At my other [non-chocolate] gig, I have the pleasure of working with English tea retailer Whittard of Chelsea, who just opened a boutique on Boston's Newbury Street. A few days ago, I asked Whittard's tea and coffee guru, Giles Hilton, for his thoughts on pairing tea and chocolate. Mr. Hilton has been traveling around the world sourcing the best teas and developing Whittard's tea blends for more than 30 years and draws from quite an incredible and eclectic pool of experience. In between his various trips to different tea gardens, he was able to sit down and email along a few ideas to start:

Milk chocolate: I would try a regular tea like Assam or Ceylon with a dash of milk.

Pure chocolate, with fillings and other flavours: Vanilla flavoured tea. Even Indian Spice Chai, which can be made the Indian way with milk and sugar, or lightly brewed and black.

Dark Chocolate (even bitter chocolate): l immediately thought Darjeeling tea - it's wonderful, light, aromatic, and chases the chocolate all round your palate. A Jasmine could work too!

Pairing tea and chocolate can be tricky in light of tea's astringency and tannins. The suggestions above are a good foundation to begin exploring. I'll check back in with Giles soon and post some more ideas.