Let's Talk Tea & Toast
Many strong black teas have a natural rich taste that can be reminiscent of bread. Although the teas don’t actually have any wheat, the aromas and tastes are often described as breadlike.
This is especially true for any blend that uses Assam. Assam is the name of the tea and the name of the region of India they are grown in. Assam teas are commonly used in breakfast blends like English Breakfast.
Time to Learn Tea Tasting Terms!
Biscuity: a sweet baked aroma found in fired Assams
Malty: a rich sweet malt flavor common in Assam black tea
Knowing that these teas already have that bread-like flavor, they are ideal to pair with, well… bread!
And one of our favorite types of bread to have with tea is a simple, crisp French Baguette. To complete the scene, try this baguette pairing in the French Pavilion in Epcot.
Kermit Topiary / Epcot Flower & Garden Festival in the France Pavilion 2019
Back in the French Pavilion, at Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie, you can pick up either a half or full baguette ($2.25-$3.50). You can also pick from a variety of Twinings teabags and we went with English Breakfast. And if it is a breakfast blend, you can usually count on picking up some of those biscuity flavors.
On a separate trip, I wanted to pair the baguette with an almond milk tea latte to see if it made the bread more buttery. Since there were not any milk-alternatives at Les Halles, we hopped over to the nearest Joffery’s and got a hot Earl Grey with steamed almond milk.
The results were just about perfect! The nuttiness and creamy almond milk cut through the citrus taste of the bergamot and when you paired that with the baguette, it reminded me of the unique creamy acidity of beurre blanc.
**The baguette is completely plant based if you order it without a side of butter
So whether you are looking for a simple tea and toast pairing or out in the French world of baguettes, hunt for the biscuity and malty teas!
Miss Piggy Topiary / Epcot Flower & Garden Festival in the France Pavilion 2019
