Strand tea sour

Hold the milk and sugar! Dilmah’s ‘Tea Geek’ Jon Houldsworth on how to match what you’re eating to the perfect brew

Pairing food with tea is an ancient practice though it may sound like a new concept to those of us who stick solely to our favourite brew (with milk, maybe sugar), no matter what we are eating alongside. Like wine, there’s a tea to suit a seemingly endless variety of sweet and savoury foods, while being used as an ingredient itself. Long part of the daily ritual of ancient cultures, tea acts not only as a palate-cleanser or flavour bridge but as a digestive aid as well. Dilmah Tea first started exploring tea gastronomy back in 1999 and today, internationally, fine dining restaurants like Michelin-starred Fera at Claridge's are offering tea-pairing menus, with wineglasses of special brews for the growing number of diners wanting sophisticated but alcohol-free beverages. Dilmah’s “Tea Geek”, Jon Houldsworth, who frequently lectures on tea gastronomy at New Zealand culinary schools, offers some tea and food-matching points to consider when you next boil the jug.

WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT POINTS WHEN PAIRING TEA WITH FOOD?

The synergies between tea and food can be found in the complex flavours that nature brings through terroir and a variety of manufacturing techniques, from floral, fruity and nutty through to herbaceous, earthy and smoky. These sometimes-subtle characteristics are ideal in balanced pairings with food. Tea also carries added flavours very well, like the bergamot orange in Earl Grey or the natural scenting of jasmine flowers in green tea. These hold their own when tea is used as an ingredient. Like wine, tea has a broad spectrum of “mouth-feel”, from the mouth-puckering tannins of a full bodied low-grown black tea to the herbaceous and bright notes of a high-grown black tea.

DOES HAVING MILK AND SUGAR OR LEMON IN YOUR TEA AFFECT THE FOOD MATCH? Adding milk to tea is okay as long as the tea (such as English Breakfast) has enough strength and body to balance with the natural fats in the milk. The milk will soften those nice chewy tannins, however the tea will no longer have the ability to cut through heavier foods. Try a straight black tea with a good fry-up breakfast, with fatty sausages or bacon and sticky eggs. The tea becomes really thirst-quenching, but add milk and it’s not quite so effective at cleansing the palate. Lemon is a natural addition to many teas but you then have to consider whether that “sour” component will complement the food you’re serving with it. With salt-crusted sea bass, try a slice of lemon in your tea (no milk of course). Rather than adding sugar to tea, enjoy drinking it alongside something sweet.

DOES THE TEMPERATURE OF THE TEA AFFECT THE PAIRING?

Yes, in a number of ways. It also brings one of the main advantages. Much of what we taste is through our nose, which is why we taste so little when we’re all blocked up. Warmth rises up, carrying those aromas, so tea has an amazing ability to lift flavours from your palate for a longer finish. If the tea is too hot, most people will actually taste much less. In general, the ideal is once the tea has cooled to around 50-70 degrees. Another great experience is a tea pairing based on contrasting hot and cold like a lightly sweetened and citrus-based iced tea with something warm and spicy.

WHAT ABOUT PAIRING CANAPES WITH TEAINFUSED COCKTAILS?

Sounds like a summery high tea in the making! Tea-infused cocktails are a huge trend in mixology around the world. Tea will work equally well with sweet or sour cocktails. A sour (such as a citrus-based tea cocktail, see recipe right) will pair beautifully with seafood canapes, and sweeter tea cocktails with something a little fruity or tart. WHAT TEAS SHOULD WE SERVE ALONGSIDE A TRADITIONAL AFTERNOON TEA?

Start with the classics: A good black tea maybe English Breakfast for the sandwiches and some Earl Grey to go with buttermilk scones with generous dollops of jam and cream. Pure green tea or jasmine green tea can be really refreshing once you start to work through the more delicate sweet items, and a switch to digestive aids like peppermint can help you finish off the final sticky chocolate morsels. Consider branching out, though, with flavoured varieties like Rose with French Vanilla tea or spiced infusions like Dilmah’s Mango, Ginger and Turmeric with Black Pepper, for those who prefer to avoid caffeine.

WHAT ABOUT CUPS? WINE IS SERVED IN GLASSES ACCORDING TO TYPE SHOULD IT BE THE SAME FOR TEA?

There is certainly a science around the shapes of different cups for tea. Exactly like wine, the shape of a cup affects the aroma passing into the nose, which greatly enhances the taste as we sip. This why some of the best cups to drink tea from are, in fact, delicate antique china teacups, many of which are curved in at the top like a wine glass, collecting the aroma and potentially retaining the heat for longer. One of the forgotten pleasures of food and beverage is the tactile part of the experience. Sipping from the delicate rim of a fine teacup has the ability to make the tea taste more refined and delicate. Whether it’s just an illusion or not, it works! Makes 1

75ml Dilmah English Breakfast Tea 50ml rum

50ml lime juice

25ml sugar syrup

1 or 2 drops Angostura Bitters

Brew the tea, strain and leave to cool. Place all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Pour into a glass and garnish with a twist of orange and a wedge of pineapple.