Serving tea with food

Refine dishes with tea

The world of Japanese tea offers a variety of different types, each with very different flavors. Therefore, you can find a Japanese tea that goes particularly well with every dish. In many fine dining restaurants, a different tea is served with each course, which can be either warm or cold. The cold Mizudashi iced teas contain more sweet and fruity notes compared to the warm teas, are also milder and more subtle and have a refreshing, clear and soft flavor profile. Warm teas contain more bitter substances, which can be an advantage with sweet dishes, have a little more depth and also offer a warming feeling.

Food Pairings with Tea

It is up to you to decide which preparation method best suits the dish, the weather or your mood. In any case, you can enhance or balance the taste of any dish with a suitable tea, making every meal an experience. A clever way to impress guests or a date with flavor combinations that have never been seen before.

The most popular types of tea

Sencha:

Perfect for fresh and light dishes such as salads, sushi, sashimi or vegetables. The fresh, grassy and slightly tart flavor profile complements well with lighter, not too overwhelming flavors.

Genmaicha:

It is particularly suitable for fried and savory dishes as it has an intense nutty, warm, roasted aroma, thanks to the roasted rice grains and therefore also works well in fatty and savory dishes and provides a harmonious addition.

Bancha:

Ideal for everyday cooking or, due to its lower caffeine content, for dinner. For example, in combination with rice or pasta dishes. Its warm, slightly woody or sometimes earthy taste profile goes well with simpler dishes.

Matcha:

Matcha is traditionally drunk with Japanese sweets called wagashi, but it goes well with any sweet dish as the bitter notes provide a good balance to the sweetness. It is also very good after a meal, after which many people drink espresso, as it also has a lower amount of liquid when prepared traditionally.

Exquisite Pairings

shadowed Gyokuro:

The highest quality green tea goes best with umami-rich foods such as seafood or sashimi, but can also be a delicate addition to sweet dishes such as vanilla ice cream or certain cakes or pastries.

roasted Hojicha:

It is often eaten with grilled and roasted dishes or snacks and is also suitable for dinner due to its lower caffeine content. Its smoky, slightly caramelized aroma goes well with roasted flavors or chocolatey desserts.

Fukamushicha:

Ideal for flavourful and spicy dishes such as soups or stews or as a balance to very sweet dishes.

Its very intense aromas, due to the long steaming process, go very well with food with a very dominant taste.

Koucha:

The Japanese black tea is ideal for hearty breakfasts, afternoon snacks and sweet and savory baked goods. Its strong and sometimes malty, subtly sweet and fruity aroma perfectly complements savory dishes or creates an appealing contrast to sweet treats.

Even more types of tea

Kabusecha:

Perfect for delicate dishes, light fish dishes or seafood. Unlike Gyokuro, it is a semi-shaded tea, so its taste is between Sencha and Gyokuro, so it has more umami than Sencha, but still has a lot of Sencha character.

Tamaryokucha:

It is very versatile and goes well with both light and spicier dishes, as it offers a combination of bitterness and sweetness and sometimes also a subtle sea note.

Kukicha:

Can be drunk with light meals, salads and pasta dishes. Its fresh, mild & slightly nutty aroma goes well with simple and fresh dishes.

Shincha:

Goes well with vegetables or light fish dishes. The first tea of ​​the season has a particularly fresh and slightly sweet taste profile that goes well with spring-like and light dishes.