The unexpected pairing--tea & chocolate.

Like two friends that you never expected to see together who turn out to be amazingly well suited, tea and chocolate make a terrific marriage. And yet they are the least frequently paired of the three most well known caffeinated products on the market--coffee, tea and chocolate. Coffee and chocolate

Tea and chocolate may actually work better together because tea, like chocolate, shares the same high notes, floral qualities and bite from astringency and tannins. Some teas have a lush, green, vegetal quality. Some teas resonate with dark smokiness and depth of flavor. The same comparison can be made of varietal chocolates. And in the hands of great chocolatiers, tea and chocolate can be blended to highlight complementary yet contrasting qualities equally well. Richness and body is attained when adding milk to tea or in this case, adding tea to chocolate.

A perfect example of this ideal marriage can be found in the artisanal Tea Chocolates from the Golden Moon Tea Company of Woodinville, Washington. Using vintage machinery over one hundred years old, they turn out handcrafted batches of ultra creamy meltaway chocolates infused with the essences of their own teas. High butterfat milk chocolate is blended with the essential oils of real spearmint, peppermint and green tea found in their Moroccan Mint Tea. To please dark chocolate lovers, they also blend a high butterfat dark chocolate with their Kashmiri Chai Tea, an Indian black tea spiced with the essential oils of cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon. Both delicate chocolates are even more exquisite when enjoyed with their corresponding teas. Golden Moon's classic meltaways won a NASFT Outstanding Confection Award in 2000 and true to their name, they literally melt in your mouth. The suggested retail is $7.95 for a 4-ounce box of chocolates or $12.50 for a bulk pound of 50 cello wrapped pieces.

No doubt two of the most soothing things one can do in this hectic world is to imbibe in a cup of hot tea and nibble on a luscious bar of chocolate. Both of these antidotes to stress can be found in one Orange Tea Bar from DeBas Chocolatier of Fresno, California. They blend a pure, all-natural German dark chocolate that is devoid of any hydrogenated fat, with an infusion of orange pekoe and green tea and just the right amount of nutmeg, cinnamon and bits of orange peel. This produces an intriguing mouth feel and a very satisfying flavor appeal. DeBas boutique chocolates can be found in stores across the US but they are pleased to private label. The suggested retail price for a 1.5 ounce bar is a worthy $1.75.

Japanese green tea has long been renowned for its medicinal properties. And chocolate has historically been touted as a mixed bag of healthful effects from mythical aphrodisiac to scientifically proven mood enhancer. And so, from the very creative master chocolatier, Katrina Markoff of Vosges Haut Chocolat, Chicago, comes a blending of the best of both worlds. Her offering is a quietly elegant yet stunning example of the pairing of tea with chocolate. Here, the vegetal quality of Japanese green tea is captured in a delicate pale green, creamy smooth truffle center. This is encased in an extra fine white chocolate shell and topped with a pale pink edible cherry blossom truly a confection with eye-appeal as well as palate appeal. Markoff has named this sensuous morsel "Kayoko," after the first woman appointed to the Grand Master of Tea Ceremonies outside of the Sen Family. It can be had in her latest "Green Collection" of assorted chocolate truffles for spring 2003 or by itself, special order. Suggested retail prices range from $21 for a box of nine pieces to $60 for a box of 32 pieces. Vosges Haut Chocolat now has two Chicago stores, one flagship store on Michigan Avenue and the other in The Peninsula Hotel. A new store has just opened in The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Miami and as of August 2003, another will be opening in New York City.

If these tempting pairings of tea and chocolate tease your tastebuds and you want to try your own hand at this duo, we offer the following simple solution. For Smoky Dark Tea Truffles: Infuse 2 heaping tablespoons of loose Lapsang Souchong tea leaves in 1 cup of barely simmering heavy cream for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a double boiler set over barely simmering water, combine 10 ounces chopped, high quality bittersweet chocolate with 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 1/4 teaspoon of real vanilla extract. Strain the cream into the chocolate and stir until smooth. Scrape into a shallow glass bowl and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours. Form into balls and roll in unsweetened cocoa powder. Consume within a week (if you can wait that long).

Tea and chocolate may be an unexpected pairing, but once you have experienced it you'll find it the most compatible marriage in the World!

Please Note: There may be limited or no shipping from some of the above companies during the hot summer months of the year, due to the delicate nature of the chocolates.

Golden Moon Tea Company

P.O. Box 1646

Woodinville, WA 98072

Contact: Cynthia Knotts

(425) 820-2000

www.goldenmoontea.com

DeBas Chocolatier

5877 E. Brown

Fresno, CA 93727

(800) 332-2701

www.debas.com

Vosges Haut Chocolat

520 N. Michigan Ave.

Chicago, IL

(888) 301-9866

www.vosgeschocolat.com