Mad Hatter:     “Would you like a little more tea“?

Alice:     “Well I haven’t had any yet, so I can’t very well take more”.

March Hare:     “Ah, you mean you can’t very well take less”.

Mad Hatter:     “Yes. You can always take more than nothing”.

…Alas…the famous tea party from ‘Alice in Wonderland’! Reading it again can make one a bit dizzy in the attempt to follow the story-line and the banter of the beloved characters. Confusing to say the least. For many, the same can be said when it comes to tea types… not to mention pairing them with cheese.

Pairing tea with cheese isn’t as popular as matching with wine, but it is a coupling that is definitely on the rise. Surprisingly, tea and cheese work together beautifully! When one actually thinks about it, both wine and tea follow a common thread – age, astringency, tannin, and sweetness.

As a bonus, cheese and tea pairings may not only enhance both players, but the marriage can bring out a new “third flavor” that wasn’t present before. An example of this would be the haunting note of roasted chestnuts that lingers long after sipping Darjeeling with Comte; or a floral note that pops when the right Oolong meets an aged Gouda.

For starters, let some of the classic and suggested pairings act as your place to begin:

WHITE TEA:  White peony tea harmonizes incredibly well with the delicate and light ‘fresh’ cheeses. Think burrata, mozzarella, and especially ricotta di bufala. The smooth ricotta brings out a charming sweet and floral notes in the tea.

GREEN TEA:    Green tea also takes well to fresh cheeses but a delightful and unexpected result happens when it meets a clothbound cheddar, such as Keen’s or Avonlea. Here the grassy notes in both play together to create a new and exciting vegetal nuance.

BLACK TEA:    These teas are especially fun as the spectrum works with a variety of cheeses. Darjeeling dances on the palate with an oozy triple cream but goes equally well with Blue Moo, a less assertive creamy blue. Heavenly harmony!

As always, enjoy the challenge … and remember that there is no definitive ‘right and wrong’. The unexpected pairings can often make the most lasting and memorable impressions…

“Yes, that’s it! It’s always tea time” – Mad Hatter, ‘Alice in Wonderland’