Seed and Bean 80% Ecuador chocolate has a delicate earthy flavour. Paired with a Lentedauw Mao Feng (a Yellow Mountains, Anhui green tea bought at Simon Lèvelt)makes the chocolate way more exiting. More smooth and even a little fruity! 6 grams of tea in my new Honin I bought at Postcard tea, 70 degrees Celsius soft water (very important with this tea. Many of the Simon Lèvelt shops sell the Zero water filters. A great way of filtering your water) infusions after rinsing the tea: 30-35-40-45 seconds.

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.

A young Dutch sheep’s cheese and Japan Sencha. Brewed in my beautiful new Asahiyaki hohin I bought at @postcardteas Tea brings out the umami in the cheese in a special way!

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!

Iranian lunch and an Iranian green tea. The tea is a little astringent and that really helps to balance this dish!

Iran not only produces great sweet, flowery black tea but also green tea. Paired beautifully with this great Iranian dish!

Plaice and a fresh salad. Beautiful paired with a Japan Gyokuro. 7 grams of tea in a Kyusu, 60 degrees Celsius water and 45 seconds steep. Umami and fish. So good!

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!

One of my favourite dishes. Pasta Puttanesca. (Don’t translate). Pasta and seafood. Nice and spicy. Not easy to find the perfect partner. A shockbrew Gyokuro did a great job! 8 grams of tea, 250 ml of 60 centigrade water, shock over 250 grams of ice. Just perfect. Umami all over!

Coquilles and a China An Ji Bai Cha. Normally I pair the coquilles with a Japanese green tea but this is also a great combination! 8 grams on 110 ml. 70 centigrade water. Sweet and savoury aroma’s enhanced in the coquille, roasted aroma’s in the green tea.

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

Shortbread meets a Myanmar Pindaya green tea. 9 grams on 110 ml 70 centigrade water. Infusion time of 40-45-50 seconds.

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

@wensleydale_creamery cheese and the China Fujian Cloud & Mist green tea. The tea makes the cheese so nice and creamy. Delicious!

My lunch today. Sushi and Japan Houjicha. Nothing fancy, just a teabag but a great combination.

Mussels take 2. Mussels and China Tai Ping Hou Kui were a good combination. Today we paired them with a Taiwan Dayuling spring harvest. Maybe an even better combination. 110 ml of boiling water, 8 grams of tea and a 30-30-50-60-70 second steep

Mussels and China Tai Ping Hou Kui. 8 grams on 110 ml of 85 centigrade water for 30-45-50-60-60 seconds.

Soybeans and Hōjicha. 8 grams of tea, 100 ml of 70 centigrade soft water, 1 minute steep. Interesting combination!