Sweet liquorice and Nepal Golden Tips

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 😁.

My favourite breakfast. Dosa. Perfect with a malty Assam tea! 7 grams on 500 ml, 95 degrees water, 3 minutes.

Yes, found the perfect partner for @purnamukhiya black tea! @kunachocolate 82% Esmeralda Rio Verde from Ecuador! 9 grams of tea, 500 ml 70 centigrade soft water, 1.5 minutes

Chana matar (chickpeas and green peas) and a spectacular black tea of Tinjure. Member of CTCF. No idea how they made the dish or the tea but the sweetness of te tea brings it all together.

Stronger tea or just more of it to complement this pastry? This time I chose a huge mug. A Zealong New Zealand black tea, 7 grams and 500 ml 80 centigrade for two minutes did the best job! More savoury notes in the pastry and more fruity notes in the tea!

Italian nougat and a Ceylon Nuwara Eliya Lovers Leap Estate. 7 grams on 500 ml, 95 centigrade water and a 3 minute brew. Real delight!

Couldn’t resist picking up some beautiful chocolates at my local Simon Lèvelt store. The shop owner suggested their Yunnan Gold to drink with these beauties. She was right! Brewed it real strong in order to taste both tea and chocolates. 9 grams of tea on 500 ml of 90 degrees Celsius water and a steeping time of 3 minutes. Normally I would use 80 degrees Celsius water and a 1-2 minute steep but the tea really needs more extraction in order not to taste like hot water. The slight astringency balances the sweetness of the chocolates and brings out the chocolaty flavour much more.

Iranian cookies and @amard_tea tea are a perfect combination! Sweet, fruity tea and nicely baked cookies 🎉.

Noodles, peas and a Tinjure Golden! 8 grams of tea, 500ml, 80 degrees water, 1.5-2.0-2.0-2.5 minutes. Sweet tea reduces the spicy notes of the food and brings out all the delicious aroma’s.