Chocolate paired with tea has health benefits that outweigh wine
Both tea and chocolate have a rich, unique history spanning thousands of years. Tea made its debut in 2737 B.C., when legend has it that Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sipping boiled water beneath a tree when some leaves accidentally blew into it, according to multiple sources.
Tea sommelier Piotr Miga, based in greater Boston, explained to Fox News Digital how recent evidence suggests that the people of Ecuador were using cocoa 5,300 years ago – but noted that it did not reach Europe until the early 16th century, when Spanish explorers brought it over.
Soon, word spread about the health properties of these two delicacies. "By the 17th century, both tea and chocolate were considered high-scale, fashionable and medicinal in nature," Miga stated.
Tea and chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, he explained, are high in antioxidant polyphenols, which target free radicals and can reduce the risk of cancer and have other health benefits.
Healthline reports that the antioxidants and flavanols in cocoa and dark chocolate can reduce inflammation and help keep the endothelial cells that line your arteries healthy. The medical journal also details how popular teas like green tea, ginger and rosehip can also fight inflammation and prevent oxidative damage.
Tea and chocolate are customarily served at the end of a meal with dessert, especially on special occasions like Valentine's Day. Miga explained that tea is more appreciated in British and Eastern nations, whereas in France and Italy, people are more inclined to drink wine.
Miga believes that dark chocolate complements black, pu'er or herbal teas with flavors of berries, rose or citrus. He described how milk chocolate or a chocolate dessert would "pair nicely with black tea picked in the early spring, what we call first flush tea or oolong tea."
Amy Sherman, San Francisco-based tea enthusiast and editor-in-chief of The Chocolate Professor, told Fox News Digital that the same rules apply to pairing chocolate with tea as chocolate with wine.
"You can either contrast or you can complement," she said. "There are a lot of different styles of chocolate and tea, so it lends itself to a lot of experimentation."
Sherman concurred with Miga's suggestion of pairing dark chocolate with black tea. She also mentioned that she loves Earl Grey tea, a black tea with a citrusy bergamot flavor, paired with chocolate – because "citrus and chocolate [are] a beautiful combination."
When it comes to choosing the right tea to sip with a chocolate mint, Sherman commented, "It depends."
"If you're trying to enhance the mint flavor, then I would have a mint tea," she said. "If you want something to cut the mint flavor, then I would go with a black tea (like) English Breakfast or Orange pekoe."
Since chocolate caramel is extremely sweet, Sherman thought it would be paired best with "something that has a stronger character to it," like Lapsang Souchong, a smoky black tea.
To cut the strong sweetness of milk chocolate, Sherman suggested pairing it with green tea, which has an earthy, milder taste.
She surmised that red tea (rooibos), which has a honey flavor to it, would go well with bittersweet chocolate, chocolate covered nuts or toffee, or even strawberries or cherries that have been dipped in chocolate.
"With some of the fruity chocolates, I would go with either a rooibos or hibiscus that has its own flavor that's really strong, or I would go with a black tea, which would be a contrast," Sherman said.
Chocolate with sea salt or chocolate covered popcorn would go best with matcha tea, which is made from green tea leaves and has a frothy bitterness, she explained.
Sherman described how the sweetness of white chocolate confections, like bonbons or truffles, complements the delicate floral essence of herbal tea, or the mild flavor of chamomile. Since white chocolate is made from cocoa butter, rather than cocoa solids, it also has a milder flavor.
Another popular trend, she said, is tea-flavored chocolate bars.
William Mullan, brand director of Raaka Chocolate in Brooklyn, New York, told Fox News Digital that his company has been manufacturing chocolate tea bars in-house since 2014, with the debut of their Earl Grey unroasted dark chocolate bar.
Just like some teas can bring out the sweetness of darker chocolate bars, the health properties of each can also work together as mood enhancers, Mullen said.
"Theobromine and caffeine are both stimulants, and they can help with focus and mood," he said. "If you want to get something done and be peppy and focused, a little chocolate and a little tea, chemically, can be a very advantageous thing in the right dose."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
New Zealand's Wine Industry Is Changing — Thanks to Māori Winemakers Embracing Indigenous Roots
When you visit New Zealand, you'll likely be greeted with 'Kia ora,' a Māori-language welcome widely adopted by the country's English-speaking population. The Māori were the first people to inhabit Aotearoa, the traditional Māori name for New Zealand, who arrived from Polynesia around 1300. Though European explorers first charted the islands in the mid 1600s, significant European settlement and resulting colonization efforts didn't begin until the early 19th century. A watershed moment came in 1840, when Te Tiriti o Waitangi, known as the Treaty of Waitangi, declared British sovereignty over New Zealand. It was signed by the British Crown and most Māori tribal leaders, although the two cultures interpreted the terms differently. Over the years, the Māori were forced to cede land and leadership to the British. Relations improved with the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 which called for reparations to be paid to the Māori people as well as the formation of the Waitangi Tribunal, a commission dedicated to investigating Māori claims and inquiries. Related: This Country Is So Small, It's Been Left Off World Maps — But the Food Can't Be Ignored Like other nations with a history of mistreatment of peoples, New Zealand grapples with its past, but the country's wine industry is keen to honor its Indigenous culture. As an agricultural sector, wine makers feel a unique connection to the Māori people, who were hunters and fishers, and later farmers. Respect and reliance on the land are paramount to both groups and the wine industry identifies this common bond. 'There's a term that loosely relates to terroir: tūrangawaewae, or 'the place where you stand,'' says winemaker Jeff Sinnott. However, the New Zealand wine industry is relatively new, and concerns about 'culture washing' abound. What's the best way forward? There aren't specific statistics on the number of Māori people in the wine industry. According to the Bureau of Economic Research in New Zealand, there are nearly 24,000 Māori-owned businesses in the country. From 2018 to 2023, Māori self-employment increased by 49%, and Māori employers grew by 31%. These statistics suggest opportunity for continued economic growth, and Sinnott thinks the wine industry is one possible avenue. Sinnott started in the wine industry in the mid-1980s, and now works as a consultant. He's one of the five founding members of the TUKU Collective, an organization of Māori winemakers officially launched in 2018 to support and promote Māori producers. Alcohol, in general, didn't have a role in traditional Māori life. 'We got our buzz from our gods,' says Sinnott. When settlers came, Sinnott says that inebriation became a tool for colonizers to control the Māori people."'If you talk to other Māori winemakers, they're in a business to make money. But they are also in the business of providing employment so that people can improve themselves.""But after the beliefs of the Christian church became widely adopted, wine, the sacramental beverage, held a particular reverence. 'Māori being involved in the wine industry is a modern adaptation,' says Sinnott. While connection to the land is a cornerstone for both winemakers and Māori, there's also a pragmatic reason to enter the wine industry. 'Producing wine is as much economic as it is cultural because we have a very, very tenuous cultural link to alcohol,' says Sinnott. 'If you talk to other Māori winemakers, they're in a business to make money. But they are also in the business of providing employment so that people can improve themselves. There's an opportunity for communities." Related: Experience New Zealand's South Island via Tiny Seafood Shacks For the wine industry to fully embrace Māori culture, producers must be open to education. 'Generally, I think most people are engaging with Māori culture from an authentic interest and curiosity to understand values and principles of te ao Māori [the Māori worldview],' says Jannine Rickards, owner and winemaker of Huntress Wines in Wairarapa. 'There are, of course, people who take the opportunity to use cultural aspects for commercial gain. The same thing as greenwashing, culture washing is something that the consumer needs to be wary of.' Rickards, along with a small group of other winemakers in the region, created the Te Reo Māori Booklet for Wine Growers in Wairarapa. The goal was to engage with the local iwi (tribe) and further a connection to the region, history, and its people. The booklet provides a history of Aotearoa as conveyed by Māori storytelling. It contains a glossary of winemaking terms and explains both the growing cycle in the Māori language and how to introduce oneself in a mihimihi, a traditional personal introduction where a person shares their name, where their ancestors come from and where they live. Some wineries, such as Ata Rangi and Oraterra, share the booklet with international staff members and customers at the cellar door, or include it with new releases. Rickards says the booklet is just a starting point. In partnership with the local Hau Ariki Marae, a sacred communal gathering space, the Wairarapa Winegrowers committee hosted a hākari (feast) and noho (sleepover) at the cultural center to educate people not originally from Wairapara. 'We have ambitions to grow and further this initial project to encompass more learning that can be shared within the region,' says Rickards. This wave of international interests in New Zealand has again raised questions about respecting Māori culture. 'There are a lot of foreign companies that want to be Māori,' says Haysley MacDonald, founder and owner of te Pā Winery in Marlborough, and a member of the TUKU Collective. 'And so they get a wine brand with a Māori name, whack a label on a bottle, and sell it around the world. That's a tough one when you are Māori,' he says. 'You have a heritage, and you see your names and places being ripped off by many global giants, large supermarkets, and those that don't give it the respect that it deserves.' MacDonald believes Māori language and iconography should be trademarked and protected, much like how sparkling wine can only be labeled as Champagne if it was made in the famed French region. 'Our Māori names are used in vain all over the world,' he says. Such authenticity can only help Māori producers, and perhaps the wine industry itself. 'I'm noticing that all around the globe, the younger generation, especially, are getting more interested in what they're drinking and who's behind it,' says MacDonald. 'I think that's been very good for us as a business. People can relate to all our brand stories, all our iconography, and know that we're real.' Read the original article on Food & Wine
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
UK agrees to check-free land border for Gibraltar but EU controls for flights
The UK has reached a deal with the EU over Gibraltar's border with Spain that will allow travellers to cross by land without checks. The agreement on a 'fluid border' clears the way to finalise a post-Brexit deal on the territory with the EU. But those flying into Gibraltar from the UK will face one check from Gibraltarian officials and another by the Spanish on behalf of the EU. An agreement for the future relationship between the EU and the UK in relation to Gibraltar is now a reality. It is a historic agreement. — Fabian Picardo (@FabianPicardo) June 11, 2025 This is because the land border will allow those arriving by air access to the European Schengen free travel area unchecked once they are in Gibraltar. The UK and Gibraltar insisted the changes would not affect the British overseas territory's sovereignty. The airport will operate under a model similar to London's St Pancras station, where passengers pass through both UK and French passport checks to board international trains. Goods and customs checks will also eventually be removed in both directions under the agreement. The move could also see airlines start to add flights to Gibraltar from countries other than the UK in a boost to tourism. Officials say a hard border would have been introduced under the EU's incoming exit and entry control system if no deal was reached, causing delays for some 15,000 people who cross the border every day as every individual passport was checked. Talks on rules governing the border have been ongoing since Britain left the European Union in 2020. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the previous Tory government left behind a situation that 'put Gibraltar's economy and way of life under threat'. He said the agreement was a 'breakthrough' after years of uncertainty. He said: 'Alongside the government of Gibraltar, we have reached an agreement which protects British sovereignty, supports Gibraltar's economy and allows businesses to plan for the long-term once again. 'I thank the chief minister and his government for their tireless dedication throughout the negotiations. The UK's commitment to Gibraltar remains as solid as The Rock itself.' Spanish foreign minister Jose Albares said the deal marked 'a new beginning' in the relationship between the UK and Spain. He said that Spain 'will guarantee free movement of people and goods', adding that Gibraltar would now be linked to the Schengen Area with Spanish authorities controlling entry and exit. I have always said nothing about Gibraltar, without Gibraltar. — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) June 11, 2025 President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the deal. In a post on X, she said: 'It safeguards the integrity of Schengen and the single market, while ensuring stability, legal certainty and prosperity for the region.' Gibraltar's chief minister Fabian Picardo said the deal would 'protect future generations of British Gibraltarians and does not in any way affect our British sovereignty'. 'Now is the time to look beyond the arguments of the past and towards a time of renewed co-operation and understanding. Now the deal is done, it's time to finalise the treaty,' he said. On Wednesday evening, Sir Keir Starmer spoke with Mr Picardo and thanked him for 'his years of hard work, commitment, and leadership to reach an agreement'. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also had a phone call with Sir Keir, and congratulated the British PM because 'his Government had succeeded where others had failed'. The Conservatives have said they will carefully review the UK's agreement with the EU on Gibraltar's border to see if it crosses any 'red lines' the party set out during its own negotiations when in government. Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel said: 'Gibraltar is British, and given Labour's record of surrendering our territory and paying for the privilege, we will be reviewing carefully all the details of any agreement that is reached.' Mr Lammy held talks with Gibraltar's leaders, members of the opposition and the business community before leaving the British overseas territory to head to Brussels on Wednesday morning. Gibraltar was ceded to the UK by Spain in 1713 and the population is heavily in favour of remaining a British overseas territory. The last time it voted on a proposal to share sovereignty with Spain, in 2002, almost 99% of Gibraltarians rejected the move. Gibraltar also hosts an RAF base at its airport and an important naval facility.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
UK agrees post-Brexit deal over Gibraltar
The UK has a agreed a deal with the European Union over Gibraltar's status after Brexit. Talks on rules governing the border of Spain and Gibraltar have been ongoing since Britain left the EU in 2020. The UK said the agreement would avoid the need for checks on people and goods crossing the Gibraltar-Spain border. For travellers arriving at Gibraltar airport, passport checks will be carried out by Gibraltar and Spanish officials. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to read top political analysis, gain insight from across the UK and stay up to speed with the big moments. It'll be delivered straight to your inbox every weekday. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
