Chocolates and Yunnan Gold

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.

Gerelateerde pairings

Vondel speculaas and Assam Goudblad zomerpluk

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 😁.

Stir fried veggies and China Yunnan Hong Cha Bi Luo

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.

Turkish pide and strong black tea

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

Kroket sandwich and Sri Lanka Uva

Kroket sandwich (Ragout Sandwich) and a huge glass of Sri Lanka Uva black tea. Perfect combination for a day at the beach

Figs, goats cheese, honey and Nepal Golden tea

Figs, goats cheese and honey. A great pairing in itself. Nepal Golden tea brings it all together. You need to drink the tea pretty hot and then the magic happens! 8 grams of tea, 500 ml of 90 degrees water, 1.5-2.0-2.5 infusion time.

Scones, blueberry jam, cream and China Fujian Golden Monkey

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!

Sour fruit and sweetened black tea

What when they serve you a sweetened black tea? Just pair it with some sour fruits 😁. The acidity balances the sweetness of the tea.

Breakfast and Iranian tea

Breakfast. Plain and simple. Great Iranian tea doesn’t need much to pair with.

Bengali style Nepali snacks and Nepal Golden Tea

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