‘Love what you do, and do what you love!’
At Teafloor, we are all tea lovers. We have a team of tea connoisseurs and tea specialists who work collectively to keep the tradition of tea alive. We have a number of tea enthusiasts as active members of Teafloor. Did you know a tea specialist is called a tea sommelier by profession? Have you heard this before? So, just for your information, just like wine tasting is a well acclaimed profession, likewise, tea tasting is a profession. A tea sommelier is for tea and a wine sommelier is for wine, simple. It is a respectable and reliable profession across the globe. If you are also a tea enthusiast and sniffing the smell of tea arouses your senses, tea sommelier could be the profession for you.
Whether you want to become a tea sommelier or are interested in knowing about it – tea sommelier is a boundless and highly appreciated profession for anyone who loves chai. The profession can take you to places you’ve never been to before. All you have to do is – follow your passion.
Who is a Tea Sommelier?
Tea sommelier is a person who knows anything and everything about tea. He or she has an in-depth knowledge about teas through the right modules and curriculum. Knowing just a fact or two about a few teas doesn’t certify you to be a tea sommelier; vast and intricate knowledge is required for the same. Surprisingly, there are certified courses for tea sommeliers and connoisseurs in India. It is like attaining a bachelor’s degree or diploma certificate. Tea sommeliers know the ins and out of tea- the plant it is derived from, its blends, tastes, countries where it is consumed the most, etc. Originally, a tea sommelier worked in a fine dining restaurant and his/ her key role was to advise people about the kind of tea that will suit them in accordance with their personal tastes, moods, budget and occasion.
How to Become a Tea Sommelier?
Being a tea sommelier is not as difficult as you might think, especially in India. Firstly, you must have a deep passion for tea, which makes it easier to learn and remember it all at a semantic level. Next, be thorough with your research beyond just your favourite brews. Dive into researching about the different blends of teas outside your geographical area. It is crucial to find the right institute to become a successful tea sommelier. There are a number of institutes and academies that proffer distinctive creative certificate and diploma level courses in tea tasting and blending. Few of them are:
- ITEI- International Tea Education Institute, Canada
- TAC- Tea Sommelier Program, Canada
- Certified Tea Sommelier Program by World Tea Academy
- Asian School of Tea, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
- Birla Institute of Futuristic Studies, Kolkata, India
What are the Basic Skills Required to be a Tea Sommelier?
- Be knowledgeable– Complete your education and be a maestro in tea history and blending. You must be mindful about the different flavours in blends with their processing and preparation methods.
- Sales is important– As tea sommeliers most certainly work with restaurants, he/ she must be able to communicate with the staff, management, suppliers and clientele well. You must be proactive in your work and be able to attain good sales.
- Comprehensiveness– Be responsive and not reactive, and most importantly approachable. Be confident and professional in your work. You must have the ability to design a comprehensive menu for any food or retail company.
- Be a connoisseur– You should be able to recommend teas to patrons and convince them that tea is beneficial for them. Decipher the principles of food pairings and tea flavours. Having said that, be articulate in tasting notes associated with different teas.
A tea sommelier must have immense knowledge of how a specific kind of tea tastes, its medical benefits, blending processes, along with the harvest seasons, climates, soils, and plant varieties. The job may also require some travelling which makes the job adventurous and enthusiastic. This will also expand the horizon of knowledge of the person and establish a vast clientele. To keep up to date with the tea blends and tastes, a tea sommelier is also expected to attend tea tasting sessions in formal events like trade shows and fairs. The process is peculiarly similar to wine tasting- smelling of tea, sipping it carefully, swishing and describing various qualities they perceive. By having a career in tea tasting and specializing in tea like a tea sommelier, you’ll always find yourself “high on chai”.
