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Authentic, fine loose leaf tea offer a wide spectrum of aromas and flavours and can make a wonderful companion to quality chocolates. In this article, a qualified tea sommelier and founder of Tea Repertoire London, Sujin Lee, shares some tea and chocolate pairing ideas with the readers of Love Cocoa Blog.
In general, when pairing tea with chocolates, black tea makes an easy choice to pair with most of chocolates, in comparison to more delicate and light-bodied green, white and oolong teas, as black tea usually yields a medium-to-full bodied liquor with a good amount of astringency, which interacts well with the rich texture and sweetness of chocolates. However, some green teas make a sublime pair with chocolates as well. For instance, you will be amazed at how incredibly delicious a good quality, jasmine-scented green tea could taste with white chocolates. While the opulent sweetness of jasmine note mingles beautifully with the sweetness of white chocolates, delicate bitterness and astringency in the green tea sap gives a good contrast to the sweetness of white chocolate and refreshes the palate.
I have picked some teas from Tea Repertoire tea collection that would do magic with Love Cocoa’s chocolates. Here are my suggestions:
Black Forest + Peruvian Dark Chocolate Bar
Black Forest is a rare, black tea from Laoshan, northwestern China. Once brewed, this luscious black tea offers an intense dark chocolate and truffle aromas. Try this amazing black tea with Love Cocoa’s healthy and delicious dark chocolates, such as Single Origin Peruvian Dark Chocolate Bar. They will harmoniously enhance the flavour of each other.
Sun Moon Lake Red Jade + English Mint 71% Dark Chocolate Bar
Made from the unique Red Jade tea cultivar grown on the hills of the picturesque Sun Moon Lake in central Taiwan, this original, taiwanese speciality black tea offers a full-bodied, invigorating liquor with notes of mint, eucalyptus and cloves. A classic and elegant tea and chocolate pairing that will refresh your palate.
Repertoire Earl Grey + Earl Grey Milk Chocolate Bar
This quintessentially English tea and chocolate pairing cannot go wrong. Made from entirely hand-picked tea leaves naturally grown in the Shire highlands, Malawi, this citrusy, woody black tea will help you fully indulge in Love Cocoa’s Earl Grey 37% Organic Milk Chocolate Bar.
Wild Jasmine Green Tea + Sparkling Rose 35% White Chocolate Bar
Made from wild grown high mountain tea leaves in Hagiang province in Northern Vietnam, this refreshing, fragrant jasmine green tea makes a perfect companion with Love Cocoa’s Sparkling Rose 35% White Chocolate Bar. The opulent sweet jasmine flavour harmoniously combined with the notes of strawberry, rose and sparkling rosé wine in this white chocolate, this pairing will awaken our taste buds with the blissful memories of beautiful summer days. An absolute must-try for your picnic this summer.
Phoenix Honey Orchid + Raspberry Champagne Truffle
Phoenix Honey Orchid is an exceptional dancong oolong tea from Wu Dong Mountain, Southern China. Offering a naturally sweet, fruity and floral tea liquor with a hint of astringency and delicate bitterness, this special oolong tea will magically enhance the flavour of any white chocolates, but certainly Love Cocoa’s luxurious, Raspberry Champagne Truffle. Phoenix Honey Orchid’s distinctive peach and orange notes are in the perfect tune with this truffle made from white chocolates.
Finally...
Once you've made your selection of tea and chocolate pairing and are all set for the tasting experience, please don't forget to warm up your palate by sipping the tea first before you taste the chocolates. In order to fully appreciate the orchestra of flavours while tasting quality loose leaf tea and chocolates, it is highly recommended that you take a sip of tea first to coat your mouth and then take a small bite of chocolate. This will warm up your palate, which will allow the chocolate to melt faster and evenly with the lingering aftertaste of tea.
