Saturday I attended a tea and cheese pairing given by Steven Smith (in the plaid shirt) of Steven SmithTeamaker and Steve from the Cheese Bar (www.CHEESE-BAR.com).
Fascinating because I had never thought about pairing tea and cheese,
but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
We tasted 5 different teas paired with 5 different cheese.
#1 A cold White Petal tea with osmanthus, chamomile, apple, and pear,
paired with a goat gouda, handmade by a company in Paso Robles, California.
#2 Lord Bergomot, which is the #1 selling tea from Steven Smith Teamaker,
paired with English Montgomary Cheddar.
Montgomary, England is where cheddar was born and very different
than the yellow cheddar we are familiar with in the U.S.
#3 Red Nectar (herbal), a fully fermented in the sun rooibos with honeybush and a touch of peach skin,
paired with Gruyere de Saveur, a French creamy cheese.
#4 Big Hibiscus (herbal), hibiscus with Indian sarsaparilla, ginger, pink rose petals, and
elderflowers from Europe, paired with an aged cow's milk gouda from Holland.
#5 Brahmin, a black tea blend of Assam, Ceylon Dimbulla, and a touch of China Keemun (similar to an
English Breakfast, paired with a Spanish cheese (I believe it was Larunga Gores, but may not
be accurate).
Normally I am not an herbal tea lover, so it was a surprise to taste the herbals which I felt in
both cases brought out the creaminess of the cheese they were each paired with.
It was a fun time of sipping and tasting.
Do you ever think about pairing foods or sweets with drinks?
I have heard of pairing wine and have had chocolate paired with tea,
but this was a first for me.
A very pleasant event shared with a friend.
Isn't it fun to do something out of the ordinary?
Fascinating because I had never thought about pairing tea and cheese,
but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
We tasted 5 different teas paired with 5 different cheese.
#1 A cold White Petal tea with osmanthus, chamomile, apple, and pear,
paired with a goat gouda, handmade by a company in Paso Robles, California.
#2 Lord Bergomot, which is the #1 selling tea from Steven Smith Teamaker,
paired with English Montgomary Cheddar.
Montgomary, England is where cheddar was born and very different
than the yellow cheddar we are familiar with in the U.S.
#3 Red Nectar (herbal), a fully fermented in the sun rooibos with honeybush and a touch of peach skin,
paired with Gruyere de Saveur, a French creamy cheese.
#4 Big Hibiscus (herbal), hibiscus with Indian sarsaparilla, ginger, pink rose petals, and
elderflowers from Europe, paired with an aged cow's milk gouda from Holland.
#5 Brahmin, a black tea blend of Assam, Ceylon Dimbulla, and a touch of China Keemun (similar to an
English Breakfast, paired with a Spanish cheese (I believe it was Larunga Gores, but may not
be accurate).
Normally I am not an herbal tea lover, so it was a surprise to taste the herbals which I felt in
both cases brought out the creaminess of the cheese they were each paired with.
It was a fun time of sipping and tasting.
Do you ever think about pairing foods or sweets with drinks?
I have heard of pairing wine and have had chocolate paired with tea,
but this was a first for me.
A very pleasant event shared with a friend.
Isn't it fun to do something out of the ordinary?
This is very interesting. I never thought of pairing tea and cheese, either, but I think it's worth a try! Thank you for sharing your experience - you expanded my 'horizons' a bit more.
ReplyDelete~Adrienne~
GREAT review!
ReplyDeleteOh, lucky you!!! I have *heard* of pairing tea and cheese but have never actually tried it. I've done a chocolate and tea pairing/tasting before, but I think the cheese one would actually be more interesting. Sounds awesome!
ReplyDeleteThis is a brilliant concept. When I think of how I love tea with cheese and crackers or a grilled cheese sandwich - Yes! This would be a fun event.
ReplyDeleteThis looks delightful and delicious! A few years ago, I was lucky enough to attend a tea and cheese pairing hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Tea Business Association and coordinated by Mim Enck of East Indies Tea Co. It was quite memorable.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the details, Marilyn. I would love to be able to attend something like this and reading your review was almost like being there.
ReplyDeletemartha
Oh, my. I have so much to catch up on. SO MUCH!! I got home, had my project week and school started. I am just now visiting friends. Boy golly! HOw I've missed you.
ReplyDeleteI suppose I'm very traditional in my approach to cheese and therefore I wouldn't have thought of combining a tasting with varieties of tea. However,such a guided session looks like fun!
ReplyDeleteI never thought of that either, but it sounds terrific!
ReplyDeleteInteresting...I would have never thought to pair the two. It is always fun to explore something new.
ReplyDeleteAn unexpected and very surprising idea. Next stop now is the cheese website.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't normally pair cheese and tea, but why not? Is there ever a wrong time for tea, after all??!! :)
ReplyDeleteHow very interesting. I'm making a copy of this and will be trying pairing some of my teas with cheese - as I love both it will be a challenge I'll enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the idea Marilyn. Are you trying them out on J?
Mary