Jon’s perfect pairings
Blue cheeses
Mid-elevation black tea like our Meda Watte matches a traditional stilton beautifully. The tea is fullbodied yet elegant and velvety on the palate, in the style of a syrah. It’s one of the few teas that can cope with salty blue cheeses, becoming like licorice together. The fondant structure of the cheese melts wonderfully with the tea. For creamier blue cheeses, a large-leaf lapsang souchong is great because it’s very soft in terms of tannins but the gentle smokiness is intoxicating with the flavour of the cheese.
Camembert and brie
A high elevation tea like our Nuwara Eliya Pekoe from Sri Lanka or an Indian darjeeling can produce a lovely rich experience with a nice soft brie. Likewise our Ceylon Young Hyson Green Tea with its brisk herbal notes can really enhance a less-creamy brie. Camembert pairs well with the fruity muscatel notes in second flush darjeeling or the dried fruit character in our low-grown but large leaf Galle OP1 (Orange Pekoe) black tea.
Hard cheeses
Cheese like cheddar and parmesan are less fatty but often contain fruity and nutty notes so pairings based on flavour work nicely. Try a Chinese Keemun with cheddar, known for a Burgundy quality and slightly-fruity-with-softer-tannin structure, or a sweet and floral oolong like Tie Guan Yin.
Smoked cheeses
A buttery cheese like smoked havarti goes great with our Single Estate Oolong which is light with toasted nutty notes.
Salty cheeses
Feta is a tough one because it can be both salty and a little sharp and tangy. The best way would be to avoid a more bitter style of tea and go for something with soft umami character like Japanese sencha or a hojicha. I wouldn’t usually suggest flavoured teas but Earl Grey, with its delicate bergamot orange flavour, is worth a try. It can be a fairly strong tea so fully brew it, but dilute afterwards for a lighter cup to match.
Fresh cheeses
Our Ceylon Silver Tips is a super-premium tea and too delicate and subtle to pair with most cheeses. However it can pair beautifully with a fresh ricotta — try drizzling just a little honey over the ricotta too. Likewise, try white tea with fresh mozzarella.
Smelly or washed-rind cheeses
A classic English Breakfast tea, with its rounded balance between earthy fresh and coppery warm, will stand up to most pungent washed-rind cheeses.
Goat’s cheese
The vegetal character and rounded umami sweetness of Japanese Sencha balance the tangy notes in a younger style goat’s cheese. Alternatively, try a chamomile herbal infusion. Many of the premium loose leaf teas suggested by Dilmah can be found online at their local online store.