by Simone Prak
Today I was out early for the Tea and Cheese Pairing, organized by VNC. The location was the Verhalenhuis Belvédère in Katendrecht, the first Chinatown in Europe.
The pairing was provided by tea sommeliers Joyce van der Zalm and Ameing Tang. Four authentic Chinese teas and four matching Dutch cheeses were chosen especially for this afternoon. Each and every one of them turned out to be wonderful combinations.
I always find it very special to experience what carefully chosen flavors can do to each other; The cheeses sometimes became softer, more pronounced or creamier, but the teas also got a huge taste boost! It was nice to see that everyone reacted very enthusiastically to these refined combinations.
To conclude, Mr. David Zee told an impressive piece of history about the Katendrecht district and about the arrival of the first Chinese to the Netherlands. A piece of history that was new to me, but which left a deep impression on me. All in all a very successful event! Thanks to VNC, Ameing and Joyce for organizing this event.
