A beginner’s guide to understanding tea and food pairing from a Dubai-based tea expert
Dubai: There is more to tea than brewing it right. For example, sweet or savoury snacks pair well with milk-based teas, but they might not taste the same with black, green or matcha tea.
Every tea has a different flavour note, and pairing it with the right food matters.
Gulf News Food team met with Yvette Arizala, a Dubai-based tea practitioner, recipe developer, and a special member of Japan’s World Green Tea Association to understand how different tea flavours impact food pairing and vice-versa.
Understanding teas and flavour notes
If you crave for toast with black tea on certain days or milk tea with fried savoury dishes, then that is where food and tea pairing begins. Arizala said: “Food and tea pairing is more intuitive than a science. The tea and food pairing aims to find compatible flavours with teas and food. For example, pair tannic teas with acidic or bitter foods, subtle food with subtle teas, silky buttery teas with creamy foods. Another way is to contrast or balance out the flavours. For example, use tannic teas like robust black teas with rich, hearty foods; smoky teas with intense food.”