

There are various types of Japanese tea, each of which offers a different level of umami, sweetness and bitterness to play with.

Houjicha, for example, has a very unique flavor profile, which makes it suitable for several types of food, like mushrooms or foie-gras. In order to make it, green tea leaves undergo gentle roasting and as a result, it develops a nutty, toasty fragrance.

Sencha is the most popular type of Japanese tea and people love it for its pleasantly grassy, refreshing flavor.

Delicious food pairings
Another example is Gyokuro, often regarded as the most refined style of Japanese tea. When it is grown, the leaves are shaded from the sun for about three weeks before harvesting. This process maximizes the umami and sweetness of the leaves.

Japanese tea is extremely versatile and satisfying on its own as well as being paired with food. You don’t have to think too hard because there are a whole variety of flavors to choose from.

Remember, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to tea and food pairing. Experiment with different combinations and find what works best for your taste buds.