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When we think of pairing food with beverages, wine and beer usually come to mind.

Coffee, on the other hand, is the thing that I pair with mornings so that I’m not a horrible person for the rest of the day.

Occasionally it’s paired with the midday slump, and if I’m feeling particularly indulgent, a pastry.

To limit the drink to moods and whatever I feel like nibbling on, however, is to ignore its full potential.

As I discovered while messing around on the internet covered in pastry crumbs, coffee and food pairing is not only a thing, but a way to enhance the dining experience.

According to The Coffee Owl Society, it’s more of an art than a science.

To help you master that art, they’ve put together a ‘pairing library’, not unlike the ones out there for beer and wine, so that you stop drinking your coffee with whichever food is on hand like a peasant.

After you’ve boned up on your pairings, I’ll tell you where to get your hands on the regional coffees mentioned below.

Fruit

Most berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc.), pair well with coffees from Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda, while peaches, plums, raisins, apricots, cherries, and citrus fruits pair well with coffee from Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Honduras, Bolivia, Costa Rica, or Nicaragua.

Chocolate

Chocolate, the staple of any balanced diet (fight me), goes well with coffees from Brazil, Columbia, El Salvador, Guatemala, or Mexico.

If you’re a fan of dark chocolate, Brazilian coffee really hits the spot.

Bread

Here you want to stick to coffee from Guatemala, Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru, or Columbia.

Dairy

Fancy a cheese platter with your cuppa? Make sure you’re drinking something from Sumatra, Java, India, Kona, or Papua New Guinea.

Spicy Food

This might sound obvious, but you’re going to want to stick to an iced coffee or a cold brew when indulging in something spicy.

You can go through the trouble of trying to make it yourself, or you can take advantage of the current ‘buy one get one free’ special on cold brews from Terbodore Coffee Roasters.

Buy a four-pack or a 12-pack before the end of October and they’ll double it up – just check under the ‘Sparkling Cold Brew’ section of the online shop.

Poultry and Meat

I honestly didn’t know that coffee could be paired with meat.

Coffees with fruit notes like those from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Honduras, or Bolivia pair well with chicken.

If you prefer a bit of red meat, stick to dark roast coffees.

This pretty package ought to sort you out:

Finally, all coffees pair well with doughnuts, sweet pastries, cookies, and puff pastries, so give yourself a pat on the back – you’ve been doing it right this whole time without even realising it.

The overachievers out there can find an extensively detailed breakdown of which foods go with what here.

As for where to stock up on your preferred brew, Terbodore’s SELECT range boasts ethically sourced, expertly farmed and roasted coffee beans from Uganda and Colombia.

Their famous The Great Dane is a special blend of beans from Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Brazil, and for that extra kick, stock up on Mac Espresso – a premium selection of beans sourced from South America and high-altitude African countries.

All of this and more can be found on their website, ready to be ordered and delivered to your door.

You’ll also find some tasting notes so that you can really show off next time you have your mates over for brunch.

Congratulations – you’ve levelled up.

[source:coffeeowlsociety]