How to pair tea with chocolate and cheese
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Last month I reached out to Dona Aideau who hosts tea and chocolate pairings, not something one hears about often. It turned out that we were practically neighbours in Puducherry and so, I walked over one Saturday afternoon for tea.
Her architect husband, Dorian, had made chocolate mousse and Aideau brewed an Assam that her tea planter father had made, a tippy high-grade black tea that made a golden red cup, as only an Assam can. The hot tea effortlessly accentuated the richness and smoothness of the chocolate. Aideau’s roots are in Assam and tea, a way of life.
A few years ago she started looking at tea pairings systematically. Spending time in France allowed her to explore the world of cheese, seeking parallels from its more traditional pairing with wine. Calling tea a versatile partner for food pairings, she says, “Tea, unlike alcohol, offers the advantage of tannins, antioxidants, and polyphenols, allowing us to enjoy its complexities without intoxication." In these last few years, Aideau has championed tea by hosting tea and chocolate/ cheese pairing workshops—she was also at the annual Indian Cacao and Craft Chocolate Festival, held in Bengaluru, last year and this year.
With Christmas around the corner, I asked her for recommendations on putting together a chocolate board with tea at home. For the tea, she recommends a high-grade (SFTGFOP1) Assam black tea. This is a tippy grade with a generous sprinkling of golden tips and very flavourful.
It can also be re-steeped. Aideau’s Assam of choice is the one we had, a sweet, fruity, and full bodied tea, that she pairs with the Käse Blue cheese and Savorworks Sir Connor 72% chocolate. Artisanal chocolate options come recommended for
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