Drinking tea with dim sum is essential in Chinese cultures – with tea being equally as important as the dishes you are eating. Each tea has its own unique taste and aroma, so it is important to pair the dishes with the correct teas to experience the full flavours of the cuisine.
With such a huge variety of teas on offer, it can be difficult to choose the most suitable for your dim sum feast. The tea experts at Royal China Group have provided their top tips on which teas to order with dim sum to make the most of the oriental flavours.
Dim Sum Dish: Prawn dumpling
Pairing: Light dishes pairs well with Jasmine tea, allowing you to taste the full floral flavours of the tea.
Dim Sum Dish: Scallop dumplings or Lobster dim sum
Pairing: It’s best to pair these dim sum dishes with a tea darker in colour and with a stronger flavour such as Oolong Tea, which also has a more complex aroma.
Dim Sum Dish: Chilli dumplings
Pairing: Pu-erh tea is best paired with chilli dumplings as it is strong tea which pairs well with the chilli flavours and it helps you to digest oilier foods.
Dim Sum Dish: Honey roast pork puffs
Pairing: Keemun tea is a full-bodied black tea, best sipped with pastry dishes and dark meat. It should not be paired with very sweet desserts.
Dim Sum Dish: Chicken Buns or Fruit
Pairing: Green tea pairs best with milder ingredients such as chicken. It also matches well with fruit desserts such as Royal China’s Almond beancurd with fruit cocktail.
Looking for more tea tips? Check our our guide on 6 steps to choosing the very best Earl Grey tea, IDEAL for discerning tea drinkers everywhere.