Being playful in the kitchen has its perks. Whether it’s trying an alternative cooking method or experimenting with an ingredient from a foreign cuisine, having some fun with your food helps you grow as a cook. One of the most rewarding results of some culinary playtime? Finding the perfect unexpected pairing whether that’s reveling in the combination of chocolate and orange zest, or sprinkling a traditionally savory herb over a dessert to unlock a new delicious combination. Unique drink couplings can bring your cooking to a whole new level, too. Tazo® Tea’s unique and interesting blends bring many different flavor profiles to the table—many of which play well with 2016’s coolest ingredients. We’re challenging you to mix up your pairings and experiment with some of your favorite blends. Not sure where to start? Here are a few suggestions for inspiration.
If there’s a top contender for ingredient of the year, it would be turmeric. From dressings to meatballs, this root has found its way into many of our favorite recipes. But one of its most traditional uses—deeply flavoring curries—remains a staple. This Coconut Chicken Curry with Turmeric and Lemongrass hits the spot with its blend of warming spices and bright herbs. Try pairing it with Tazo’s Zen™ green tea blend that incorporates spearmint and one of this curry’s main ingredients, lemongrass. Take a sip and notice how the flavors intertwine—The lemongrass in the tea will bring out the flavor of the lemongrass in the dish.
Lately, chefs have been giving major umami kicks to their dishes, whether it’s through earthy mushrooms, tangy fish sauce, or a serious dose of bacon. Miso has also popped up in unexpected places, from being one of the secret ingredients in the best veggie burger ever to making appearances in pasta. There’s not much a tablespoon of this savory, salty paste can’t jazz up. Case in point? These addictive miso doughnuts, which use two different types of miso for the dough and the sugar coating. For the ultimate tea pairing, try Tazo’s Awake™ English Breakfast black tea blend, whose malty, deep, yet bright flavors will go hand-in-hand with these sweet-and-savory confections. For a more savory pairing, we’d even try this tea with these miso-infused Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Bacon-Sesame Brittle, a spin on the classic loaded potato.
With trending ingredients like turmeric and miso, it’s pretty obvious that Asian flavors are in right now, and their uses are influencing chefs of all backgrounds. Noodle soups like ramen have been taking the restaurant scene—and our Instagram feeds—by storm. One of our favorites? Vietnamese pho. With its aromatic broth, thinly sliced beef or pork, and its tangle of thin rice noodles, this dish is a lunchtime staple. Tazo’s Tea’s Passion™ herbal tea blend would be a perfect sidekick to this dish, with its blend of hibiscus, orange peel, rose hips, and licorice root. One of pho broth’s characteristic spices, anise, has a warming flavor—the perfect companion to Tazo’s Passion™ tea blend. Brew a cup to accompany your slurp-worthy bowl of homemade pho—this version uses a brilliant shortcut with store-bought chicken broth.