Tea, cheese & chocolate. Yes, please. Let’s consider why this trio of steeped selections, cocoa confections and dairy delights are truly better together. Swap the wine glasses for teacups, but apply the same happy hour pairing principles. You will either want to pick teas, cheese and chocolate with similar flavor profiles that enhance one another (think an earl grey with citrusy notes of bergamot to pair with a dark chocolate with hints of orange zest or a cheese with natural citrus tastes), or those that have contrasting tastes like a grassy Sencha green tea with rich, sweet milk chocolate). Or just leave it up to chance and assign friends to bring their favorite cheese, chocolate or tea, and see if you uncover magical pairings.
But before you head out to see your go-to cheesemonger (my bff of the edible world), let’s review the best way to experience cheese, chocolate and tea. Unlike room temp or chilled wine, hot tea will actually help reveal flavors tucked within the dairy delights as it warms each bite and melts them on your palate. A chocolatier once shared that to truly experience a piece of chocolate, you should not chew it but rather allow it to melt on your tongue (so consider tea your trusty chocolate side kick to help speed up the melting process).
