Food Pairing, Introducing the Tea Sommeliers

After our last post Dutch Tea Festival, we discovered this wonderful Dutch writer and tea  sommelier Kristin Van Eetvelt, her book “Tea in the courts. A culinary experience!” is a one of a kind lifestyle book, showing the role of culinary tea sommeliers.

Here to Stay

This new trend is spreading fast, with foodies becoming more interesting in restaurants offering such services, especially when it comes to Asian food – If it’s not a plum wine or sake, most likely you should be pairing your meal with a tea – particularly something from the green tea family. Our recent post Japanese Cherry Blossom Tea, is the perfect example of how a tea works better with a desert compared to a western desert wine. Some of the most prestigious restaurants, are not only using tea as an ingredient but are now offering exclusive tea pairings.

This development, is more than a trend – as more tea enthusiasts are going all out to be certified as tea sommeliers. Not only do tea sommeliers define tea flavors, source high quality products in the industry and pair tea with food, they also tea work in creating blended flavors and  health benefits.

Want to learn more on what’s entailed? Check out these fantastic reads.

Tea Sommelier Hardcover – February 3, 2015
by Gabriella Lombardi

“Like fine wine, good tea is a gastronomic delicacy that possesses a deliciously wide range of aromas and flavors. And, just like an excellent wine guide, this richly illustrated volume initiates drinkers into the art of tasting, making, and serving. A careful examination of 50 grand cru teas—including some of the best-known varieties available—will give drinkers a new appreciation of what goes into a cup. A selection of exclusive recipes, along with advice on pairing tea and food, completes this gorgeous book—a must-have for anyone who savors this ancient beverage.”

Tea Education: Tea Sommelier Journal: Taste, Taste, Taste (Volume 1) Paperback – April 18, 2014
by Jennifer C. Petersen

“Tea Education: Tea Sommelier Journal is the companion to Foundations of Tea and is available to libraries, culinary and other academic institutions. A tea journal is a must for anyone who loves tea, whether they are a pro or an amateur. From sippers to sommeliers, tea professionals know that it’s all about the Golden Rule of Tea: Taste, Taste, Taste.”

Culinary Tea: More Than 150 Recipes Steeped in Tradition from Around the World Hardcover – September 7, 2010
by Cynthia Gold

“This cutting-edge tome on one of the world’s oldest ingredients and most popular beverages will be an invaluable tool for both home and professional cooks. Gold and Stern offer new ways of looking at tea: the leaves with a history stretching thousands of years is now a secret weapon in the culinary arsenal.
Tea in its many forms has been around for thousands of years, and is a burgeoning industry in many countries as the demand for specialty leaves grows. Read all about the picking and drying techniques virtually unchanged for centuries, popular growing regions in the world, and the storied past of trading.”

 

 

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