Tea has evolved for thousands of years along with regional cuisine to be the drink that goes along with meals. It is no surprise that it goes well with food. 

Like any small mid-course or a palate cleanser, tea is in one sense a great flavor bridge from one course to the next. Tea provides an extensive range of tastes, similar to that of wine but without the associated alcohol. Pairing tea with food is an adventure in flavors. It is also a good way to get to know the variety in the world of tea.

How to pair tea and food? 

In general, the flavors of regional teas evolved with local cuisine just like wine evolved with its local cuisine. So a good way to think about natural pairings is to look at the cuisine from the tea regions. For instance, nothing could go with seafood better than Japanese Green teas - such as Sencha, or Genmaicha. To take this a step further green teas in general (including many of those from China, Korea, and Vietnam) are well matched with seafood.