Tea Pairings

The power was out at the shopping centre and they could not cash up her purchases, so she had to wait two hours until the council could fix the electrical fault, so it was already dark when she got back to the plot.

She had a piece of the pie she had got at the bakery and put on the kettle for some tea. The Jasmine tea was out of the question and even the Ceylon tea didn't appeal to her. 'If I had coffee I would drink that, I swear,' she murmured. 'I'm going to have that dragon tea. I don't care about that daytime only mumbo jumbo,' she said.

Surprisingly, the strong tea seemed to calm her, and she fell into a deep sleep on the veranda, waking sometime in the early morning to stumble off to bed.

Two days later she was in the town collecting mail from her agent at the post office, when she again met Rita. 'You're looking a bit happier, Rita,' Beth said. 'Well, I know it's nasty of me, but I'm glad Dan Hamilton had that fire,' Rita replied. 'What fire?' Beth asked.

'Oh, of course, you don't stay in town. Two nights ago, one of his cornfields burnt down and part of one of his barns burnt too. The one where he kept the dogs; and they all escaped too,' Rita replied. 'He tried to blame it on arson, but there was no evidence, so the sheriff wouldn't consider it. He deserves it for the way he treats those dogs.’

Beth let Rita babble on about some dance she was arranging in support of the Save the Rhino Federation and how it was going to be the occasion of the year. Sandy Jones and The Beer Bottle Band were going to be playing some of their biggest hits, she said. 'Who?' Beth asked.

'Don't tell me you haven't heard them! They are the most popular country music band in the country,' Rita said, amazed. 'Everyone knows them! You really should get out more often, you know.' 'I'm sure you're right,' Beth said. ‘I'll try to make it to the show. I have to go down to the post office now to collect some mail from my publisher, so I'll catch you later.’ 'You work too hard,' Rita said. 'You really should make time for the show.'

'I'll try my best,' Beth promised. 'I'm sure it will be a success with you assisting with the planning. Bye! See you later.' 'Bye, Rita replied.

Erica had enclosed a personal note, explaining some of the requested changes to the manuscript. 'The publisher is just a little quirky about some things,' she wrote. 'I don't think I've ever seen her make so few changes to a manuscript. She obviously liked your story.'

That night, relaxing with some wine and an omlette on the veranda, she decided that Rita was partly right — she did need to go out some more. 'I'll go own to that little steakhouse near the river. I haven't had a decent steak for some time and they seem to manage to get a decent oneman-band for background music all the time,’ she decided.

The changes to the manuscript took longer than she'd expected, so it was late afternoon before Beth left the house. 'Hmm, I'm starving,’ she said to herself. I was so busy with that manuscript that I forgot to eat. Well, now I can pig out with starters and dessert.' She laughed. 'After all, it's lunch and supper now.'

The restaurant was busy, as it always was, but she managed to find a table on the terrace, where she could watch the setting sun light up the river. The performer was a young Latino man playing a Spanish guitar. He was doing a very credible cover of an old Carlos Santana number, when she arrived.

She took the crumbed black mushrooms with cheese and garlic sauce as a starter. The cheese was real cheese melted over the mushrooms, with the creamy garlic sauce underneath. 'Superb!' she commented to the waiter.

The main course was a chargrilled sirloin steak with a red wine and pepper sauce. A baked potato with garlic butter, some onion rings and a small herb salad completed the repast.

To top it all, they had a South African wine promotion and she was able to get a cabernet sauvignon/merlot per glass. A rare treat as most of her friends preferred domestic sweet white wines, so she was usually stuck with whatever was available per glass. (A bottle was too much for one over dinner.)

Home made ice cream with a hazelnut chocolate sauce to top off the meal, and she was as pleased as a pussycat. She had to have some tea to round it off. More to allow the meal to settle than because she was thirsty.

There was a short line at the pay point, and she ended up standing behind two old ladies and a younger man who might have been a grandson of one of them.They acknowledged Beth with a nod and a motherly smile and then went back to their conversation.

'I'm telling you Ethel, the World is falling into the ways of the Devil,' the older lady said to the other. ‘My son Bert works on the farm next to that ugly man and he told me one of the men saw that man ... what's his name ...'

'Hamilton, Grandma,' the young man said.

Beth suddenly decided to take an interest in the conversation.

'Well, anyway,' the grandma said. 'His men found the missing dogs. Cornered them in the walls that's all that's left standing of Mrs. Pierce’s old farmhouse. Tied them by the necks and dragged them back to him. And what does "mister" do? Throws them in the remains of their cages in the barn an then sets it alight. Ain't that right Bobby?' she demanded of the young man.

'Yes Grandma,' the young man dutifully replied.

The rest of the conversation was lost, as the young man finished paying and they left the restaurant. Somehow, Beth managed to fumble some money out for the cashier. With a mechanical smile, she pocketed the change and left the restaurant.

All the way home, the unwanted images continued to torture her mind. 'Those poor dogs, trapped in the fire. What a cruel thing to do,' she thought. 'Just because they ran away from the house because of the fire'.

Without even thinking about it, she grabbed the Dragon tea, which was the closest, and brewed up a pot. She took this out to the veranda and sat sipping it automatically while the waxy full moon climbed into the sky.

She had almost finished the pot, when she realised that she was starting to feel rather strange. She was feeling light-headed and her skin seemed to be tingling all over her body. Then, all of a sudden, she was rushing up into the air. Her strong wings lifting her effortlessly into the sky. She looked back and there she was, sitting on the veranda. 'This can't be a dream,' she thought, 'everything feels so real'. A strange compulsion settled over her, and she flew up into the silver sky, heading west.

In minutes she arrived at Hamilton's farm. Somehow she knew it, although she had never been there before. She circled the house twice, roaring out a battle cry, then came to ground in the yard before the front door, just as it was flung open by Henderson. 'So it was you who burned my crops,' he shouted. 'I'll teach you to mind your own business!' With that he raised the shotgun to his shoulder and let fly with both barrels.

Dragon Beth did not even feel the wind of shot passing through the space where she was. She opened her mouth and a jet of flame picked Henderson up and flung him back through the farmhouse door. More and more flame she blew through the door, until all the windows blew out with jets of crimson fire. Then the fire pummeled the stones of the front wall, until they exploded into smoking shards. The house collapsed, abandoning itself to the dirt like some repentant sinner, until all that was left was the heat, chasing wind devils across the ruin.

With a graceful flap of leathery wings, Beth climbed into the sky, heading home.

Tea is the second most consumed drink in the world, surpassed only by water. So it should come as no surprise that tea has enjoyed a long and healthy relationship with cooking and beverage pairing.

Just as a specific wine can bring out subtle flavors in a prepared dish, a complementary tea can enhance both the enjoyment of the food as well as the tea itself. This practice has generated so much interest, it’s resulted in the creation of a new occupation—that of the tea sommelier.

Following are just a few rudimentary ‘tips’ to get you pairing with confidence. Use them only as a starting point, and enjoy moving beyond these boundaries to find the food/tea combinations that interest you most.

Black tea

This robust brew can stand up to the most powerful of food flavors, and it’s what we in the west are most accustomed to serving with ‘tea food,’ though tea food tends to be mild in flavor. Even so, black teas make great mates to spicy food. Black tea is generally used in iced tea or ‘sweet tea.’

As black teas come in a variety of blend categories, they have versatile applications.

TRADITIONAL blacks such as English Breakfast are rich and hearty and go well with custard dishes and puddings, tiramisu, and dark chocolate desserts. Darjeeling—long recognized as the ‘Champagne’ of teas— combines beautifully with cream-based desserts, custards, omelets.

FRUITY - Apricot/peach blends and black currant have long been staples at tearooms in the USA. These are delicious with sweet desserts.

EARTHY black teas work well with meat pies, gravies, potatoes, and vegetable casseroles.

SMOKY - These strong blends require foods that can stand up to them. Chocolate can hold its own when paired with the ‘nose’ of a smoky Keemum tea, as can many Mexican, Italian and Indian dishes. And Lapsang Souchong is a good foil for smoked salmon and citrus dishes

Oolong tea

A complex, often floral, tea that can stand alone as a culinary experience sans edible accompaniments, these teas range in body from those on the ‘black’ end of the spectrum to those on the ‘green’ end. The heartier oolongs work well with grilled meats, duck and salmon, while the lighter oolongs are better with subtle meats such as shellfish. The sweet, aromatic nature of oolongs makes them a good match for French pastries and breakfast dishes served with syrup. Stir-fry dishes pair well with oolongs in the green range.

Green tea

This tea, that many of us drink at our favorite sushi bar, goes well with chicken, seafood & fish (naturally), and rice. If a dish has the components found in a California roll, chances are it goes well with green tea. And floral teas (such as jasmine) are lovely with fruit salads and fruity desserts. Sandwiches and artisan breads bring out the sweetness of fruity greens. Salads are often served with green tea, but as they can be as complex as tea blends, they are best paired based on their ingredients. Chinese green is the tea most often touted for its health benefits.

White tea

This subtle, delicate tea can easily be overpowered by spicy or aromatic foods. As such, it is best paired with light and mild dishes such as vegetables (without sauces or heavy spices) or a refreshing cucumber salad or plain rice. If you like your tea sweetened, honey enhances the white tea experience without compromising the brew.

Rooibos

While not from the Camellia sinensis, this caffein-free alternative has been steadily gaining in popularity the last few years. When in doubt, apply the same pairing guidelines to Rooibos as you would to black teas. ‘Herbals’ For a good night’s sleep, an infusion or tisane is your best bet. These caffeine-free beverages made of herbs, dried fruits, flowers and spices are calming and health-giving. So what to do at times of multi-flavor, multicourse feasting such as Thanksgiving? Why, Pu-erh, of course!. It is a natural digestive that has an earthy character with a clean finish, and it gets along with Indian food, tomato-based Italian dishes, and heavy stir-frys.

All of the above comes from the opinion and palate of just one tea-drinker. To see what others suggest in the way of tea pairing, take a glance at the pairing charts included here.

Image from barkingside.com

Image from tea.flavourboulevard.com

This set of charts from OurHomeTea.com

from Carol Klink

What exactly is high tea?

A: That’s another great question not lending itself to a clear-cut answer. Traditionally, high tea referred to the meal taken by the laboring class at the end of a long and physically taxing work day. It was a hot and filling affair, served on sturdy crockery and usually comprised of a hunk of bread and some cheese, plus meat and vegetables or meat pies if the budget allowed.

While legend claims that the term ‘high tea’ indicates that the meal was taken at a high table such as a dining table, as opposed to a low table such as a coffee table—the latter being common for afternoon tea in hotels and homes—in truth, the term is employed in the same vein as the phrases ‘high noon’ or ‘it’s high time.’

The ‘fancy’ tea served with bone china and enjoyed by the leisure set (as attributed to Anna the 7th Duchess of Bedford) is correctly termed ‘afternoon tea.’ That’s the British meal served with dainty delicacies, crustless sandwiches, petite pastries, scones and the like.

Because of the confusion in terms, many international hotels serving tea have deferred to the masses and often now refer to their afternoon tea service as high tea, in the spirit of ‘if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.’ When I had my own tearoom, and as a means of marketing to the masses, I opted to serve a high tea that was really afternoon tea with the addition of a warm small warm entree such as a shepherd’s pie, vol au vent, pasty (English meat turnover) or quiche. Many tea rooms do the same with quiche.

Traditionally, afternoon tea was served around 4pm with dinner at 8 or 9pm, and high tea was served around 6pm when workers returned home from factories and mines. Today, tearooms generally offer their tea service during their regular meal hours, and hotels offer afternoon tea from 2-5pm.

Serving tea can be daunting. How hot should the water be? How long should you infuse the leaves? How do you keep sandwiches from drying out? And how on earth do you cut the crusts off without the final product looking a right mess?

All of these questions and oodles more are answered at Tea Camp, where hopeful hostesses along with would-be tearoom owners can learn the finer points of tea service, both at home and as a business.

Workshops are conducted both in person and online via interactive videochat, and are designed to meet the needs of: • Prospective tearoom owners • Existing proprietors • Hostesses who just want to learn how to throw a tea party at home with the greatest ease and most fabulous results

For Hostesses:

AUGUST 26-28, 2015 (Wed-Fri, 10am-4pm) EtiCamp: Social Graces, Hostess, &

Hospitalitea training ($200 per day or $525 for all 3 days; can be combined with Tea Biz Bootcamp for a total of $950) Onsite, Orange County CA This 3-day mega-class tackles a different area of expertise in depth each day. • Day 1 - Social etiquette for today's world from the basic to the unexpected & awkward, including manners for at home & in public, place settings, how to eat problematic foods and much more • Day 2 - Learn the tricks to being the hostess with the mostess, how to beautifully wrap gifts, cobble thank-you notes, receive guests, plan meals, set & decorate a table ... the list goes on • Day 3 - Everything you need to know about presenting a tea party at home, including skills substantially different from those needed to run a commercial tearoom. Learn hacks and how-to's that will enable you to get everything done in time and

without stress. (An abbreviated version of this workshop is offered in the Hospitaliea Crash Course listed below)

OCTOBER 10, 2015 (Sat 10am-1pm) Hospitalitea Crash Course ($125)

Onsite, Long Beach CA

Get ready for a whirlwind 3 hours as we teach you the tricks and secrets of putting on a gorgeous tea party with near effortless efficiency. We'll wind down by noshing on

For Proprietors:

Have you dreamed of having a tearoom of your own? A place where you can share your love of tea and do things 'the right way' (*wink*) ... a place where you can enjoy all of your favorite tea treats in an atmosphere that's decorated exactly to your taste and specifications? If you've tiptoed around the subject long enough and are ready to get serious about entrepreneurship, our Tea Camp classes will help you get things moving. Classes are taught by seasoned tearoom owners who are keenly aware of the challenges you'll face, and who have practical recommendations on how to run a successful afternoon tea business in the 21st century, as well as solutions for the unexpected issues you may encounter.

AUGUST 23-25, 2015 (Sun 2-5p, Mon 10a-4p, Tues 10a-4p)

Tea Biz Boot Camp ($500; can be combined with EtiCamp for a total of $950) Onsite, Orange County CA This intensive workshop will cover everything from preparatory business set-up (business plans, permits, insurance, and other less-than-fun stuff) to day-to-day operations, securing your niche, dealing with vendors & staff, marketing, mastering social media, displaying merchandise for maximum effect, and even hands-on food & tea preparation tutorials in a working tearoom kitchen. By the time you leave, you'll know not only how to run your tea business, but how to provide a five star tea experience for your guests. Concludes with certification ceremony and afternoon tea as prepared by participants, and served by your instructors!

SEPTEMBER 19, 26 & OCTOBER 3, 2015 (Saturdays, 9am-1pm PST) VirtualiTea Camp ($375 for 3 sessions) Via live videochat, Google Hangouts For those who can't make it to our onsite boot camp in August, we offer an interactive videochat option, taking place over 3 consecutive Saturdays with each week focusing on a different aspect of tea matters as covered in the Tea Biz Bootcamp sessions.