FOOD PAIRING WITH DILMAH TEA. WE HAVE ALL HEARD OF WINE PAIRING. HERE COMES TEA PAIRING WITH FOOD!

KEE@FSWMAG.COM

DILMAH’S ‘REAL HIGH TEA CHALLENGE’ CREATES TEA & FOOD PAIRINGS FOR THE ULTIMATE FOODIE EXPERIENCE Dilmah’s ‘Real High Tea Challenge’ launches in Hong Kong and Macau in 2014 ‘Real High Tea Challenges’ have created tea and food pairing ideas for tea lovers around  the world Dilmah, the third largest tea producing company in the world, is proud to launch the first ever ‘Real High Tea Challenge’ in Hong Kong and Macau in 2014. The Challenge, which was first developed by Dilmah’s Fernando Family in Colombo in 2007, is  designed with the objective of ‘putting the tea back into High Tea’ and to express the importance of tea as a key ingredient in gastronomy. Previous ‘Real High Tea Challenges’ have been held in Australia, Chile, Singapore, Dubai, Netherlands and New Zealand, where professional chefs and tea enthusiasts alike have had the chance to develop a raft of exciting tea and food pairings to showcase the versatility of tea both as a drink and as part of a dish. Recent recipes created have included pairings such as Prawn Sous Vide in a Single Estate Oolong Aspic paired with Sencha Green Extra Special. The Sencha’sherbal flavor and natural sweetness complimenting the prawn while helping to roll over the avocado and aspic to help blend its creaminess. Other examples include Tea Spiced Crispy Baby Lobster with Jasmine Flower infused risotto and Jasmine foam paired with Lychee Rose and Almond tea. The exotic flavour of the lychee is used to bring out the sweetness in the lobster while the rose flavor further enhances the taste. The Jasmine tea infused into the risotto is used to add a very light and floral elegance to the dish and bridges well with the almond in the Lychee Rose and Almond tea drink. For those who love their traditional Chinese congee, a recent ‘Real High Tea Challenge’ recipe includes a congee paired with the signature Dilmah Opata Tea, which helps cut through the starchy texture of the congee due to its smooth polyphenol and tannin. Dilmah Opata Teais actually somewhat of a chameleon due to its Oolong perfume and incorporated lower green tea flavours, which also creates harmonious tea pairings with delicate Chinese banquet dishes. For those with a sweet tooth, dessert examples include a Warm Chocolate and Dilmah Pure Peppermint tea fondant with Chili lime ice cream and honeycomb paired with Mediterranean Mandarin. Mediterranean Mandarin is recommended with chocolate dishes due to its aromatic and delicate taste which is superbly enhanced by the rich nuttiness of the chocolate sponge, while the molten chocolate and peppermint infused center lifts the tea bringing out the citrus notes of the dish. Merrill J. Fernando, Founder of Dilmah shares: “Since we launched the ‘Real High Tea Challenge’ six years ago we have received a large amount of interest in tea pairings and enquiries into how to utilise tea for the better enjoyment of everyday dishes. With the upcoming ‘Real High Tea Challenge’ in Hong Kong and Macau we wanted to provide consumers with an insight into the wonders of Dilmah tea pairings prepared and inspired by our expert ‘Real High Tea Challenge’winners.” Born out of a desire to share and educate tea drinkers on the pleasures of tea and food pairings, Dilmah established the first ‘Real High Tea Challenge’ to uphold the traditions of tea and cultivating a respect for the ingredient while sharing its rich cultural heritage. The Macau ‘Real High Tea Challenge’ will be held on 10th March 2014 and the Hong Kong ‘Real High Tea Challenge’ will be held on 12th March 2014. Entries for the ‘Real High Tea Challenge’in Hong Kong and Macau are now open. For more details please visit:http://realhightea.dilmahtea.com/2013/hk About Dilmah Dilmah is a family‐owned Sri Lankan tea company and is now the 3rd largest tea company in the world. Founded by Merrill J. Fernando in 1988, Dilmah continues to make tea in a traditional way providing tea that is handpicked, withered, rolled, fermented and baked to ensure the highest quality single-origin products. Mr Fernando continues to run his business with his sons – Dilhan and Malik providing fresh tea to over 100 countries worldwide. About The Dilmah Real High Tea ChallengeThe Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge was inaugurated by the Fernando family in 2007. The objective is to put the ‘tea’ back in high tea, giving it authenticity and enhancing the overall quality. The challenge has become one of the most recognized competitions amongst culinary and hospitality professionals worldwide. Since its launch the Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge has taken place in a number of locations around the world including countries such as Australia, Dubai, Singapore and the Netherlands, and will arrive in Hong Kong and Macau in 2014. Dilmah is distributed in Hong Kong and Macau by Quali-t (Hong Kong) Limited. Dilmah Tea can be used to enhance the flavours of your everyday food dishes The ‘t’series designer gourmet tea range by Dilmah ‘The ‘Real High Tea Challenge’ was started in 2007 by Dilmah The Dilmah ‘Real High Tea Challenge’ will be held for the first time in Hong Kong and Macau in 2014