Think about your childhood. Think about the many times chocolate played an important part in so many of your favourite memories. Hopefully, that’s put a dreamy smile on your face.
Now think about your life as an adult. Think about the many evenings or late afternoons when tea has helped you unwind. Another reason to smile, isn’t it?
What if you could combine the joy of both these simple pleasures? No, it is not immature. In fact, it is an exciting trend in the world of tea aficionados.
Pairing
The perfect pairing of a food item can enhance your tea drinking experience and vice versa. And a bad pairing can ruin the experience. Tea is not complicated. You simply need to take a sip and let it tell you what would go along with it.
Chocolate, however unconventional a pairing it would make, is not so weird after all. In fact, it is a simple pleasure that you can enjoy much the same way as a biscuit or a lightly salted snack with tea.
Pairing Methods
While there are always connoisseurs that claim that a certain thing must be done only in a certain way, there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to experimenting chocolate and tea. Pick any chocolate you like and pair it with any type of tea you prefer. Or try a variety of either that you never liked before – pairing could change your mind; some people like eggs boiled, some like them scrambled.
If you are using a chocolate that is rich in cocoa, then take a bite before you sip the tea. Experts claim it helps enhance the flavour of the chocolate. White chocolates work well with Tisanes, which are a caffeine-free “tea” made up of herbs and spices.
When it comes to choice of tea, the good news is that most of the tea varieties consumed in India: Assam, Darjeeling, Nilgiri etc. are known to go well with chocolate.
Conclusion
Tea is a small but quintessential part of your day, but its impact cannot be understated. The same goes for chocolate. So, there is no point in overthinking this – favourite chocolate meets favourite tea, and all is well with the world. You could even try dipping the chocolate in your tea like a Marie digestive biscuit.