Breakfast with Malawi Satemwa Smallholders OP1

Cottage cheese and a tomato tapenade on a baguette. Nepal Shangri La Second Flush FTGFOP1 7 grams on 500 ml 95 centigrade water. 2 minutes infusion. Tomato and cheese really come together!

Vondel speculaas (spiced biscuit) I picked up at Simon Lèvelt and their Assam Goudblad zomerpluk (very tippy Assam second flush) is one of the first tea and food pairings I discovered. The spices and sweetness of the biscuit are balanced so beautiful by the Assam tea. It’s almost as if it becomes a masala chai! 7 grams of tea on 500 ml 95 degrees Celsius water and a infusion time of three minutes. It really needs hot water and a relatively long steep in order to do it’s job 😁.

Bengali style Nepali snacks and a beautiful Nepal Golden Tea. One leaf and a bud. 6 grams of tea, 96 degrees Celsius soft water, first infusion minutes, second infusion 2 minutes. May seem strange but believe me. Learned it from my teacher @susmabastola

@dorsetteauk and fresh crumpets. Why Dorset tea? The way they put it: there is only one T in Dorset 😁 2 bags in a huge mug, 4 minutes and a dash of milk. Simply perfect!

Nepali Momo’s and a great Nepal Golden black tea. 8 grams of tea, 500 ml of 80 degrees water and 1.5-2.0-2.0 minutes steeping time.

Egg cake & Strawberry’s are a great combination. Paired with a China Keemun Hong Cha Hao Ya. Brings out the sweet strawberry aroma and the stone fruit aroma’s in the tea. What a wonderful combination

Dumplings, an unidentifiable great and very spicy soup. Chya of a complex tea does the job. Milk in a great tea? When it comes to pairing it with a spice dish: absolutely! Milk balances the spicy notes of the dish, the complex character of the tea becomes more dominant. A real surprise to me.

Dates and @amard_tea tea from Iran. Great afternoon treat! 7 grams of tea, 500 ml 85 centigrade water and a 2 minute steep

Sometimes you accidentally come across a very special product. We visited a farmers shop called the Kastanjeboom, located just outside the small town of Bunschoten-Spakenburg. They sell a lot of beautiful local products but they also make their own clotted cream. The best I ever tasted. Read their story. Scones, Blueberry Jam and their great cream. Paired with a China Fujian Golden Monkey. 7 grams of tea on 500 ml, 75 degrees Celsius water. A true delight!