Most people don’t view chocolate and tea as a typical flavor combination, but the two have some things in common. Both have served as the basis for caffeinated beverages for several thousand years. Like red wine, both chocolate and tea contain bioflavinoids which have potent antioxidant properties known to improve hypertension and reduce inflammation. Both the tea and cocoa plants were introduced to European palettes in the 17th century thanks to newly sustained contact with areas such as Mexico, the Middle East and China. Still, we’re more likely to see chocolate and coffee together (mochachino anyone?) than chocolate and tea.

Nevertheless, chocolate and tea are harmonized in sweets such as tea-infused chocolates, green-tea and chocolate ice cream, and sophisticated tea menus are increasingly offered at dessert in fine dining restaurants. However, because both chocolate and tea can have such nuanced flavors, it can be a difficult pairing to get right. Usually one flavor walks all over the other.

Cocoa or chocolate tea is a pretty common blend of tea usually made from a mixture of chocolate-hinted black teas and other unflavored teas. I endured an absurdly long wait at the very cute Cocoa Bar to try a chunk of their dark chocolate bark with salted almonds (good) and their house blend cocoa tea. Their cocoa tea is not sweet, and has more chocolate-y aroma than taste, but is a nice balance between the chocolate and warm hints of vanilla and ripe fruit in the woody tea.

Cocoa Bar
228 Seventh Avenue

*Cocoa Tea is also the name of a reggae singer and performer of the hit lovers rock song “Sweet Sweet Cocoa Tea.”

Originally published on Until Monday: Brooklyn