5 About The Founder 7 Foreword 9 Why Tea & How to Pair it with Food 10 Chinese Festivals & Tea Pairings

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1 Content 5 About The Founder 7 Foreword 9 Why Tea & How to Pair it with Food 10 Chinese Festivals & Tea Pairings Chinese New Year Festival 13 Prosperity Toss / Yu Sheng with Sencha Plum Sauce Prosperity Toss / Yu Sheng with Tropical Fruit 15 Tray of Togetherness & Other Treats 17 Rou Gan Bak Kwa 19 Rose with French Vanilla Tea Nian Gao / New Year Cake Lantern / Yuanxiao Festival 21 Mediterranean Mandarin Tea Infused Marbled Eggs Dragon Boat / Duanwu Festival 23 Fujian Soda / Lye Zongzi with Red Bean Paste 25 Fujian Chestnut & Meat Zongzi 27 Cantonese Pork & Egg Zongzi 29 Hakka-Style Mushroom Peanut Zongzi Winter Solstice / Dongzhi Festival 31 Tang Yuan Rice Dumplings with Chamomile Spice Syrup Mid Autumn Festival 33 Shanghai Mooncake with Chocolate, Red Bean & Coconut Filling 35 Traditional Baked Mooncake with Salted Egg & Lotus Paste 37 Teochew Spiral Mooncake with Yam Paste & Pumpkin Seeds 39 Rose with French Vanilla Infused Snowskin Mooncake with Custard Filling 41 Tie Guan Yin Tea Infused Snowskin Mooncake with White Lotus Paste, Hazelnut & Candied Orange Peel 43 Lychee with Rose & Almond Tea Agar Agar Mooncake with Beancurd Centre 45 Lapsang Souchong Agar Agar Mooncake with Grass Jelly Centre Momentous Family Celebrations 47 Dai Sau Birthday Longevity Buns / Shoutao 49 Man Yu / New Born s First Month & Other Festivals Tortoise Cake 51 Wedding Tea t-series Jade Butterfly Handmade White Tea with Lotus Seeds, Longans & Red Dates 53 Tea & Health 55 Tea Terroir 56 Tea to Food Pairings 58 Food to Tea Pairings

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3 9 Why Tea & How to Pair it with Food Tea s long history began thousands of years ago in China, where it was brewed for its medicinal properties. Over time, it expanded its role to become the beverage of choice of the well-to-do aristocracy and eventually, as the price of tea came down, it reached the cups of more humble citizens. Tea evolved along with regional cuisine and became a mealtime drink. It is no surprise that it goes well with food. Tea is a great flavour bridge, in that it refreshes and readies the palate for the next course. More importantly, it can also be paired with specific dishes to enhance the flavours of the food. In Chinese tea houses, it is served with both savory and sweet dishes. In England, it accompanies practically everything from scones and clotted cream to cucumber or bacon sandwiches, and even fish and chips. In Russia, it is served with jam cakes, cookies and candies. And a good cup of tea after a big meal is satisfying in every country. Like wine, tea provides an extensive range of fragrances and flavours and can be matched with a variety of foods. There are endless possibilities for creative new pairings. However, tea has an advantage over wine: it is alcohol-free! HOW TO PAIR TEA When selecting a tea to enhance your dining experience, you may either choose one that contrasts or complements the flavours and textures of the food. White tea has a light body, subtle flavours and silky textures and thus is best served alongside delicate dishes. If the tea is at risk of being overwhelmed by the food, a touch of honey might bring the tea s flavour and body up a notch. Green tea, with its lovely vegetative and grassy notes, finds its mate with seafood, salads and the like. There are of course various taste profiles for green teas, and each can be called upon to pair with the sauces or dressings used in the dish. Additionally, green teas are great with deep fried food because these teas cut through the fat and enhance the crispness of the fried food. Oolong teas straddle the worlds of green and black teas and, with an aroma and fragrance that can range from light to intense, they can be called upon to pair with a wide range of dishes. Oolong teas are especially partial to savoury as well as sweet snacks and cakes. Black Teas span a world of flavours, including smoky, malty, chocolate-y, earthy or fruity tones. They are natural companions for savoury foods yet can also stand up to intensely sweet and richly textured desserts. The tea s concentration will inevitably cleanse the palate after savoury or sweet tastes. In addition, fine black teas come in various flavours and styles: you will find an aromatic brew of bergamot-citrus notes in Earl Grey, smoked aromas in Lapsang Souchong, teas with various flavours (Lychee, Rose, Vanilla, etc.) and styles that span the malty (Low Country grown) to the delicate (High Country grown). High Country grown tea with fine polyphenols (tannins) are suited for dishes with pure flavours and clean tastes; whilst the Low Country grown tea with grippy polyphenols (tannins) are better suited for rich foods, ranging from creamy dishes and stews to elaborate desserts and cakes. It is no surprise that Mid-Country grown tea, with its supple tannins, serves as an all-rounder in terms of pairing textures with various foods. And for complex dishes with a myriad tastes and textures, choose a seasonal tea with strong character and intense, multifaceted flavours.

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5 13 CHINESE NEW YEAR Prosperity Toss / Yu Sheng with Sencha Plum Sauce Prosperity Toss / Yu Sheng with Tropical Fruit Serves 10 A major feature in this salad is raw fish although smoked fish, sliced abalone or yuba mock fish can be substituted. Ingredients 100g smoked trout, thinly sliced 2 cups white radish, thinly shredded 2 cups carrot, thinly shredded 1 cup cucumber, thinly shredded 1 tsp red pickled ginger, thinly shredded 1 cup pickled leeks, shredded 1 cup pickled turnip, shredded 1 pomelo segment, loosely broken into smaller parts 1/4 cup of chopped peanuts, roasted and unsalted 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds / crushed peanuts 1 tbsp five spice powder 1 tsp cinnamon powder 1/2 cup whole-wheat crackers, crushed 4 sprigs of fennel Sencha Green Tea Plum Sauce 1/2 cup plum sauce 1 tbsp sesame oil 1/4 cup concentrated Dilmah Sencha Green Extra Special tea (10g to 60mls hot water) 1 tsp peanut / corn oil 1 tsp sesame oil 1/8 tsp five spice powder Method 1 To make the sauce, combine all dressing ingredients and set aside. 2 Arrange the fish slices in the centre of a large platter. 3 Place each type of vegetable in sections around the platter. 4 Sprinkle the pickled ginger, peanut, sesame seeds, parsley and whole-wheat crackers over the vegetables. 5 Pour the dressing over evenly and serve. Prosperity Toss / Yu Sheng with Tropical Fruit Substitute all the ingredients with the exception of the smoked trout, using; 1/2 cup thinly sliced leek 1/4 cup basil 1/4 cup coriander 1/4 cup mint leaves 1/2 sliced cucumber Slivers of sushi ginger 1/4 cup crushed peanuts 1/2 sliced star fruit 1/2 green mango Make a dressing using plum sauce, sesame oil and soy. A sensational pairing is to be found with iced t-series Moroccan Mint Tea as the tea s natural fragrance and flavours complete the flavour journey of the dish. Alternatively, serve a t-series Ceylon Young Hyson Green Tea. Herbal with a hint of fruit, this tea lends itself to salads especially when fish is a feature. Tea Pairing t-series Uva Highlands, Uva Seasonal Pekoe Tea The complex characterful dish demands a tea of a certain stature. The t-series Uva Highlands, Uva Seasonal Pekoe Tea is at once fragrant with a minty top note, and a juicy, firm body with medium astringency. t-series Sencha Green Extra Special Tea With vegetative notes (leafy, fresh peas, cut grass), the tea s attractive scent and flavour remain long after the first sip. Enjoyed with this dish, the tea develops a pleasant astringency at the back palate and confers a hint of sweetness in the front of the mouth.