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dressing and whole-grain breads." Japanese green teas often carry a more asser- tive flavor of fresh nori (seaweed) and a savori- ness that Chinese green teas cannot match, Stout adds. He says sushi, includ- ing fully cooked California rolls, makes the ideal match for sencha, while the subtle fattiness of smoked salmon pairs well with the toasty flavors of genmaicha. Gold stresses that Japanese green teas, including sencha, are a touch brinier than Chinese greens. Furthermore, a sencha also offers mild astringency, a delicate sweetness and an her- baceous character. "Like Dragonwell, [sencha] goes well with seafood and raw or lightly cooked veg- etables," she says. "I also love it with rice and egg dishes." BLACK TEAS Black teas, Fazekas says, "run the gamut" when it comes to flavor—some comparable to a crisp, dry white wine and others car- rying a fruity, cocoa-like or even smoky taste. "There are enough black tea styles to favor just about any fare from pastry to pulled pork sandwiches," she says. Fazekas notes that PAIRING IN BRIEF: COMPARE, CONTRAST, EXPERIMENT Tea sommelier and "Culinary Tea" author Cynthia Gold has these words of wisdom for operators looking to pair food and drink: "Look at the flavor, aromatics and mouth- feel, especially as this relates to astringency. Once you have identified these elements, you can then pair for compatibil- ity—matching similarities to enhance and tease them for- ward—or contrast to highlight or balance out differences." Pastry chef Romina Rasmussen, meanwhile, adds that spe- cial events focused on food and beverage pairings can be a "great way to increase awareness" of food offerings. The main point of advice from many industry flavor experts boils down to experimentation. Take the suggestions from this article to point you in the right food category depending on the drink you want to complement. From there, try out a range of options and let your palate lead you—and your customers—to new levels of taste understanding. serving vanilla, chocolate, spicy foods, sharper cheeses and eggs. Fazekas, mean- while, recommends choc- olate-based desserts and spicy dishes as well as pum- pernickel-style dark breads. With English breakfast tea, Stout recommends breakfast sandwiches—per- haps one featuring bacon, egg and cheese. He suggests pairing an Earl Grey tea with dark chocolate because the citrus and the tannins of the bergamot help break down the intense cocoa fla- vor of the chocolate. Gold says fully oxidized black teas tend to be full- bodied and rich—two char- acteristics that allow them to stand up to meats and heartier foods because of their more assertive fla- vors are and tannin levels. For example, Darjeelings, especially those that %/$&. 7($ %5($.)$67 6$1':,&+ Ceylons tend to carry a versatile taste profile characterized by light maltiness and subtle cit- rus notes. She suggests pairing them with morning staples like fruity or grainy muffins or lunch offerings such as chicken salads or turkey wraps. When looking at a fuller-bodied black tea—maybe a rich and earthy Keemun with hints of cocoa and spice—Gold suggests blended, are very flex- ible food teas and tend to pair with a wide range of baked goods, lighter pro- teins and fruits, especially berries. Gold adds it can be fun to experiment with specific estates and flushes, as food can help differences stand out. "A first flush is typically delicate, perfumed and relatively astringent," Gold says. "The astrin- gency allows it to balance against richer foods like soft cheeses, custards and sauc- es. Its flavor profile pairs well with most fresh fruits, especially berries, apples, grapes, currants and lem- ony items. Also consider salmon, grilled fish and curries." In contrast, Gold says, the rounder, nuttier second flush makes it an ideal partner with warmer spices or sweeter veg- etables in addition to the fruit and soft cheeses that will comple- ment a first flush. freshcup.com November 2012 45