Recently, a PR company emailed me asking me if I was a “chocolate lover” and whether I’d be interested in writing a piece about pairing chocolate with tea in time for Mother’s Day.  I, of course, said yes and a few days later, a package of four large chocolate bars from Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate came to my door.  There were four different flavours:  Dark Chocolate with 85% Cocoa, Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate with crystallized ginger pieces and with Dark Chocolate with hazelnuts and currants.

The four chocolate bars and a cup of tea

According to the press material sent in an email prior to my receiving the goodies, certain varieties of chocolate are better with specific teas.  It isn’t much different than wine and food!  Or even coffee.  For example, Earl Grey is best with crystallized while greens are better with sweet chocolates like butterscotch or milk.  Prior to tasting the chocolate with tea, I had a bit of each on their own.  Since my tea collection mostly consists of varieties of greens and herbals (I have one or two black teas as well, but it’s not something I drink on a regular basis), I paired two of the chocolates – milk and 85% dark – with green and my post-dinner favourite, a ginger and lemon tea , respectively.  I have to say that the notes from the emails were absolutely correct.  Though I prefer my non-black teas plain, I have to say that the milk/green mix gave it a nice, sweet and smooth taste.  The dark chocolate with hazelnuts and currants, however, was much better on its own than paired with any kind of tea, as was ginger.  For me, plain chocolates are better paired with drinks than ones with nuts, dried fruits or herbs.

If you haven’t tried pairing chocolates with tea yet, you should definitely give it a chance – maybe even this Mother’s Day if you’re hosting a small event.  Just don’t add any sugar to the tea as it will cover the chocolatey taste.

Special thanks to Strategic Objectives for this opportunity!