Tea and cheese offer plenty of flavor combinations to explore. Try small portions, compare your impressions, and use these ten pairings as starting points rather than fixed rules.
Set up your tasting
Prepare each tea according to its own brewing directions. Review ingredients and caffeine information, and share cheese ingredient labels with guests. Follow each cheese's storage and serving requirements.
Taste the tea and cheese separately, then together. Notice whether the combination changes your perception of sweetness, saltiness, aroma, or texture.
1. Green tea and goat cheese
Try green tea alongside tangy goat cheese. Notice how the tea's particular flavors compare with the cheese. The original blend suggestion is Beachgrass Green.
2. Earl Grey and blue cheese
Explore the contrast between an Earl Grey-style tea and a bold blue cheese. Blue cheeses vary in saltiness and intensity, so start with a small portion. Try Fog Horn Grey as a blend to explore.
3. Darjeeling and Gouda
If you have a Darjeeling tea, compare it with Gouda. Try different cheese ages or tea preparations and record which combination you prefer. Harvest season alone does not guarantee the best pairing.
4. Oolong and Brie
Oolong styles vary, making this a useful pairing for comparing aromas and textures. Try Brie alongside Oysterville Oolong or another oolong you enjoy.
5. Pu-erh and aged cheddar
Try a pu-erh tea with aged cheddar. Describe the actual tea's aroma and taste rather than assuming every pu-erh is smoky or has the same intensity.
6. Chamomile tea and fresh mozzarella
Compare a chamomile-containing infusion with mild fresh mozzarella. The original blend suggestion is Embrace the Beach Life; review its current ingredients before choosing it for this pairing.
7. White tea and ricotta
Try white tea with ricotta and note how the cheese's texture affects your impression of the drink. One blend to explore is Peninsula High Tide. A blended product should not be assumed to be a specific white tea style from this suggestion alone.
8. Chai and cheddar
Compare a spiced chai blend with cheddar. You can taste the tea plain first, then note how adding milk or sweetener changes the combination. Try White Cap Chai.
9. Mint herbal tea and fresh chèvre
Explore mint flavors with tangy fresh chèvre. The original blend suggestion is Mountain Valley Mint. Check the complete ingredient list and caffeine information rather than relying only on the blend name.
10. Black tea and Parmesan
Try black tea alongside a small piece of Parmesan. Compare the cheese's salty, savory character with the tea's actual flavor. One blend to explore is Astoria Explorer, without assuming a particular tea origin from this pairing suggestion.
Keep your own pairing notes
Record the tea, cheese, preparation, and what you noticed. Your preferred match may differ from someone else's, and there is no need to find one perfect combination.
