Pair Tea & Spices

Inspired by the bounty of fresh, beautiful herbs available at our Naturevibe Botanicals, this is the first of a series on tea and spice pairings. This post begins with the basics and explores pairing teas with fresh herbs and spices. We tend to think of certain herb personalities as being especially well fitted to a particular primary ingredient.

Pairing spices and tea are a perfect match that can enhance the savor of both and make your meals enjoyable. But have you ever thought that which spice can go well with which types of teas? Because many spices taste more with some teas than others, here is a blog about some spices that are good to go with tea. You can’t imagine how a tea paired with certain spices can take its taste to a different level.

Classic chai masala spices like organic cardamom pods, organic black peppercorns, organic cracked cinnamon, and a hint of clove can be fortified with fresh organic ginger root and organic grated nutmeg to finish. Making the best chai at home takes a little time and effort. Our Tea blend of spices is a delicious quick fix if you’re in a rush, but slowing down and making chai from scratch will produce a next-level flavor experience. Here are a few tips to pair spice and teas: 

Fresh Mint: The connection here seems far-fetched, but because of chocolate’s affinity to Darjeeling Tea, and the heaps of chocolate mint I have growing in my yard, I was led to try this combination – and what a win it is! Perhaps my favorite discovery of this project. So please do try a nice pot of Darjeeling accompanied by anything made with fresh mints, like tabouli, stuffed zucchini, roasted potatoes tossed with garlic and mint leaves, or even fresh strawberries tossed with mint and honey. There’s something about the slight astringency in the tea with the refreshing juice of the herb that makes this a perfect match!

Organic Cumin: Apricot chutney with iced Green tea. In fact, the chutney used as a glaze for pork or poultry with this tea is quite yummy. Or, crackers with mascarpone cheese and apricot chutney with the Green tea on the side…fantastic!

Organic Ginger Root Powder: Try with Oolong, especially a darker roasted oolong. Think Asian veggie stir-fries made with fresh ginger and garlic, a spinach salad tossed with a ginger-peanut dressing, or even ginger-snap cookies if you’re in the mood for sweets.

Cinnamon: Try a dusting of freshly ground cloves on green apple slices with a pot of Assam Black Tea or Autumnal Ruby Darjeeling Tea on the side – just heavenly!

Spice pairing really is all about balance…and the willingness to try new things and spit some of them out along the way! But an effort that’s well worth it, and I hope you’ll agree, was well worth sharing in the end. If you try using any other spice with tea, Do share your recipe with us in the ‘Submit your recipe’ section. We’d love to hear them.