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.

Nee Hao Magazine have asked the tea experts at Royal China Group to provide their top tips on which teas to order with dim sum to make the most of the oriental flavours.

Royal China Club offers a vast tea menu of 40 different teas, all stored in a traditional Chinese tea chest. With such a huge variety of teas on offer, it can be difficult to choose the most suitable for your dim sum feast.

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.

The Royal China Group consists of six of London’s most authentic and prestigious Chinese restaurants, including the luxurious and critically-acclaimed Royal China Club. Based in prime areas of London, the restaurants are centrally located on Baker Street, as well as in Bayswater, Fulham, Harrow-on-the-Hill and Canary Wharf. 

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