ITEI Certified Tea Sommelier Course
Course Overview
Depending on your professional background and aspirations, the ITEI Tea Sommelier certification will provide you with the confidence, knowledge and qualifications required to become a tea expert within a food and beverage environment such as a restaurant, hotel or tea house.
The ITEI Tea Sommelier course will take place at WSET London Bridge and will consist of 9 modules, additional reading and an exam at the end of the course.
Apart from an extensive practical aspect of the course, which will focus on various tea ceremonies and tea cupping (tasting), the course will also include the basics such as tea types, regions and manufacturing, and also other subjects such as tea and food parings, tea menu design, and tea orientated mixology.
The next ITEI Tea Sommelier course will take place in London soon, date to be announced.
If you are interested in attending this course, please email us at teaschool@camelliasteahouse.com or call 0203 489 7676.
MODULE 1 – Introduction to the world of tea
- ITEI Tea Sommelier™ role within the food service, catering and hospitality
- One plant and six tea categories review
- Artisan tea gardens, co-ops and tea estates
- Introduction to tea vessels from China and Japan
MODULE 2 – Tea producing countries and regions
- Tea, terroirs and cultivars
- Tea producing countries and regions around the world
- The tea plant cultivation and harvesting
MODULE 3 – How tea is manufactured
- Organic and Fairtrade teas
- Tea manufacturing impact on tea types and tastes
- Professional cupping of White teas – Green Teas – Oolong Teas – Black teas – Pu-Erh Teas
MODULE 4 – The science of tea tasting
- Selection of tea utensils variables within the food Service and catering industry
- Tea and water
- ITEI Tea Sommelier utensils – tea service at its best
- ITEI Sensory Tea Evaluation Approach
- Tea quality assessment and tasting terminology
MODULE 5 – Tea Menus/ Tea cocktails/ Tea & food pairing basics
- Are there any rules for Tea & Food pairing?
- Mixology
- Tea lattes, iced teas, bubble teas, tea cocktails
- Let’s pair tea & diverse food categories
- How to design a Tea Menu
- English Afternoon Tea
MODULE 6 – China teas & “terroirs”/ China tea history capsule and tea regions
- Cupping of China Whites
- Cupping of China Greens
- Cupping of China Oolongs
- Cupping of China Blacks
- Cupping of China Darks/ Pu-Erh
MODULE 7 – Taiwan teas & “terroirs”/ Taiwan tea history capsule and tea regions
- Cupping of low altitude Oolongs
- Cupping of high altitude Oolongs
- Cupping of baked Oolongs
MODULE 8 – Japanese teas & “terroirs”/ Japan tea history capsule and tea regions
- Gyokuro tea vs Sencha tasting
- Let’s taste Japan’s most popular teas
- Matcha tea tasting and preparation tips
MODULE 9 – Indian/ Sri Lankan teas & “terroirs” and tea regions
- CTC teas vs Orthodox
- Tea grading
- Let’s taste Assam, Darjeeling and Nilgiri teas
- Chai tea
- Let’s taste and compare first, second, autumnal flushes
- Cupping of Ceylon high grown teas
- Cupping of Ceylon mid grown teas
Final Exam
Closed book written exam of 50 multiple-choice questions and practical skills and blind tasting. Upon successful completion of this Certification, students receive the ITEI Tea Sommelier™ Certificate
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