| My Decision to Become a Tea Master |
| Posted by Phuong on Jan 15th, 2009 |
I finally have the chance to sit down and share with you my Tea Sommelier, or Tea Master, training. Some of you may not have heard of a Sommelier, let alone a Tea Sommelier. Traditionally a sommelier (pronounced suh-mal-'yAy) is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, commonly working in fin restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service.Since there are so many parallels between wine and tea, the term Tea Sommelier assumes some relevance and appeal. A tea somellier is someone who is an expert on the origins, varieties and preparation of tea. In addition, she should also have the expertise to pair certain foods with tea. I took that to a higher level, as most of you have seen, and not only paired food with tea but also created food and spa recipes using tea. Here are a few questions that were asked of me before the Tea Sommelier Training: 1. Why did you decide to become a tea master/sommelier? It all comes down to one word: passion. This is the foundation of Koni Tea and the best way to describe how I look at life. I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to enrich my life as well as being able to share my knowledge with my family and friends. As soon as I knew I could get certified by the American Tea Master's Association, I quickly enrolled and booked all travel arrangements. I've always found the most fulfillment and joy in teaching others and inspiring them with what my family has done for me. Our family lives by this saying, "Pursue what you are passionate about, constantly push yourself to be, go beyond your comfort level, and you will be successful." I am passionate about tea so it was natural for me to pursue this certification. Plus, I knew I would be tasting some great teas along the way! 2. What are you planning to do with your certification? It's always fun and exciting to learn new things so why not share it with others? Especially when it comes to a delicious product that adds so many elements to one's life. I love this saying, "If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are heated, tea will cool you. If you are depressed, tea will cheer you. If you are excited, tea will calm you." I hope that attaining my goal will inspire people to believe in themselves and to never lose faith. I never thought that I would have the opportunity to get certified in the United States as a Tea Master. I co-founded Koni Tea. I've created tea blends. I've done a lot of training and grew up on tea, but having that certification means so much. It's the commitment of dedicating the time, efforts, and money into something I truly believe in. I want others to know that they can too do the same with their dreams. Koni Tea plans on using my knowledge and expertise of tea to educate our clients/friends on the wonderful world of tea.  www.KoniTea.com 3. What does the certification entail? The curriculum has been designed to include what has been experienced as the most essential components that will integrating tea mastery skills into my existing career. Combined with taste-testing several teas in each class session, I will be exposed to approximately 70 different teas. These teas are tasted in special sensory-evaluation porcelain cups. Each tasting is led by Tea Master Chas and I'll be performing some tea evaluations as well as serving. Here are a few things I will learn:
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