I am so inspired by the passionate people who explore the many journeys within a tea leaf. Back in October of 2009, I shared a story about the journey of a wonderful chef, Melanie Franks, who was boldly experimenting with the art of cooking with tea. From expressing her love of food as a sous chef and tea sommelier at Hook Restaurant and Degustation, to receiving her Specialty Tea Institute certification, Melanie is a true tea chef.
After training the restaurant staff to cook with and serve tea, it only seemed natural for Melanie to make her move to the world of education. Now, as a Chef Instructor at The French Culinary Institute, she is teaching the new generation of chefs to appreciate the beauty of tea in the cup and on the plate. In fact, she generously shared tea and cheese pairing tips with me. Melanie noted that,
"One of my favorite combinations is Japanese sencha and goat cheese. The bright crispness of the cheese compliments clean oceanic qualities of a nice sencha. I also like Darjeeling and triple cream cheeses because the creamy texture of the cheese mellows the sharpness of the tea enhancing the perfume of a darjeeling."
In honor of Melanie’s love of tea, I thought I would share her answers from a previous post that truly portray her talent and enthusiasm. Thank you Melanie!
1. What are your top 5 favorite teas?
This is almost impossible to answer there are so many teas I love. However, there are a few favorites that I always come back to. In general, I am an Oolong girl. The complexity of flavor and aroma is unequal. From Pouchongs to Champagne, the range of oxidation levels in Oolongs creates an exceptionally pleasurable experience. I can talk endlessly about Oolongs so it is best for me to move on. Another tea I would have to mention is Silver Needles. Indeed, this tea has the power to transport me to a misty mountain day whenever I take a sip. From the leaf style to aroma, it is simply amazing. Another tea I can't live without is Puerh, because of its' distinct earthy qualities and deliciously mellow finish. There is almost a change in mood one experiences when they drink this tea. It is for this reason that I often drink Puerh after a long day at work. Pi Lo Chun, is a great tea that I revisit on a regular basis. Between the tea bushes of Pi Lo Chun apricot, plum and peach trees are planted which yields a beautiful aroma and clean finish. The last tea I will mention is Sencha. I love the oceanic quality of Sencha and brilliant color of the cup. It simply energizes me. In reality, I could easily mention a dozen more teas.
2. Do you have any favorite tea accessories?
3. Can you share a favorite moment/memory of your experience at the Specialty Tea Institute?
This is also a very difficult question to pin point one experience at of two years. However I will say this, the teachers and the people you meet taking these classes are amazing. During the session breaks I still keep in contact with my teachers and friends that I have made along the way. To have such an immense amount of knowledge of tea gathered together in one place solely to educate one another is a beautiful experience. I have to mention Phil Parda (Zhong Guo Cha), Donna Fellman (Tea Education Alliance), and Yoon Hee Kim (Tea Classics) because they truly gave me a diverse and solid foundation in tea.
4. Tell me more about your position as a tea sommelier at Hook restaurant...
This was a large undertaking. While working as a Sous Chef, I changed over the tea program from bag teas to loose leaf tea. Training my staff properly was so very important. We averaged around 250 to 300 people a night, and I learned very quickly that the wait staff did not take the care to brew some of the more temperature sensitive teas when they got busy. In this particular restaurant setting (high volume), I put together a tea list that was both provocative and service friendly. It was exciting for customers because instead of the normal pedestrian cup they were able to have the opportunity to try an array of different teas. Talking to the customers and staff about tea on a daily basis only increased my love of tea. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
5. How do you incorporate tea in your dishes?
Cooking with tea as an ingredient is really limitless. Tea can be both savory and sweet as well as earthy and aromatic. I love cooking with tea because of its flexibility. Right now we have a soup with tea as ingredient that just speaks spring is here (finally). It is a nettle soup with Lapsang Souchong yoghurt, salmon roe, cured Tasmania sea trout, and fava ban flowers. I am going to put on a desert of a chilled chamomile soup with mint and lemon sorbet this week. I can’t possible pick a favorite dish that I have done with tea, but I did really enjoy a desert I that consisted of Matcha tea cake, maldon salt, strawberry sorbet and thyme syrup. My favorite teas to cook with are the highly aromatic teas like Lapsang Souchong, jasmine green, Darjeeling as well as tisanes like chamomile and Rooibos. As for tips with cooking with tea, I find it helpful to infuse tea into oils and liquids first. Then use the tea flavored components in your recipe just as like normal. For instance, if you wanted to make a vegetable puree of some sort take the liquid you are going to use in that recipe and infuse the it with tea. The Infusion should not be stronger than normal, infuse it just as you want to drink it so that it is balanced. This method is more user friendly to start. Than as you get more comfortable with tea one can experiment with smoking, curing, and steaming with tea for example.
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