Poffertjes and Zealong Tea New Zealand Green

Sweet pepper filled with a fresh cheese paired with a China Tai Ping Hou Kui. Enhances the sweetness in both tea and pepper! 5 grams of tea, 200ml 80 centigraden soft water and steeping time of 40, 30 and 50 seconds.

White bread, fried egg and a very fresh (1 day old) Nepal Tinjure green tea. Just great! 2 grams of tea and 180 ml of 80 degrees water. Just keep on pouring water!

A beautiful single origin chocolate from Kalimantan (Indonesia) and a roasted Japan Kukicha both bought during my visit to a Simon Lèvelt shop are a very good combination. The Krakakoa 75% chocolate is full bodied and has a nice fruity flavour. The roasted aroma of the tea brings out the spicy and fruity flavours of the chocolate in a beautiful way! In order to balance the full body of the chocolate I used a lot of tea: 10 grams in my kyusu. Filled the teapot for 2/3 with 75 degrees Celsius water and steeped it for 30-20-25-30-35-40 seconds to bring out the sweetness of the tea but keep the astringency out. Astringency and a high cacao content chocolate aren’t a great combination.

Green olives and a Japan Kabusecha. Wow really great combination! 9 grams on 500 ml, 60 centigrade soft water and a 1.5 minute brew.

To bring out the umami in both tea and salsa: Japan Gyokuro. 14 grams in a Kyusu, 60 centigrade, 45 seconds

Popcorn and matcha aren’t the best of friends. Popcorn and Japan Genmaicha on the other hand…8 grams of tea on 500 ml soft water and 1.5 minutes of steeping time

Pickled zucchini and a beautiful fresh Lu An Gua Pian green tea. 4 grams in a glass and just keep adding 80 centigrade water.

A good way to start the day. Chocolate croissant and a Japan Gyokuro. 7 grams in a Houhin, 60 centigrade water, 45 seconds.

In my Simon Lévelt shopping basket Il cuore di Mandorla. I tried many different combinations. Most black teas pair good but I was looking for a more exciting result. Their Otsuka Fukamushi Sencha gave me the result I was looking for. The umami of the tea did great things to the orange and almond flavours of the Mandorla. 5 grams in my hohin, 5 infusions of 1 second combined, water temperature of 60 degrees Celsius. A real tread!