Before I experienced the tea and chocolate pairings at La Maison du Chocolat, I assumed rooibos was the only tea that paired well with chocolate. I was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong.
At the Rockefeller Center La Maison du Chocolat I sat at the bar and sampled five thoughtful pairings. The teas were from Mariage Frères, one of my favorite houses, and each tea on the menu is matched with a chocolate chosen by La Maison’s Creative Director.
Raymond, the boutique manager, carefully steeped each tea. Because we were tasting several pairings, the tea arrived in small espresso cups so we could move through the flights without feeling overwhelmed.
We began with the French Breakfast Tea, which carries notes of chocolate, caramel, and vanilla. It was paired with Micaela, a café au lait mousse enrobed in milk chocolate. The tasting ritual was simple: sip the tea, take a bite of the chocolate, and repeat. The caramel and chocolate hints in the tea blended seamlessly with the coffee and milk chocolate of the confection.
Next we moved to a green tea, Fuji-Yama. In a green-on-green pairing, the selected chocolate was Jolika, an almond paste with pistachio. The clean, vegetal character of the tea complemented the smooth nuttiness of the almond-pistachio filling.
The next green tea was Jasmin Mandarin, floral and subtly sweet. It was matched with Dentelle, a praline featuring a crispy crepe that added texture to the pairing. The floral notes of the tea and the crunchy praline made a delightful contrast — this was one of my favorites for texture and flavor.
Métis is a rooibos with floral, raspberry, and vanilla nuances. Rooibos is famously accommodating with chocolate, and in this case the Guayaquil chocolate, with its subtle vanilla notes, complemented the tea beautifully.
The final pairing featured Empereur Chen-Nung, a smoky black tea with hints of orange peel. It paired naturally with Orangette, a candied orange peel coated in chocolate. The citrus and smoke in the tea enhanced the candied orange’s brightness and the chocolate’s depth.
The basic principle for pairing tea and chocolate is straightforward: look for shared flavors or complementary notes in both the tea and the chocolate. Whether it’s a shared citrus note, vanilla, nutty undertones, or floral hints, a successful pairing highlights and balances the characteristics of each component.
On the menu I also noticed Marco Polo, one of Mariage Frères’ signature blends, paired with Andalousie, a ganache brightened with lemon zest. Since I had Marco Polo at home, I cold-brewed it and enjoyed it over ice the next day with a piece of Andalousie. Although all the pairings were enjoyable, this chilled combination stood out as my favorite for its refreshing contrast.
//Tea and chocolate pairings courtesy of La Maison du Chocolat. All content and opinions expressed here are my own.//