JAS-eTea.com's Guide to Tea and Cheeses

Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses

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Get Your Cheese on at Tea Time!

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 upswing, 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 Fine Teas and Cheeses

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Contents

Pairing Basics

By Tea Type     

White Teas Green Teas Oolong Teas Darjeeling Teas Black Teas

By Cheese Tea and Cheese Short Chart About Us

Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses

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Pairing Basics 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.

Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses

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White Teas 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, Paimutan) 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.

Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses

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Green Teas Hou Kui, Kukicha, or Sencha …with Asiago Pressata A very mild cheese to go with green teas with a low amount of tannins.

Sencha with Manchego A delicate green tea that mellows out the sharpness of this hard cheese.

Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses

About Manchego Cheese A cheese from Spain, made from the milk of Manchega sheep. They graze on the La Mancha plains (and there is no one tilting at windmills there, just quietly tending their flocks and making delicious cheese. This cheese originated when Iberian 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! presented by JAS-eTea

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Mao Feng (Fur Peak) Young Tips Green Tea … 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.

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Lung Ching / Longjing / Dragonwell …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 Gruyères, Switzerland. Creamy and nutty when young, earthy and complex when aged.

Not an actual cheese. More of a cheese recipe, based on a variety of cheeses, but cream cheese is best here.

A Swiss cheese known for its grand size and handmade quality, using pure cow's milk and a maturation period of at least four months.

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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), higher caffeine content and chlorophyll, and is regarded as the highest grade of tea made in Japan. The tea is only produced in Uji located southeast of Kyoto.

The first flush (period of growth) needs shade for 3 to 4 weeks to reduce build-up of tannins (catechins) in the leaves and increase amino acid theanin production, making it sweeter and milder than tea leaves that are 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.

Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses

         

Made from pasteurized sheep's milk Country of origin: Canada Region: Prince Edward County, Ontario Type: fresh firm, artisan, soft-ripened Texture: creamy, semi firm, and soft Rind: mold ripened Color: white Flavor: creamy, mushroomy Aroma: rich, yeasty Producers: Fifth Town Artisan Cheese

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Jasmine Green Tea (or Even White or Oolong) …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 consumed 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

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Oolong Teas Tie Guan Yin (Ti Kwan Yin, Iron Goddess) Tie Guan Yin Grade 6A

…with either of these:  

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.

Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses

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Milk Oolong …with Manchego (Aged) Cheese The tea’s smooth, slightly floral notes contrast with the cheese’s deep, rich pepper quality.

TIP: Beware of fake milk oolongs that have had a milk like substance added to the leaves during or after processing. True milk oolong has no milk in it, just a wonderful 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 makeup 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.

Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses

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Big Red Robe (Da Hong Pao) The tea, a highly oxidized Wuyi Rock oolong with a flavor that is earthy, rich, malty, and mildly charcoal, goes well with the full flavored vintage cheddar, producing a ‘coconut’ flavor that the tea does not have by itself.

…with Australian Blackjack Vintage Cheddar Black Jack is matured until it develops the Old English style vintage flavors. The taste is very sharp and salty on the palate, ideal for die-hard cheddar fans and with a cup of this fine tea.

The Legend of Big Red Robe There are actually four legends: 1.

2.

3.

4.

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.

The trees this tea is made from grew in a challenging location, so monkeys dressed in red robes were sent to pick the leaves.

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.

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!

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Darjeeling Teas First Flush Darjeeling Teas What is a First Flush tea?

You have a number of fine choices. There are about 87 gardens officially designated as “Darjeeling” and able to put the seal shown below right on their teas. First Flush Darjeelings can often be in high demand and short supply. We recommend pre-ordering.

A flush is a time of growth and then harvest. The first flush is the growth after Winter dormancy. Tea 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 consider 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% minimum), leaving a subtle, delicate balance of soft flavor on the palate.

Established by the European Commission, on behalf of the Tea Board of India, the Darjeeling Tea Association, and all of the tea growers in Darjeeling, India, to assure customers that the tea is truly from one or more of the Darjeeling gardens. See more info on our store site.

Also pairs with Brie cheeses.

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Namring First Flush Darjeeling …with Brie, Camembert, and Mountain Harvest Goat Cheese The tea’s bright and astringent notes balance the richness and fat content of these mild and buttery flavored soft cheeses. For the brie, try including the 'flurry' (the waxy rind); it helps bring out the cheese’s flavor.

About Namring Tea Estate The tea estate is located at an elevation of over 1,000 meters and about an hour’s drive from the town of Darjeeling in West Bengal, India.

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:     

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

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Castleton Estate First Flush Darjeeling …with Explorateur

About Castleton Tea Estate

The citrus undertones of this tea are particularly beneficial, with an astringency that helps to cleanse the tongue and prevent the richness of this triple-cream cheese from dulling the palate.

Originally planted in 1885 by Dr. Charles Graham and named Kumseri, this gem among the tea estates of Darjeeling produces some of the finest teas. It is a popular stop for tea tourists.

About Explorateur The creamiest and most luxurious of the French cheeses. Made in the Isle de France region. When ripe, Explorateur’s interior is ivory-colored with a delicate aroma, a salty, mushroomy tang, and a delicate piquant flavor reminiscent of buttery baked hazelnuts. It is often served as an appetizer with crusty French bread or as a dessert with ripe, fresh fruit.

The estate is at an elevation of 980 to 2,300 meters. About 173 hectares are planted with China bushes.

All of their teas are processed orthodox style in their spotlessly clean factory. The tables for spreading out the leaves for withering are gleaming white, and great care is taken during processing to assure best and healthiest teas. They produce about 40,000 kgs of tea per year.

These teas have a golden amber color, rose-like fragrance, and are prized for their unique Muscatel quailties, comparable to sweet summer wines with intense fragrant musk top notes. They are created from select 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.

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Black (Fully Oxidized) Darjeeling …with Le Riopelle de L’Isle, Fromagerie de l'Île-aux-Grues The tea has floral, tannic, and aromatic quailties 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 mid1800s, 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 tempered by the rather bland and slightly tangy flavor of the cream cheese.

Floral notes of the tea blend with those of the goat cheese (with a briny yeasty rind from Fifth Town 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.

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Black Teas 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.

It rounds out the cheddar’s sweet, sharp tang. The tea’s melting warmth is particularly enjoyable with this smooth, dense cheese.

China is divided into Provinces, which are subdivided, often into what are called “counties.”

Qimen County is in Anhui Province. (“Keemun” is the British spelling for “Qimen”.) The county is under the jurisdiction of Huangshan 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.

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Keemun Hao Ya A …with McCadam New York ExtraSharp 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

Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses

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.

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Lapsang Souchong Lapsang Souchong Facts  

 

This is claimed by some to be the first black tea made in the world, with the best ones coming from the hills in north Fujian province, China.

It is made of large leaves and has an enticing smoky aroma and flavor acquired by drying those leaves over pine wood fires.





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 “souchong” means 4th & 5th leaves – further from bud leaf sets – coarser, less aromatic than those closer to the bud leaves roasted in a bamboo basket (honglong, 烘笼) over burning pine wood, which contains the characteristic resin aroma & taste

History of Lapsang Souchong Tea In the early 17th century Chinese tea producers began exporting teas to Europe and America. Traditional green teas quickly lost quality during the 15-18 month journey across land and sea. So, the producers began rolling, oxidizing, 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 imported it on a large scale, at the encouragement, supposedly, of Princess Catherine (a Portuguese 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-meup. The tea was known as the Royal Black Tea in England.

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…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, minimizing 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, Leicestershire, 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 Produttori Latte e Fontina'' in the Aosta valley of the Italian Alps. An excellent 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 crumbled, 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.

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Russian Caravan 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, Manitoba, Canada. A pungent aroma and soft creamy flavor, sometimes described as nutty and fruity.

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

Types: Regular – made from raw and/or pasteurized cow's milk. A pressed, semi-soft cheese, surface ripened for 35 days.  Classic – ripened for about 65 days in refrigerated aging cellars. The A samovar, developed in the 17th cenrounds are laid on cypress slats and are periodically turned and hand tury, is an urn holding hot water and a washed in a weak brine solution. teapot with strong tea on top. Some  Light – similar to Regular, but with a lower percentage of fat. even have two teapots (one for tea A, the other for tea B). Modern samovars  Providence – a much more creamy and soft texture then either Classic or Regular. have electric water heating elements.

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 (podstakanniks), 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.

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Assam 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 the tea.

These strong, musky flavored cheeses are a perfect complement 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.

Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses

See info here in this document.

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Classic Earl Grey Today, flavored teas are a sizable portion of the tea market, with one of the most popular being Earl Grey. This tea is the best known and has the longest history (first made in 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 gift of bergamot tea from a Chinese mandarin or an Indian raja for his role in saving their son’s life. The Twinings company is supposed to have come to the rescue when his supply ran low and he asked them to make more.

Versions of Earl Grey using green, white, and oolong teas as their base are now more common. One variation includes additional citrus flavors. Others include rose petals, milk, and vanilla syrup.

Bergamot – the citrus used in Earl Grey tea.

Bergamot has antiseptic, germicidal and calming properties. It’s used in sweet and in savory recipes.

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.

Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses

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Golden Bi Luo Yunnan Tea Creamy flavor with sweet, malty notes of vanilla

Golden Bi Luo (Hong Bi Luo, Twisted 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 Province

See info here in this document.

This province is in the southwest corner of China. The elevation ranges 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 rainfall of 1,000-2,000 millimeters, and a temperature range of 12-23° Celsius. This is ideal for the tea trees. Most of the 200+ species are known 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.

…with Marieke Gouda A bit of fresh cracked pepper on the cheese brings out really nice spicy, malty notes in the Golden Yunnan.

“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.

Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses

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© 2015 JAS-eTea. All rights reserved.

Ripened Pu-erh 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 separate 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 unoxidized 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 freeradical oxidation.

A technique called “wet piling” ensures even fermentation. The leaves are piled, dampened, 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.

Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses

presented by JAS-eTea

© 2015 JAS-eTea. All rights reserved.

Pairings by the Cheese Type Cheeses Agropur Signature Oka Cheese Asiago cheeses Asiago Pressata Australian Blackjack Vintage Cheddar Blue-Veined such as Bleu and Gorgonzola Brie

Brindisi Fontina Buffalo Mozzarella Camembert

Carr Valley Mobay

Cheddar Comte Cheese Cream Cheese

Délice de Bourgogne Edam Emmenthal (nutty, salty) Explorateur Fontina French Roquefort Goat Cheese: Chevre, Feta, etc.

Goat Cheese: Wasik’s Equinox Goat Cheese: Dutch Goat cheese with honey Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses

Teas  Russian Caravan  Keemun  White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan)  Hou Kui  Kukicha  Sencha  Big Red Robe (Da Hong Pao)  Teas that are sweet, nutty, flavored with fruits, almonds, spices like ginger  Darjeeling  Ha Giang  Lung Ching / Longjing / Dragonwell  Namring First Flush Darjeeling  Tung Ting Oolong  Assam  White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan)  Chun Mee  First Flush Darjeeling  Gunpowder  Ha Giang  Lung Ching / Longjing / Dragonwell  Namring First Flush Darjeeling  Sikkim  Jasmine Green Tea  Jasmine Oolong Tea  Jasmine White Tea  White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan)  Darjeeling  Tung Ting Oolong  Ceylon tea  Black (Fully Oxidized) Darjeeling  Cameroon  Ceylon  Darjeeling  First Flush Darjeeling Teas  Autumnal Darjeeling  Buddha’s Finger Oolong  Ceylon  Lung Ching / Longjing / Dragonwell  Castleton 1st Flush Darjeeling  Lapsang Souchong  Classic Earl Grey  Golden Bi Luo Yunnan Tea  Sencha  Jasmine Green Tea  Jasmine Oolong Tea  Jasmine White Tea  White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan)  Assam  Lapsang Souchong  Tieguanyin / Tikwanyin/ Iron Goddess  White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan) presented by JAS-eTea

© 2015 JAS-eTea. All rights reserved.

Cheeses Gorgonzola

Gruyère Gruyère – 2-yr Hooks 3-Year Cheddar

Hooks Blue Cheese

Intense Irish Whiskey Cheddar Le Riopelle de L’Isle Le Silo Lost Lake Cheese Manchego Marieke Gouda

McCadam New York Extra-Sharp Cheddar Mn. Harvest Goat Cheese Monte Enebro Muenster Nutty Premium Smooth Cheddar Provolone Salty Sarvecchio

Soft, Creamy Soft, Fresh Soft, Mild, Creamy Stilton Blue Cheese Triple Cream Brie Valdeon Spanish blue Walnut Cheese (nutty)

Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses

Teas  Assam  Ceylon  Chun Mee  Ha Giang  Lapsang Souchong  Pouchong  Ripened Pu-erh  Lung Ching / Longjing / Dragonwell  Jasmine Green Tea  Jasmine Oolong Tea  Jasmine White Tea  White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan)  Jasmine Green Tea  Jasmine Oolong Tea  Jasmine White Tea  White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan)  A smoky tea  Lapsang Souchong  Black (Fully Oxidized) Darjeeling  Black (Fully Oxidized) Darjeeling  Black (Fully Oxidized) Darjeeling  Gyokuro  Milk Oolong  Sencha  Golden Bi Luo Yunnan Tea  Jasmine Green Tea  Jasmine Oolong Tea  Jasmine White Tea  White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan)  Keemun Hao Ya A  Namring First Flush Darjeeling  Tieguanyin / Tikwanyin/ Iron Goddess  Pouchong  Tung Ting Oolong  Black teas – Nutty, astringent  Earthy, bold teas  Keemun Hao Ya  Ceylon  Nilgiri  A sweet tea  Slightly sweeter, floral or fruity teas  Jasmine Green Tea  Jasmine Oolong Tea  Jasmine White Tea  White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan)  Green tea – Mild  Green tea – Various  Black teas – Astringent  Lapsang Souchong  Lychee Congou  Mao Feng Young Tips Green Tea  Lapsang Souchong  Lung Ching / Longjing / Dragonwell

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© 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 preceding 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 with you and appreciate your business, Teas Cheeses wishing you all good health. We offer: A smoky tea Intense tasting cheeses A sweet tea Assam Autumnal Darjeeling Big Red Robe (Da Hong Pao) Black Darjeeling Black teas – Astringent Black teas – Nutty, astringent Buddha’s Finger Oolong Cameroon Castleton 1st Flush Darjeeling Ceylon Chun Mee Classic Earl Grey Darjeeling Earthy, bold teas First Flush Darjeeling Golden Bi Luo Yunnan Green tea – Mild Green tea – Various Gunpowder Gyokuro Ha Giang Hou Kui Jasmine Green Tea, Oolong Tea, White Tea Keemun Keemun Hao Ya Keemun Hao Ya A Kukicha Lapsang Souchong Lung Ching / Longjing / Dragonwell Lychee Congou Mao Feng Young Tips Green Milk Oolong Namring 1st Flush Darjeeling Nilgiri Pouchong Ripened Pu-erh Russian Caravan Sencha Sikkim Slightly sweeter, floral, fruity Teas that are sweet, nutty, with fruits, almonds, ginger Tieguanyin / Tikwanyin/ Iron Goddess Tung Ting Oolong White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Baimudan)

Salty cheeses Brindisi Fontina, Wasik’s Equinox Goat Cheese, Gorgonzola Edam Austral. Blackjack Vintage Cheddar Cream Cheese, Le Riopelle de L’Isle, Le Silo, Lost Lake Soft/mild creamy Nutty Edam Cream cheese Explorateur Cream cheese, Edam, Gorgonzola, Provolone, Comte Cheese Camembert, Gorgonzola French Roquefort Brie, Cheddar, Cream cheese Nutty Camembert, Délice de Bourgogne Goat Cheese, Marieke Gouda Soft, creamy Soft/Fresh Camembert Lost Lake Cheese Brie, Camembert, Gorgonzola Asiago Pressata Carr Valley Mobay, Goat Cheese, Hooks 3-yr Cheddar, Hooks Blue Cheese, Marieke Gouda, Sarvecchio Asiago cheeses Premium Smooth Cheddar McCadam New York Extra-Sharp Cheddar Asiago Pressata Fontina, Gorgonzola, Irish Whiskey Ched-dar, Stilton Blue Cheese, Valdeon Spanish Blue, Wasik’s Equinox Goat Cheese Brie, Camembert, Emmenthal, Gruyère – 2-yr, Walnut Cheese Stilton Blue Cheese Triple Cream Brie Manchego Brie, Camembert, Mtn Harvest Goat Cheese Provolone Gorgonzola, Muenster Gruyère Agropur Signature Oka Cheese Asiago Pressata, Goat Cheese, Manchego Camembert Salty Blue-Veined such as Bleu and Gorgonzola Goat Cheese, Monte Enebro Brie, Cheddar, Muenster Asiago cheeses, Buffalo Mozzarella, Carr Valley Mobay, Goat cheese/honey, Goat Cheese, Hooks 3-yr Cheddar, Hooks Blue Cheese, Marieke Gouda, Sarvecchio

Pairing Fine Teas and Cheeses

presented by JAS-eTea

 over 300 premium teas from China, Taiwan, India, Thailand, and more  quality teawares and books  loose leaf & sachet flavored teas  herbal teas and decaffeinated teas  chais (spiced tea in the style from India)

Our Mission To promote the knowledge and awareness of fine teas and meet your expectations of what an exceptional tea vendor should be.

Our Goals 1.

Provide the best service available. Service is paramount in any business endeavor. If you ever have a concern, please let us know so we can improve.

2. Be your tea source of first resort. When you think of tea, we want you to think of JAS-eTea! 3. Keep improving our selection of products. If we don't have the tea you are looking for, let us know.

We will do our best to acquire that tea for you.

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www.JAS-eTea.com sales@jas-etea.com Purveyors of Fine Teas Layout, text, design, and some images

by A.C. Cargill for JAS-eTea.com.

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© 2015 JAS-eTea. All rights reserved.