Tea pairs with a lot more than just biscuits — check out our suggestions.

If you're anywhere close to as fanatical about tea as we are at two leaves and a bud, you'll want to be drinking tea at all times of day. That, of course, includes mealtime.

Pairing tea with food is like pairing food with wine — you'll want to search for the perfect complement and balance to what's on your plate. However, if you're afraid your tea-tasting palate might not yet be up to the task, have no fear! Here's our beginner's guide to pairing tea with salty, fried, sweet or rich and creamy foods:

Salty, Fried Foods:

We've all had that experience where we walk into a Chinese food restaurant and are offered tea with our meal. Not only is tea the traditional beverage of choice to be sipped with Chinese food, it also happens to be the perfect complement to salty, friend dishes seen in Dim Sum and other Chinese staples.

But what type of tea should you choose? The answer here is as simple as it gets: just sip on Jasmine Petal green tea. The light, smooth, vegetal aspects of green tea layered with the sweetness and aroma from the jasmine is the perfect balance to salty, fried flavors.

Rich and Creamy:

Rich and creamy foods deserve a tea that's a bit milder and won't overwhelm the palate. Look to simple green or white teas like our Organic Tamayokucha or Organic White Peony to add an extra layer of flavor that goes well with simple, straightforward cheeses and other creamy foods.

Organic Tamayokucha will complement the mild base laid out by your food with hints of vegetal tones and some light sweetness, while Organic White Peony adds layers of subtle savory and sweet notes to your palate.

Dessert Time:

Ah, dessert — the meal period when tea most often makes an appearance. Since you'll be offered tea more often than not with dessert, you better have the perfect pairing ready!

The perfect tea pairing here is actually again quite simple: The bright astringency of two leaves and a bud's Organic Darjeeling plays the perfect balancing role for sweet, rich desserts. You'll find Darjeeling to be a perfect palate cleanser, while also mellowing out the sweetness of dessert.

We'll end our beginner's guide to pairing tea with food with a couple of questions: Do you enjoy tea with food? Or do you prefer tea on its own? Also, have you discovered any interesting pairings of two leaves and a bud teas with your meals?

Writers note: For some additional great education on pairing tea with cheese specifically, please check out this great article from Culture Magazine — it was an inspiration for this very article!