到米其林餐廳用餐佐茶是新興品飲風尚，侍酒師清楚說明白酒與海鮮、紅酒與肉類的搭配，這都是初級概念，細分會講究葡萄品種、餐點食材，甚至精確到產地或是釀酒師⋯同樣地，茶更具有如此多元組合變化性，正等待喜好餐茶美味的老饕追逐挑戰。
用一道出自法國二星餐廳「Restaurant La Pyramide」主廚Patrick Henriroux 的拿手菜《海蚌與咖哩花椰菜佐綠蘋果凍與柚子》如何佐茶？多樣食材處理成細塊，初咀嚼翻湧海蚌鮮味，接著出場咖哩的刺激感，揉進了蘋果、柚子芬芳酸味。先佐以Charles Dufour 粉紅色香檳Bistrøtage Rosé B.11 帶著酵母味，香檳配海鮮是王道？殊不知以臺灣杉林溪著蜒烏龍茶才見高手在茶！
陳放五年的著蜒烏龍茶，100 度高溫激出茶湯琥珀金黃，若蜂蜜花香的嗅覺誘惑，流瀉在海蚌與咖哩花椰菜之間，咖哩原有的刺激感，經茶湯滋味柔化，香辛料刺激修飾味蕾舞動見賦格生命律動！
以茶佐餐，可選由餐廳提供餐茶搭配，亦可先找茶單自成侍茶師將茶華麗變身。從餐廳提供的菜單細節找搭配，同一主廚的《野菇蛋黃餃》，蛋黃餃佐野菇鋪墊伊比利火腿，注入由牛肝菌醬汁，半熟蛋黃的柔滑，野菇的隱隱木質香，伊比利火腿的臘香，三位層次堆疊，細嚼慢嚥流瀉曼妙好味。
著蜒烏龍茶幾近紅茶的全發酵，透過烘焙，去青茶原有的清香，轉成蜜熟果香，卻能勾引出野菇綻樣，牛肝菌濃稠醬汁與火腿的鹹香提出茶的厚度，一起咀嚼餘韻繚繞。
In a Michelin-starred restaurant, the sommelier explains the different winepairing philosophies for seafood and meat, explaining in depth wine grape varieties,
ingredients, and details of the winemaker.Nowadays, instead of wine, the same ritual is also done for tea, with passionate diners invited to explore a diverse combination of tea and food. A new Michelin dining fashion is emerging.
So, how do you do tea-pairing fair chef Patrick Henriroux’s well-known dish “Coquillages et Rémoulade de Chou Fleur au Curry Vert”? The dish from the twostarred La Pyramide restaurant consists of a variety of diced ingredients. The taste of the seashells comes first, followed by the curry, and then hints of apples and grapefruits. If you believe this dish needs to be paired with a glass of Champagne by Charles Dufour, the Bistrøtage Rosé B.11 is already an excellent choice. But wait until you try to pair the dish with bug-bitten oolong tea planted in Central Taiwan’s Nantou county.
Aged for five years and boiled in 100-degree water, the amber-colored tea tempts with its honey and floral fragrances, wandering between seashell and curried cauliflower. The sensation from the spices is somehow tamed by the tea and thus creates a new rhythm on the taste buds.
To do a tea pairing, you could ask the restaurant to prepare a tea selection, or you could also come up with a tea list based on the menu and become a tea sommelier yourself. To pair egg ravioli, you need to think about three layers of sensations inter twined: silky ravioli with wild mushrooms on top of Iberico ham.
Pairing with bug-bitten oolong tea, which is almost like a fully-fermented black tea, the freshness of the tea transforms into flavors of ripe fruit after roasting. Together, the thick sauce made from porcini mushrooms and the rich, savory taste from the ham bring out the texture of the tea.
【本文刊載於 Jun. 2020 ｜ Vintage Square】
