Pairing tea with chocolate might seem a bit unconventional on the surface, but they are a match made in heaven! February 1st is National Dark Chocolate Day, and we couldn't resist sharing our thoughts on the best teas to pair with any chocolate be it dark, milk or white. 

Much like wine pairings, consider the flavour profile of the chocolate to find the best tea to balance the tasting notes and enhance your overall experience. As you sip your tea and consume a chocolate treat, you'll start to notice subtle changes in the overall taste of each. Let's get into it!

Tea & Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is made with just a few ingredients, does not contain dairy and often has a rich, intense cocoa flavour with little to no sweetness. The natural bitterness of cacao comes through and it is best paired with a dark and intense tea.

Teas to pair with dark chocolate:

	Organic Assam Breakfast: The robust balance of organic Indian, Sri Lankan and Chinese black teas has a strong malt profile with hints of cocoa and cinnamon.
	Organic Roasted Iron Goddess: Oolong teas are great choices to go with a rich, dark chocolate. This deep roasted oolong has a luscious flavour profile of chestnut, baked pear and granola.
	Cacao Pu-Erh: Pu'Erh tea is post-fermented and praised for its rich, earthy flavour that pairs very well with rich dark chocolate. The addition of cacao lends a velvety complexity to this blend.

 

Tea & Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate is the most popular and is used in a wide array of treats and confections. The addition of milk and more sugar makes milk chocolate a tried and true favourite. Lighter in taste than dark chocolate, milk chocolate pairs best with spiced or fruity tea blends, creamy black teas and teas prepared with milk. 

Teas to pair with milk chocolate:

	Organic Masala Chai: Traditionally steeped with milk in the streets of India, where every household has its own recipe. Masala Chai possesses an array of exotic spices that enhance the sweetness of milk chocolate.
	Organic Lavender Sencha: This playful mix of green tea, herbals and fruit plays against a backdrop of roasted Chinese Sencha. Pairing with milk chocolate amplifies the toasty tea and sweet, exotic fruits.
	Organic Darjeeling: The Champagne of Teas with its muscatel, malt and cinnamon flavour notes make this black tea drink more like an oolong. It has a lightness that is the perfect compliment to milk chocolate.

 

Tea & White Chocolate

White chocolate can be a bit controversial - is it chocolate or is it candy? Without the cocoa solids, white chocolate is a pale ivory colour and is often sweeter than milk chocolate. Lighter teas are the best pairings for this delicate and sweet treat. 

Teas to pair with white chocolate:

	Matcha Uji Ceremonial Grade: Matcha is an incredibly versatile tea that can add a healthy boost and rich flavour to ice cream, cheesecakes and cookies. With its deep grassy notes, top quality Matcha is the perfect contrast to white chocolate.
	Ginseng Oolong: This combo of light oolong and stone-milled ginseng creates a tea with creamy hits of licorice and apple. Ginseng Oolong offers an unexpected flavour twist in its pairing with white chocolate.
	Imperial Jasmine: Spring harvest green tea is blended with jasmine blossoms to create a tea famous for its delicate scent and nature. The sweetness of the jasmine is an expert match to the creaminess of white chocolate.

 

As you can see there is a chocolate and a tea for every taste. The trick is finding the right match-up for your moment of indulgence. Who knows, you might even come up with a new combo or even a recipe on your little taste journey. Have fun!