Dosa and Assam tea

Turkish pide and @turkiyenincayi strong black tea. The tea can handle the fats in the pide and acidity in the salad beautifully.

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!

@travel_sutra_ came up with a great idea. Earl Grey based on an Assam and Raffaello. I’m not a big fan of Earl Grey and I don’t have a sweet tooth. But I have to admit, this is a great combination. Sweetness disappeared partly, nutty flavour was more noticeable, Earl Grey gave it a fresh aroma.

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!

Most common Dutch tea&food pairing: English blend and a stroopwafel (biscuit with a thick syrup). Biscuit on top of your hot cup of tea so the syrup gets warm and runny. Mmmm

Chocolates and tea; great to play with all the possible combinations!

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 😁.

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.

Stir fried veggies and white rice. Perfect combination with a China Yunnan Hong Cha Bi Luo. Balances the spice notes beautifully. 7 gram of tea, 500 ml of 75 grade Celsius water, steeps of 1.5-2-2.5 minutes.