Gone are the days of delicate sprouts and wildflowers at the farmer's market. We are settled into fading fall and tucking under blankets as we anticipate winter's arrival. Brisk air and flickering sunlight that begins to bid adieu in the late afternoon send me craving a cup and a nibble to perk up my spirits. I'm tickled pink to share my new favorite duo: Pretzel Shortbread from Lost Bread Co. with Te Company's Tristar '05 Vintage Oolong Tea.
There are those pairings, that while delightful, only seem to breeze by each other faintly calling out shared flavors. And then there are the magical pairings that set off the most delicious taste bud fireworks when they meet on your palate. This pretzel and aged oolong duo most definitely fall into the magical spot.
When Alex Bois, the insanely talented baker behind Lost Bread Co., kindly asked me to consider a tea pairing for his new pretzel shortbread creation, I enthusiastically accepted the edible challenge. Without tasting the shortbread (and not yet quite understanding the indescribable delight in each bite), I considered teas that would welcome a yeasty pretzel mixed with faint sweetness of a shortbread. I imagined that the complexity of such a bite would welcome a nuanced oolong of a medium to dark nature. I reached for oolong teas that danced through full bodied, citrusy, nutty flavors, to winter woodsy notes and then to deep, dark robust smoked notes.
On a chilled fall day, I entered an unassuming small door that led into a bakery wonderland of Lost Bread Co. Tucked within my Mary Poppins bag of tea, I presented a gram scale, tea pot, variable temp kettle and a trio of oolongs awaiting their pairing fate. While the water heated I dove into my very first Pretzel Shortbread and was immediately entranced and smitten with the gently firm yet tender texture with a taste that tip-toed between salt and subtle sweet with yeasty delight.
We steeped our way through each tea, hemming and hawing over tiny details of each sip as we nibbled on pretzel shortbread. Finally, the steaming water mingled with the Tristar '05 Vintage Oolong Tea and our sixth steeped sense seemed to perk up and pay attention to the aroma swaying from the teapot. Te Company sources this one-of-a-kind oolong from Yilan County, Taiwan, where Mr Xie (the farmer) thoughtfully blends "different varieties across unsold batches from 2005, roasting them together to a perfect harmony." Upon first sip, we were instantly whisked away to an antique library/bar of sorts where I would imagine we would have been sitting in aged leather chairs by a fire with a cigar faintly fading in the background and honeyed whiskey lingered on our lips from an earlier sip. Truly amazing teas take you places. Yes Te Company, the tea tastes of "campfire, leather, smoke, peat, toasted hay." This full bodied tea hugs your taste buds when you bite into the pretzel shortbread. The warmth of the steep draws out the butter and malted barley flour that mingles with the campfire notes of the tea to create a new flavor: think roasted sweet cream with sea salt mixed in.
I urge you to seek out this pairing. First step, skip over to Te Company in NYC (or order the Tristar '05 Vintage Oolong online) and then make a road trip to the City of Brotherly Love to Lost Bread Co. for a Pretzel Shortbread bite (just make sure to call ahead as these addictive bites fly off the shelf).
