Tea Steeped in Chocolate
Tea taken alongside a delicious chocolate dessert is common. Tea that has been infused and blended with chocolate is a bit more special; it is a spectacular way to enjoy the combination of flavors without the calorie count and fat content.
Chocolate teas are becoming increasingly available in the marketplace. Many purveyors are experimenting with the combination of flavors. The trick is finding skillfully blended varieties that do justice to both flavors. Harney & Sons Master Tea Blenders and Sympathy for the Kettle offer varieties that marry the flavors wonderfully.
Jodi Holiday of Sympathy for the Kettle has a sweet spot for chocolate and it shows. She experiments with combining tea and chocolate flavors, even custom blending some varieties on spot at her lower Manhattan tea room. Her selection of high quality teas blended with chocolate is among the best available on the web. With care and grace she blends the teas so the flavors are perfectly balanced.
Her Love Blend ($6.25) was originally developed as a Valentine’s Day tea, but as customers continued to request the tea throughout the year she altered the name. The Love Blend is a romantic affair of chocolate and hazelnut flavors paired with black tea and then laced with rose petals. The flavor is deep and full. For those who enjoy spices with their tea and chocolate, Sympathy for the Kettle has come up with a Chocolate Chai Tea ($7.50) that is sure to please. It is mostly chai with a hint of chocolate flavor. The brew is warming and satisfying. With the summer months steadily approaching, this tea seems ideal for iced chai experimentation. Sympathy for the Kettle also offer a Chocolate Mate (Matechino $6.25) as well as an herbal variety made from a base of South African Rooibos (Lady Baltimore Rooibos $5.50)
Harney and Sons has been blending teas for more than twenty years. Such skill is apparent in their Chocolate Tea ($6.50) made from black tea infused with chocolate essence and Chocolate Mint Tea ($6.75) which smells just like an old-fashioned chocolate mint. Harney and Sons’ chocolate teas provide a sensory experience from beginning to end. Once the tea tin is opened, the scent of the chocolate flavors infuses the immediate area, tempting the preparer and all those around. The steeped tea provides a less intense chocolate taste than the scent lets on, though the taste is equally tempting and delightful. Both of the Harney and Sons’ teas make a delicious end to a meal. Be sure to prepare a pot, as the scent alone has everyone in the house lined up!
