Guide to Tea and Cheeses

Home , 24 flavors, Black tea, Ceylon tea, Chun Mee, Congou, Da Hong Pao

One of the similarities between wine and tea is that, with a bit of trial and error and some tips from your friends and folks like us, you can pair them very well with cheeses.

And, just like with wine, how you pair tea and cheese can be a true art.

That’s why we wanted to present some pairing recommendations – both our own and ones that tea connoisseurs (also known as sommeliers and aficionados) have presented.

Who knows, you may be inspired to invite over friends and family for a tea and cheese tasting party!

A Natural Combo

Cheese and wine are a natural combination. In some people’s minds, they go together like apple pie and ice cream, hot dogs and baseball games, or even SUVs and Soccer Moms.

Beer is getting more into the act, too, which isn’t surprising with all the microbreweries around. And home brewing is on the up- swing, from what I have seen online.

Lately, though, cheese is becoming a bigger part of tea time with pairings becoming the rage. Some pros are so successful at pairing teas and cheeses properly that they are being sought after by restaurants and party givers.

Get ready to go exploring the wonderful world of tea and cheese pairings!

Pairing Basics

By Tea Type

 White Teas  Green Teas  Oolong Teas  Darjeeling Teas  Black Teas

By Cheese

Tea and Cheese Short Chart

About Us

You don’t have to be a pro, or even hire one, to put your own pairings together. There are some basics to keep in mind, and you can do your own experiments.

Firmness/Texture

A big factors is cheese firmness (texture). If you prefer spreadable, runny, or soft cheeses, your tea choices are different than with firm-to-hard cheeses. For example, soft cheeses like Brie and Camembert both go well with Dragonwell, and crumbly hard feta goes with Assam.

If your taste goes more to firm-to-hard cheeses such as cheddar or Edam, some tea options are Autumn Darjeeling, Tung Ting Oolong, Keemun, Chun Mee, a black Ceylon, and White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan). However, Sencha can mellow out a sharp hunk of Manchego.

Flavor and Aroma

Flavor strength is another consideration. Limburger is truly odiferous, so you need a stronger flavored tea to go with it such as the rich smokiness of Lapsang Souchong. Milder cheeses like Asiago need a more delicate tea taste like you get in Kukicha or Sencha.

Tea/Cheese Pairing Setup

Line up your teas, labeled with their names, along one side of the table.

Line up your cheeses along the other side, with little labels proudly declaring “Stilton,” “Parmesan,” “Havarti,” “Feta,” etc.

Be sure the cheeses are room temperature so their true flavors come out.

The teas should be served at the temperature that is suitable for them. For example, Assams are great served fairly hot while Oolongs and greens can be more flavorful when they have cooled slightly.

White Peony (also known as Pai Mu Tan or Baimudan)

…with Buffalo Mozzarella

A mildly salty cheese and a tea with a delicate nectarine flavor combine to give you a subtle and smooth pairing.

…with goat cheese and honey The honey in the goat cheese brought out some really nice honeysuckle nectar-like notes in the White Peony. …with any of these:

 Goat’s Milk Cheese: Chevre (Fr.), Feta (Gr.)  Marieke Gouda (info)  Hooks 3-Year Cheddar  Hooks Blue Cheese  Sarvecchio  Carr Valley Mobay  Asiago cheeses

The tea complements the distinct flavors of these cheeses.

About White Peony Tea

White Peony (Baimudan, Paimu- tan) has a plucking standard of one bud and a leaf. It is considered the 2nd grade of white teas, after Silver Needle which is all buds.

White Peony ranges from top, to middle, to low quality rating. All have good flavors and the better ones produce a lovely yellow colored liquid when steeped.

A very mild cheese to go with green teas with a low amount of tannins.

Sencha with Manchego About Manchego Cheese

A delicate green tea that mellows out the A cheese from Spain, sharpness of this hard cheese. made from the milk of Manchega sheep. They graze on the La Man- cha plains (and there is no one tilting at wind- mills there, just quietly tending their flocks and making delicious cheese. This cheese originated when Iberi- an civilization was still

in a relatively primitive Bronze Age. The sheep’s milk gives Manchego cheese a nuanced taste and connects you back through thousands of years to ancient Iberian shepherds!

… and Triple Cream Brie

This tea has a distinctly creamy aroma followed by a light grassy flavor. The cheese is soft white and creamy, making the pairing quite dramatic.

The fresh leaves for making Mao Feng tea need to be tender, clean, and neat. It is a high quality tea which looks beautiful and smells pleasant. The straight and somewhat twisted leaves are blackish green, having an aroma resembling fried dry beans mixed with refreshing but faint flower fragrance. Its liquor is bright yellow-green and has mellow, immediate sweet mouthfeel followed by an aftertaste that lingers.

About Triple Cream Brie

A cheese that is delicious, slightly sweet and has a creamy texture. It goes with well not only with this tea but also with delicate fruits such as strawberries as a dessert cheese (often a tradition in many European countries).

Both double and triple-crème cheeses have extra cream added before the curd is formed. According to French law, a double-crème cheese has 60-75% butterfat, and triple-crème cheeses are required to have a butterfat content of 75% or more.

Triple-crème cheeses made an appearance roughly 75 years after the first double cream called Petit Suisse (1850). They are sold under names like Brillat-Savarin, Gratte Paille, Pierre Robert, and Délice de Bourgogne.

…with any of these:

 2-yr Gruyère (fatty, salty)  Walnut Cheese (nutty)  Emmenthal (nutty, salty)  Brie cheeses

The nutty, sweet tea makes it a good match for these cheeses.

Prized aspects:

 bright greenish color  elegant, long-lasting fragrance  refreshing, brisk, mellow flavor, sweet aftertaste  overall pretty appearance

Categorized into these groups:

 狮 (Shi)  梅 (Mei)  西湖 (Xihu, means West Lake)  Zhejiang Longjing from other

places of Zhejiang Province

Gruyère Walnut Cheese Emmenthal

A hard yellow cheese, named after Not an actual cheese. More of a A Swiss cheese known for its grand Gruyères, Switzerland. Creamy and cheese recipe, based on a variety of size and handmade quality, using nutty when young, earthy and com- cheeses, but cream cheese is best pure cow's milk and a maturation plex when aged. here. period of at least four months. Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses presented by JAS-eTea © 2015 JAS-eTea. All rights reserved. Gyokuro

…with Lost Lake Cheese

This spinachy, kelpy, astringent, and vegetal tea cuts through the fat of this goat cheese (from Fifth Town Artisan Dairy, Ontario, Canada).

Lost Lake is a soft cheese with a wrinkly white rind and semi-firm centre, encased by a creamy layer beneath the rind when aged. It has slightly yeasty aromas with pronounced mushroom notes. The texture is silky with rich, creamy flavors and a long, complex finish. Accompany the cheese with young, lighter reds such as Gamay and Pinot Noir.

Gyokuro (Jade Dew), grown in shade, has the most subtle flavor (reflected in the prices it commands), high-  Made from pasteurized sheep's milk er caffeine content and chlorophyll, and is regarded as  Country of origin: Canada the highest grade of tea made in Japan. The tea is only  Region: Prince Edward County, Ontario produced in Uji located southeast of Kyoto.  Type: fresh firm, artisan, soft-ripened  Texture: creamy, semi firm, and soft  Rind: mold ripened The first flush (period of growth) needs shade for 3 to 4  Color: white weeks to reduce build-up of tannins (catechins) in the  Flavor: creamy, mushroomy leaves and increase amino acid theanin production,  Aroma: rich, yeasty making it sweeter and milder than tea leaves that are  Producers: Fifth Town Artisan Cheese not shaded (used to make Sencha). Where there is no natural shade the plants are covered with a shade cloth. The highest grade is grown under cloth suspended to give leaves room to grow. The lower grades have cloth draped over them so the leaves don’t develop as well.

…with any of these:

 Goat’s Milk Cheese: Chevre (Fr.), Feta (Gr.)  Marieke Gouda (info)  Hooks 3-Year Cheddar  Hooks Blue Cheese  Sarvecchio  Carr Valley Mobay

Just like White Peony, Jasmine scented tea complements the distinctive flavors of these cheeses.

About Jasmine Tea

(Chinese: 茉莉花茶; pinyin: mòlìhuā chá)

Most often, jasmine tea has a green tea base, but white teas and oolongs are used by some tea makers. This tea is scented with jasmine blossoms. The flavor is subtly sweet and highly fragrant.

This is supposed to be the oldest style of scented teas still con- sumed today. The jasmine plant was most likely introduced to China from Persia who had got it from India. This was during the Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD). The blossoms were being used to scent tea around the 5th century but did not become widespread until the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912) due to tea trade opening up with European countries and the Americas.

The jasmine plant is grown in the mountains at high elevations, and the jasmine tea produced in Fujian province, China, is considered the best. However, 18 provinces in China produce some type of jasmine tea. A version is also available from Vietnam.

Making Jasmine Tea

Tea leaves are harvested in early Spring and stored until late Summer when the jasmine plants bloom. Blossoms are picked in the morning when tightly closed and kept cool until evening. During the night they open, and release their fragrance, making the time right for joining blossoms and tea leaves.

Tea and blossoms are laid in alternating layers, or the tea leaves are blended with blossoms and stored overnight. Either way, over four hours is needed for the tea to absorb the fragrance and flavor of the jasmine, with the process being repeated 6 or 7 times for top grades such as Yin Hao. The tea leaves must be dried between scentings to prevent spoilage since they absorb moisture from the blossoms.

The best jasmine teas will not have any blossoms in them. Some vendors add them to lesser quality versions for appearance. Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses presented by JAS-eTea © 2015 JAS-eTea. All rights reserved. Oolong Teas

Tie Guan Yin (Ti Kwan Yin, Iron Goddess)

…with either of these: Tie Guan Yin Grade 6A

 Dutch Goat Cheese  Monte Enebro (Spanish goat cheese)

A champion tea for exquisite cheeses. The tea, a lightly oxidized oolong, has an aroma both floral and fruity, setting off the tanginess of these cheeses.

TIP: Choose one that is a higher grade and only lightly roasted to avoid a nutty flavor.

Tie Guan Yin Grade 5A

Tie Guan Yin Grade 7A

About Monte Enebro Cheese

Handmade in Avila, Spain, by a legendary cheese maker, Rafael Baez, and his daughter Paloma. It’s lemony quality is enhanced and the musty aroma subdued by this tea.

The Baez's make this exquisite cheese from pasteurized goat milk and then inoculate the logs with the same type of mold used in making Roquefort cheese, adding to the complexity and distinctive appearance. It is creamy, lemony and slightly acidic. Aging makes the texture denser and the flavor more intense with a pungent finish. Its robust flavor puts it in the “strong” category.

…with Manchego (Aged) Cheese TIP: Beware of fake milk oolongs that have had a milk like substance added to the leaves during or The tea’s smooth, slightly floral notes contrast after processing. True milk oolong has no with the cheese’s deep, rich milk in it, just a wonderful pepper quality. creamy mouthfeel and flavor, and the tea liquid is clear, not cloudy.

As the name suggests, this very special tea has a creamy texture and nose but keeps its floral tones. The creaminess is real and due to leaves that are plucked on a warm, sunny morning after a very cool evening. This temperature change modifies the chemical make- up of the tea leaves, imparting a wonderful texture and nose to this lovely oolong. As with similar quality oolongs, this one gets better with each steeping; infuse these leaves 6 or 7 times.

This cheese also pairs with Sencha, as shown under Green Teas.

The tea, a highly oxidized Wuyi Rock oolong …with Australian Blackjack Vintage Cheddar with a flavor that is earthy, rich, malty, Black Jack is matured until it develops the and mildly charcoal, goes well with Old English style vintage flavors. The the full flavored vintage ched- taste is very sharp and salty on dar, producing a ‘coconut’ the palate, ideal for die-hard flavor that the tea does cheddar fans and with a not have by itself. cup of this fine tea.

The Legend of Big Red Robe

There are actually four legends:

1. Four special tea trees grew high in the Wuyi Mountains. The leaves were used to make a lovely tea. The Emperor loved this tea and ordered the trees get beautiful red robes to keep warm. 2. The trees this tea is made from grew in a challenging location, so monkeys dressed in red robes were sent to pick the leaves. 3. The Emperor’s mother became ill and was restored to health by tea made from these rock tea trees, so the grateful Emperor ensured that the trees had red robes as thanks. 4. A young scholar had little money to buy food and none to buy tea. On his way to school he picked leaves from these tea trees to make his tea. He wore a red robe, and when completing his Imperial Examinations and receiving honors, he adorned the trees with his red robe, paying tribute to the trees for helping him complete his studies successfully.

True or not, they make this tea even more delightful!

First Flush Darjeeling Teas

What is a First Flush tea?

You have a number of fine choices. There are about 87 gardens A flush is a time of growth and then officially designated as “Darjeeling” and able to put the seal shown harvest. The first flush is the below right on their teas. First Flush Darjeelings can often be in high growth after Winter dormancy. Tea demand and short supply. We recommend pre-ordering. plants (Camellia sinensis family) will go dormant where the Winters

are cooler. The first flush is often

thought to be quite a treat, with flavors that are lighter than the second flush (often said to be the best) and with a unique freshness.

Even though technically these first flushes are often classified as black teas, I and other aficionados con- sider them more akin to green teas and infuse them accordingly in water heated to a cooler temperature for a shorter time per infusion.

Official Darjeeling Tea Seal

…with Délice de Bourgogne

The gentle, fragrant tea bridges the fatty, somewhat savoury finish of this triple cream cheese (butterfat content is 75% mini- Established by the European Com- mum), leaving a subtle, delicate mission, on behalf of the Tea balance of soft flavor on the Board of India, the Darjeeling Tea palate. Association, and all of the tea growers in Darjeeling, India, to assure customers that the tea is Also pairs with Brie cheeses. truly from one or more of the Dar- jeeling gardens. See more info on our store site.

…with Brie, Camembert, and Mountain Harvest Goat Cheese About Namring Tea Estate The tea’s bright and astringent notes balance the richness and fat content The tea estate is located at an eleva- of these mild and buttery flavored tion of over 1,000 meters and about soft cheeses. For the brie, try includ- an hour’s drive from the town of ing the 'flurry' (the waxy rind); it Darjeeling in West Bengal, India. helps bring out the cheese’s flavor. Darjeeling teas get their name from this town.

The estate dates back to 1855. It is one of the oldest and largest tea estates in India. It has an Upper Division and a Lower Division.

A nice, fully ripe brie  The estate covers more than 475 hectares, producing famed Muscatel teas from a variety of tea bushes – 3/5ths are China leaves, 3/10ths are Clonal leaves, and 1/10th are from an Assam hybrid, making these teas the most loved and desired globally by Darjeeling tea fans. Over 2,000 people are employed to harvest and process the leaves.

The factory of Namring tea Estate is handles 1200 metric tons of fresh green leaves annually and from them produces approximately 300 metric tons of tea. Meeting the needs of a thirsty world!

Darjeeling Impex manages Namring and also the Borokai Tea Estate in Assam.

Regular Teas:

 Namring first flush  Namring second flush  Namring rainy flush  Namring autumnal  Namring green tea

Special Teas:

 Namring white tea  Namring black musk oolong  Namring china musk oolong  Namring silver tips  Namring high mountain coppery oolong

…with Explorateur About Castleton Tea Estate

The citrus undertones of this tea are particularly beneficial, with an as- Originally planted in 1885 by Dr. tringency that helps to cleanse the tongue and prevent the richness of Charles Graham and named Kum- this triple-cream cheese from dulling the palate. seri, this gem among the tea estates of Darjeeling produces some of the About Explorateur finest teas. It is a popular stop for tea tourists. The creamiest and most luxurious of the French The estate is at an elevation of 980 cheeses. Made in the Isle to 2,300 meters. About 173 hectares de France region. When are planted with China bushes. ripe, Explorateur’s inte- rior is ivory-colored with a All of their teas are processed ortho- delicate aroma, a salty, dox style in their spotlessly clean mushroomy tang, and a factory. The tables for spreading out delicate piquant flavor the leaves for withering are gleam- reminiscent of buttery ing white, and great care is taken baked hazelnuts. It is of- during processing to assure best and ten served as an appetizer healthiest teas. They produce about with crusty French bread 40,000 kgs of tea per year. or as a dessert with ripe, fresh fruit. These teas have a golden amber col- or, rose-like fragrance, and are prized for their unique Muscatel quail- ties, comparable to sweet summer wines with intense fragrant musk top notes. They are created from sel- ect and pure China bushes that are exquisite and delicate.

The name Castleton is said to come from a building in the area that looks like a castle. This Castle ('Bank Ghar') belonged to a money lender who built it.

The tea estate is managed by Goodricke Group, Ltd., along with several other gardens.

See more info here.

…with Le Riopelle de L’Isle, Fromagerie de l'Île-aux-Grues

The tea has floral, tan- nic, and aromatic quail- ties that pair well with the complex flavors of the cheese.

Black tea from the Darjeeling gardens is quite unique. Most of these gardens make their teas from the leaves of China jats (bushes of the Camellia sinensis sinensis variety). Many are old bushes that were originally planted in the mid- 1800s, but more and more in the past 20 years or so, garden managers have been replacing those bushes with new clonals.

What you see after steeping are leaves like these with their range of colors from copper to dark brown to a dark olive green. And a lovely ruby colored liquid with a Muscatel character.

…with Cream Cheese …with Lost Lake

The muscatel character of the tea is Floral notes of the tea blend with tempered by the rather bland and those of the goat cheese (with a slightly tangy flavor of the cream briny yeasty rind from Fifth Town cheese. Artisan Dairy, Ontario, Canada).

Also good with Gyokuro.

…with Le Silo, Les Dépendances du Manoir

The tea heightens the sweetness of the cheese (a 10-year-old raw cow milk cheddar). The photo at right is a similar cheese.

About Keemun Teas

Other names: Qimen, 祁门 , qímén, Qimen Hong Cha.

See our blog for more info.

Pairs with Asiago cheeses plus the ones shown below.

Keemun Hao Ya

…with Premium Smooth Cheddar (6-year aged) About Qimen County

The tea is earthy and full-bodied with a fruity, Burgundy-like character. China is divided into Provinces, It rounds out the cheddar’s sweet, sharp tang. The tea’s melting warmth which are subdivided, often into is particularly enjoyable with this smooth, dense cheese. what are called “counties.”

Qimen County is in Anhui Prov- ince. (“Keemun” is the British spelling for “Qimen”.) The county is under the jurisdiction of Huang- shan City. The population is about 190,000 and an area of 2,257 square kilometres (871 sq mi).

The Keemun hills where the tea is grown extend southwest from the high Huang Shan mountains and are a part of the southern border of central Yangtze valley.

…with McCadam New York Extra- Sharp Cheddar

This tea’s earthy richness and hints of cocoa and spice play off the sharp, rich, nutty tang of well-aged cheddar. Very satisfying, particularly in the finish.

About Keemun Hao Ya A and B A variety known for its fine buds, sometimes showing prominent amounts of silver tips, and generally the highest grade. Hao Ya is sometimes graded into A and B, where A is the better grade.

 black tea originally from the Wuyi region of Fujian province, China  increasingly expensive, since the Wuyi area is small and demand is increasing for this tea  distinctive smoky flavor from drying over pinewood fires  a member of the Bohea family of teas but not an oolong, as most are This is claimed  “souchong” means 4th & 5th by some to be the first leaves – further from bud leaf sets black tea made in the – coarser, less aromatic than those world, with the best ones closer to the bud coming from the hills in  leaves roasted in a bamboo basket north Fujian province, China. (honglong, 烘笼) over burning It is made of large leaves and has an enticing smoky aroma and flavor acquired pine wood, which contains the by drying those leaves over pine wood fires. characteristic resin aroma & taste

History of Lapsang Souchong Tea

In the early 17th century Chinese tea producers began exporting teas to Europe and Ameri- ca. Traditional green teas quickly lost quality during the 15-18 month journey across land and sea. So, the producers began rolling, oxi- dizing, and drying the tea leaves so they would hold their quality longer.

In 1604, the Dutch began to import this tea, regarding it as a precious medicine and selling it at pharmacies as well as to customers in France. They dominated the trade in Lapsang Souchong until 1669 when the British import- ed it on a large scale, at the encouragement, supposedly, of Princess Catherine (a Portu- guese mar-ried to the British Prince Charles). When the English East India Company began trading in tea, Lapsang Souchong was a regular for the aristocracy and no longer valued for medicinal properties but more of a pick-me- up. The tea was known as the Royal Black Tea in England.

…with Irish Whiskey Cheddar The smokiness of this tea really holds up to the bitterness of the cheese.

Black-wax-covered cheddar with a solid, pale-yellow paste, authentic Irish whiskey blended into the curds; aged for at least 12 months. The flavor is sharp, nutty and robust, with a gentle tangy flavor and no bitterness unlike some aged cheddars. The whiskey adds a raisin-like sweetness and woodsy depth. Best purchased in March and avoided during the rest of the year. Made in Ireland of pasteurized cows' milk.

…with Valdeon Spanish blue This tea paired with pungent Valdeon Spannish blue assures neither will be dominated by the other.

Valdeon is from Posada de Valdeón in northern Spain. It’s made from pasteurized cow’s milk (80%) and goat’s milk (20%). Penicillium roqueforti creates the dominant flavor. Cheeses are wrapped in Sycamore leaves, min- imizing moisture loss and imparting earthy character, then aged 45-60 days. Rich, creamy, salty, a bit spicy, then rich earthy taste.

…with Stilton Blue Cheese The powerful flavors of this very special blue cheese create an amazing counterpoint to the smokiness of the tea.

Stilton has a less aggressive, salty flavor than many blue cheeses. One 17 lb (8kg) cheese requires 136 pints (78 litres) of milk. The name “Stilton” is protected; only 6 dairies in Derbyshire, Leices- tershire, and Nottingham-shire counties, England, are licensed to make it.

…with Fontina The cheese has a caramel-like sweetness and stands up nicely to the smokiness of the tea.

A semi-hard cow's milk cheese produced by the ''Cooperativa Produt- tori Latte e Fontina'' in the Aosta valley of the Italian Alps. An excel- lent table cheese aged for 3 months with a dark yellow rind that hides a soft, buttery and fondant texture. A delicate nutty, rich, fruity, and herbaceous flavor with hints of honey.

…with Wasik’s Equinox Goat Cheese (left) and Gorgonzola (right) Strong, musky flavored cheeses like these go well with this smoky tea.

Wasik’s is a family cheese shop in Wellesley, MA. This goat’s cheese is solid, not crum- bled, and has the typical flavor profile.

Gorgonzola, a blue-veined cheese, is mainly from Piedmont and Lombardy, Gorgonzola, Italy. Made of unskimmed cow's milk. Full ripeness in 3-4 months. A crumbly, soft texture and nutty aroma. It can have a mild to sharp taste depending on its age.

As the story goes, Russian Caravan tea, usually a blend of oolong, Keemun, and Lapsang Souchong teas, was transported from the tea growing and producing regions of China (mostly in the southern and eastern provinces), India, and Sri Lanka (called Ceylon at that time) to Russia by camel caravan. The teas supposedly took on a smoky quality from the campfires where they stopped for the night.

Enjoying This Tea Russian Style – In a Samovar!

…with Agropur Signature Oka Cheese

The tea complements this cheese on every level.

Oka is a semi-soft washed rind cheese. It originated in 1893 in Oka, Quebec, Canada, and is still made there as well as in Holland, Mani- toba, Canada. A pungent aroma and soft creamy flavor, sometimes des- cribed as nutty and fruity.

Made from cow's milk, a copper- orange, hand-washed rind.

Types:

 Regular – made from raw and/or pasteurized cow's milk. A pressed, semi-soft cheese, surface ripened for 35 days. A samovar, developed in the 17th cen-  Classic – ripened for about 65 days in refrigerated aging cellars. The tury, is an urn holding hot water and a rounds are laid on cypress slats and are periodically turned and hand teapot with strong tea on top. Some washed in a weak brine solution. even have two teapots (one for tea A,  Light – similar to Regular, but with a lower percentage of fat. the other for tea B). Modern samovars  Providence – a much more creamy and soft texture then either have electric water heating elements. Classic or Regular. The stronger the tea, the more hospitable the host is thought to be. Family and guests gather round, pour tea from the teapot into glasses in holders (podstakan- niks), add hot water from the urn, and then sweeten it. Or sometimes they hold a sugar cube between their teeth and sip strong tea through it.

Russians were drinking tea long before the Dutch began trading with China for it.The price became more affordable around the time of Peter the Great, so this hearty and warming beverage became a staple of Russian life.

Black tea is most common, usually sweetened with sugar, jams, or fruits, served hot year round. Green tea is becoming more popular due to the impression that it is a more healthy and “Oriental” style.

The Assam area of northern India is east of West Bengal where Darjeeling teas are grown. The tea estates in Assam grow mainly the Camellia sinensis assamica varietals. Until recent years, most of the tea was considered low grade and processed into CTC form (little nuggets of fully-oxidized black tea leaves).

…with Brindisi Fontina …with Wasik’s Equinox Goat Cheese and Gorgonzola

The Brindisi Fontina softens the tannins in These strong, musky flavored cheeses are a perfect complement the tea. to the malty Assam. Try the goat cheese with a dribble of honey to get flavors of malty tea, tart cheese, and honey aftertaste. See info here in this document. See info here in this document.

Today, flavored teas are a sizable portion of the tea market, with one of the most popular being Earl Grey. This tea Bergamot – the citrus is the best known and has the longest history (first made in used in Earl Grey tea. the early 1800s) of citrus-flavored teas. Versions are available from many sources, including ours here.

Typically, Earl Grey has a black tea base flavored with an essential oil from the rind of the bergamot, a citrus fruit grown in the Calabria region of Italy. One story of the tea’s origin is that the Earl received a Bergamot gift of bergamot tea from a Chinese mandarin or an Indian has antiseptic, raja for his role in saving their son’s life. The Twinings company germicidal and calming is supposed to have come to the rescue when his supply ran low properties. It’s used and he asked them to make more. in sweet and in savory Versions of Earl Grey using green, white, and oolong teas as recipes. their base are now more common. One variation includes addi- tional citrus flavors. Others include rose petals, milk, and vanilla syrup.

Charles Grey, the 2nd Earl Grey and a British Prime Minister during the early 19th century. Best known for this flavored tea.

…with French Roquefort

This robust and powerful salty blue cheese is rounded off nicely by the comparatively sweet, citrusy Earl Grey.

Creamy flavor with sweet, Golden Bi Luo (Hong Bi Luo, Twisted malty notes of vanilla Yunnan Gold, Yunnan Bi Luo) is a rare golden black tea made with a local Yunnan varietal similar to high grade Yunnan Gold. “Bi Luo” is a snail, which is how the tea leaves look in their dried state.

The leaves are processed in the style of Bi Luo Chun (a green tea

from Jiangsu province in China).

…with Chèvre

Some cocoa nibs and honey added to the cheese bring out the sweet caramel notes of the rich black tea. About Yunnan Provinc e Province See info here in this document.

This province is in the southwest corner of China. The elevation ranges …with Marieke Gouda from 76 to 6,700+ meters, with tea being grown at 1,200-2,000 meters. Weather wise, they are crossed by the Tropic of Cancer, have an annual A bit of fresh cracked pepper on the rainfall of 1,000-2,000 millimeters, and a temperature range of 12-23° cheese brings out really nice spicy, Celsius. This is ideal for the tea trees. Most of the 200+ species are known malty notes in the Golden Yunnan. as “Yunnan large leaf,” great for pu-erhs and black teas. The first flush begins about a half month ahead of other tea-growing provinces such as Zhejiang. The people growing these teas have a long history and tradition built up. The first tea trees were domesticated about 2,100 years ago.

“The Three Ancient Tea Tree Kings”

 the eldest – Bada wild tree, 1,700 years old  the middle-aged – transitional Bangwei tree, 1,000 years old  the “baby” – Nannou Mountain cultivated tree, 800 years old

Aged 12-18 months. Smooth, creamy, nutty and extremely flavorful, a wonderful example of an aged Gouda. Rolf and Marieke Penterman emigrated from the Netherlands in 2002 to pursue dairy farming. The flavor becomes more complex as it ages on wooden shelves.

I wanted to note that, technically speaking, pu-erh is a post-processing fermented tea, not strictly a black tea. However, since the variety of pu-erhs is quite complex and since the only one I am including here is the kind that is known as ripened pu-erh (also called “cooked” or “shu”), I refrained from a separ- ate pu-erh section. This should avoid those dedicated to this style of tea from expecting a full array here.

…with Gruyère

A salty, earthy cheese that pairs well with this very earthy tea.

About Ripened (“Cooked” or “Shu”) Pu-erh

Pu-erh teas start from máochá, a mostly un- oxidized green tea processed from a “large leaf” variety of Camellia sinensis grown, harvested, and processed in the mountains of

Yunnan province, China. For ripened pu-erh tea, after the initial processing the leaves are

ripened for several months prior to being compressed. Then, they undergo a secondary oxidization and fermentation by organisms growing in the tea leaves plus from free- radical oxidation.

A technique called “wet piling” ensures even fermentation. The leaves are piled, dampen- ed, and turned regularly, akin to composting. The more skilled and attentive workers produce the best results. The process can take as long as a year to complete, with the pressed form appearing on the market a few months after that.

The tea cake will be mostly dark brown with some leaves having an orange-brown tone. Since the leaves are dark and steep up a dark red liquid, this version of pu-erh is often categorized as black tea.

Cheeses Teas Agropur Signature Oka Cheese  Russian Caravan Asiago cheeses  Keemun  White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan) Asiago Pressata  Hou Kui  Kukicha  Sencha Australian Blackjack Vintage Cheddar  Big Red Robe (Da Hong Pao) Blue-Veined such as Bleu and Gorgonzola  Teas that are sweet, nutty, flavored with fruits, almonds, spices like ginger Brie  Darjeeling  Ha Giang  Lung Ching / Longjing / Dragonwell  Namring First Flush Darjeeling  Tung Ting Oolong Brindisi Fontina  Assam Buffalo Mozzarella  White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan) Camembert  Chun Mee  First Flush Darjeeling  Gunpowder  Ha Giang  Lung Ching / Longjing / Dragonwell  Namring First Flush Darjeeling  Sikkim Carr Valley Mobay  Jasmine Green Tea  Jasmine Oolong Tea  Jasmine White Tea  White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan) Cheddar  Darjeeling  Tung Ting Oolong Comte Cheese  Ceylon tea Cream Cheese  Black (Fully Oxidized) Darjeeling  Cameroon  Ceylon  Darjeeling Délice de Bourgogne  First Flush Darjeeling Teas Edam  Autumnal Darjeeling  Buddha’s Finger Oolong  Ceylon Emmenthal (nutty, salty)  Lung Ching / Longjing / Dragonwell Explorateur  Castleton 1st Flush Darjeeling Fontina  Lapsang Souchong French Roquefort  Classic Earl Grey Goat Cheese: Chevre, Feta, etc.  Golden Bi Luo Yunnan Tea  Sencha  Jasmine Green Tea  Jasmine Oolong Tea  Jasmine White Tea  White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan) Goat Cheese: Wasik’s Equinox  Assam  Lapsang Souchong Goat Cheese: Dutch  Tieguanyin / Tikwanyin/ Iron Goddess Goat cheese with honey  White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan)

Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses presented by JAS-eTea © 2015 JAS-eTea. All rights reserved. Cheeses Teas Gorgonzola  Assam  Ceylon  Chun Mee  Ha Giang  Lapsang Souchong  Pouchong Gruyère  Ripened Pu-erh Gruyère – 2-yr  Lung Ching / Longjing / Dragonwell Hooks 3-Year Cheddar  Jasmine Green Tea  Jasmine Oolong Tea  Jasmine White Tea  White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan) Hooks Blue Cheese  Jasmine Green Tea  Jasmine Oolong Tea  Jasmine White Tea  White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan) Intense  A smoky tea Irish Whiskey Cheddar  Lapsang Souchong Le Riopelle de L’Isle  Black (Fully Oxidized) Darjeeling Le Silo  Black (Fully Oxidized) Darjeeling Lost Lake Cheese  Black (Fully Oxidized) Darjeeling  Gyokuro Manchego  Milk Oolong  Sencha Marieke Gouda  Golden Bi Luo Yunnan Tea  Jasmine Green Tea  Jasmine Oolong Tea  Jasmine White Tea  White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan) McCadam New York Extra-Sharp Cheddar  Keemun Hao Ya A Mn. Harvest Goat Cheese  Namring First Flush Darjeeling Monte Enebro  Tieguanyin / Tikwanyin/ Iron Goddess Muenster  Pouchong  Tung Ting Oolong Nutty  Black teas – Nutty, astringent  Earthy, bold teas Premium Smooth Cheddar  Keemun Hao Ya Provolone  Ceylon  Nilgiri Salty  A sweet tea  Slightly sweeter, floral or fruity teas Sarvecchio  Jasmine Green Tea  Jasmine Oolong Tea  Jasmine White Tea  White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan) Soft, Creamy  Green tea – Mild Soft, Fresh  Green tea – Various Soft, Mild, Creamy  Black teas – Astringent Stilton Blue Cheese  Lapsang Souchong  Lychee Congou Triple Cream Brie  Mao Feng Young Tips Green Tea Valdeon Spanish blue  Lapsang Souchong Walnut Cheese (nutty)  Lung Ching / Longjing / Dragonwell

Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses presented by JAS-eTea © 2015 JAS-eTea. All rights reserved. Tea and Cheese Short Chart About Us A handy short version of the tea and cheese pairings detailed in the pre- ceding pages. Please feel free to print this chart and keep it with you JAS-eTea.com is your friendly online when you are at the “fromagerie” (cheese shop). tea store. We share our love of teas Teas Cheeses with you and appreciate your business, A smoky tea Intense tasting cheeses wishing you all good health. We offer: A sweet tea Salty cheeses Assam Brindisi Fontina, Wasik’s Equinox Goat Cheese,  over 300 premium teas from China, Gorgonzola Taiwan, India, Thailand, and more Autumnal Darjeeling Edam Big Red Robe (Da Hong Pao) Austral. Blackjack Vintage Cheddar  quality teawares and books Black Darjeeling Cream Cheese, Le Riopelle de L’Isle, Le Silo, Lost Lake  loose leaf & sachet flavored teas Black teas – Astringent Soft/mild creamy  herbal teas and decaffeinated teas Black teas – Nutty, astringent Nutty  chais (spiced tea in the style from Buddha’s Finger Oolong Edam Cameroon Cream cheese India) Castleton 1st Flush Darjeeling Explorateur Ceylon Cream cheese, Edam, Gorgonzola, Provolone, Our Mission Comte Cheese To promote the knowledge and aware- Chun Mee Camembert, Gorgonzola Classic Earl Grey French Roquefort ness of fine teas and meet your expec- Darjeeling Brie, Cheddar, Cream cheese tations of what an exceptional tea ven- Earthy, bold teas Nutty dor should be. First Flush Darjeeling Camembert, Délice de Bourgogne Golden Bi Luo Yunnan Goat Cheese, Marieke Gouda Green tea – Mild Soft, creamy Our Goals Green tea – Various Soft/Fresh 1. Provide the best service Gunpowder Camembert available. Service is paramount in Gyokuro Lost Lake Cheese any business endeavor. If you ever Ha Giang Brie, Camembert, Gorgonzola have a concern, please let us know Hou Kui Asiago Pressata Jasmine Green Tea, Oolong Carr Valley Mobay, Goat Cheese, Hooks 3-yr Cheddar, so we can improve. Tea, White Tea Hooks Blue Cheese, Marieke Gouda, Sarvecchio 2. Be your tea source of first re- Keemun Asiago cheeses sort. When you think of tea, we Keemun Hao Ya Premium Smooth Cheddar want you to think of JAS-eTea! Keemun Hao Ya A McCadam New York Extra-Sharp Cheddar 3. Keep improving our selection Kukicha Asiago Pressata Lapsang Souchong Fontina, Gorgonzola, Irish Whiskey Ched-dar, of products. If we don't have the tea Stilton Blue Cheese, Valdeon Spanish Blue, you are looking for, let us know. Wasik’s Equinox Goat Cheese We will do our best to acquire that Lung Ching / Longjing / Brie, Camembert, Emmenthal, Gruyère – 2-yr, tea for you. Dragonwell Walnut Cheese Lychee Congou Stilton Blue Cheese Mao Feng Young Tips Green Triple Cream Brie Milk Oolong Manchego Namring 1st Flush Darjeeling Brie, Camembert, Mtn Harvest Goat Cheese Brought to you by: Nilgiri Provolone Pouchong Gorgonzola, Muenster Ripened Pu-erh Gruyère Russian Caravan Agropur Signature Oka Cheese Sencha Asiago Pressata, Goat Cheese, Manchego Sikkim Camembert www.JAS-eTea.com Slightly sweeter, floral, fruity Salty Teas that are sweet, nutty, Blue-Veined such as Bleu and Gorgonzola [email protected] with fruits, almonds, ginger Tieguanyin / Tikwanyin/ Goat Cheese, Monte Enebro Purveyors of Fine Teas Iron Goddess Tung Ting Oolong Brie, Cheddar, Muenster White Peony Asiago cheeses, Buffalo Mozzarella, Carr Valley Layout, text, design, and some images (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan) Mobay, Goat cheese/honey, Goat Cheese, Hooks by A.C. Cargill for JAS-eTea.com. 3-yr Cheddar, Hooks Blue Cheese, Marieke Gouda, All content ©JAS-eTea.com. Sarvecchio