Wonder what tea and cheese have to do together? Well, cheese and tea pairings are a new, fun, food trend. We recently teamed with the Good Food Store in Missoula, MT for a cheese and tea pairing tasting. Pairing cheese and tea is much like cheese and wine. Pairing opposites find complementary flavors. A creamy texture with a bold black tea, a salty cheese with a sweet tea. Unlike wine, where the flavors of the cheese and wine are enhanced by the pairing, cheese and tea pairing can create a change in texture and flavor with both the cheese and tea. The heat causes this effect from the tea interacting with the cheese.
We had 5 different cheese and teas:
Brie – Royal Tajiri - is a rich black tea with absolutely no astringency, with a deep aroma and delicate mouthfeel
Manchego – Black Pearl Oolong - has a dark liquor, sweet and woody with a hint of red, tart apples, smooth mouthfeel, and is on the higher end of the oxidation spectrum for an oolong
Soft Goat- Sencha - high quality green tea with a rich aroma and delicate flavor
Sharp Cheddar – Darjeeling District Green - is a lovely green Darjeeling with a sweet, delicate flavor
Blue Cheese – Lapsang Souchong - a Chinese specialty from Fujian province, fine black tea is smoked over pine wood logs, very smoky flavor
While there is no one right cheese and tea pair, some are better than others. All the pairings were well received, but when we chose cheese tea combinations, we originally chose an Assam to pair with the Blue Cheese. The Assam was completely overpowered by the Blue Cheese and had no flavor whatsoever. I chose the strongest tea I could think of, Lapsang Souchong, and was able to tame the Blue Cheese.
The Manchego – Black Pearl pairing was popular at the tasting, while the Sharp Cheddar - Darjeeling District Green was my favorite. I loved the way the Darjeeling turned the Sharp Cheddar into a creamy, smooth texture, creating a melting effect in my mouth.
The next time you entertain, consider a cheese and tea pairing. It’s fun, interesting, and tasty.
Written by Heather Kreilick
