Iranian cookies and amard_tea tea

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 😁.

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!

Another great lunch. The local Iranian black tea is once again the hero of the dish! Sweet tea and a spicy dish can be such a delicious combination!

Beautiful warm weather, a fresh tomato and mozzarella pasta salad. Paired with a cold brew China Fujian Golden Monkey. 8 grams of tea, in the fridge for 8 hours. Nice and light. Life is almost perfect.

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.

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.

Banana pancakes and a strong cup of Nepal black tea. Reduces the fatty mouthfeel and brings out the sweetness of the tea.

It’s Sunday! Chocolate cake and fruit. Great with a Taiwan Sun Moon Lake black tea. 9 grams of tea on 110 ml of 85 centigrade water. 20-20-25-30-40 seconds brew time. Delicious!

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