The Science of Tea Pairings
Tea pairings are fun events to get tea lovers, novice and experienced, engaged with tea. I have recently started to do some pairing events with chocolate and sweets makers and share my thoughts on how this experience parallels to what I learn while studying and practicing food science. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a scientist to understand.
Read story: http://www.tching.com/2014/02/tea-pairings-science
Anyone hosting tea pairing events in their communities and want to share some stories?
Huh. I was hoping to read about the food science of tea pairings, not their value as a marketing tool.
Also, phrases like “… true tea…” and “…accessible true tea experience..” rather contain their own explanation of the “…difficulty attracting people…” whereof you speak. No one likes their cuppa served with a spoonful of condescension.
I hope you understand what is meant with terms like “true tea”. Unfortunately there is no commonly accepted terms as of right now for exactly what I want to say. Originally tea was the term used to describe products originated from Camellia sinensis, but now all kinds of tisanes and herbal infusions are called tea (speaking of marketing tools). Also, there is nothing wrong with utilizing marketing tools to get people introduced to tea; true tea or any other kind of infusion. No condescension was implied with this, I’m sorry if I offended anyone.
I personally use ‘straight tea’, ‘flavored tea’, and ‘tisane’, in the hope that they are reasonably accurate descriptors without that whiff of judgementalism. There’s so much implied moral weight in using the word ‘true’. The one true way, the one true tea, what isn’t true is a lie… etc etc. There’s so much power in the words we choose to use beyond just what their dictionary definitions are.
I do agree with you that the best tea is shared tea. I don’t agree with the implication in your writing that tisanes, flavored teas and tea/tisane blends are somehow lesser than straight teas.
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