FEATURED CLASSES

• Name the three factors that make it possible for the one tea plant to produce so many different kinds of tea.
• Describe the tea plant’s botanical origins and primary commercial varieties.
• Define variety, cultivar and landraces and the significance of these in tea cultivation.
• Name and describe the six stages of tea processing.
• Name the six types of tea.
• Identify the defining stage of processing for each type of tea.
• Set up and conduct a professional tea cupping session for the sensory evaluation of teas.

You Will Receive:

Who Should Take This?

Everyone interested in tea should take this introductory course. This course is designed for tea professionals working at all levels of the industry who wish to further their knowledge of tea, their career goals or increase sales of tea. It is ideal for tea professionals and enthusiasts who wish to learn about the basics of tea education, starting with in-depth understanding of the tea plant and the stages of processing. Anyone taking this course will gain a basic understanding of the six types of tea, their manufacturing processes and basic cupping skills, including how to use the 3 piece professional cupping set.

World Tea Academy Certified Tea Specialist Candidates:

Successful completion of this class counts towards certification for WTA Certified Tea Specialist. CORE.01 is a prerequisite for CORE.02 through CORE.06 classes.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites: This is the first class in our online certification program. There are no prerequisites to take this class. All the teas and materials you need for the class will be shipped to you. Schedule

This course is offered every month from January through November in 2017.

International If your class materials will be shipped to a non-US domestic address you will be charged $75 for shipping at check-out. Please note: Due to strict regulations and enforcement policies by Mexican customs officials, we are unable to ship packages to addresses in Mexico.

Building on the foundation material of CORE.01 and understanding how a single plant can create hundreds of kinds of tea, we will explore the post-manufacturing processes such as baking, aging, blending, flavoring, and more. In the second section of this fundamental class we will sort through the alphabet soup of tea grading systems and look at the meaning and methods used for grading tea used in China, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Taiwan. The last section will focus on the sensory evaluation of teas that have received post-manufacturing processes.

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• Name and describe six post-manufacturing processes used in the tea industry.
• Describe the difference between blending, flavoring and scenting.
• Define and differentiate decaffeinated and caffeine-free teas.
• Understand the impact of flavoring and decaffeination on labeling.
• Understand and describe the various grading and naming systems used in the tea industry.
• Understand the hygroscopic nature of tea and its impact on packaging, storing and other processes.

You Will Receive:

Six teas

Course Length:

3 weeks (plus one week grace period to submit assignments and complete any tests.)

With a strong foundation in the background of the tea plant and how teas are manufactured, we begin our journey to countries of origin and a detailed approach to terroir. And we rightfully start off with our focus on the birthplace of tea - China. Then we will travel to Korea, a smaller country of origin but home of quality green teas that are making a name for themselves around the world. This class will also explore two countries of origin highly influenced by China but truly unique unto their own – Japan and Taiwan. Again, we conclude with a focused cupping of these regions and continue to add to your experience and confidence in the organoleptic evaluation process.

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• Name the major tea-producing regions of China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan and their notable teas.
• Identify teas from each country and understand their manufacturing processes.
• Describe the classic characteristics of teas from each of the key tea-growing regions.
• Discern the difference between the teas of various terroirs of each country.
• Understand the history of tea in each of these countries and their tea industries today.

YOU WILL RECEIVE: 8 teas

Course Length:

3 weeks (plus one week grace period to submit assignments and complete any tests.)

Most of the classes in the core curriculum focus on the tea plant and how and where it is grown and manufactured. This class explores the process that transforms the tea leaf into the final product – a cup of tea. By looking closely into the three components of the process we will explore what is in the cup and how it got there.

• Name and define the three components of the infusion process.
• Understand how the chemical and physical characteristics of the tea leaf influence the infusion.
• Understand how the chemical and physical characteristics of water influence the infusion.
• Understand how the conditions of the infusion process influence its outcome.
• Name the chemical components found in the infusion.
• Describe what each chemical component contributes to the flavor and aroma profile of the infusion.

YOU WILL RECEIVE: 3 teas

Course Length:

3 weeks (plus one week grace period to submit assignments and complete any tests.)

This class focuses on the tea professional’s most valuable skill – using the professional tea cupping protocol as a tool to evaluate teas. The course material takes an in-depth look at terroir, each stage of tea processing and finally the grades of teas, explaining how each factor creates and influences the taste and aroma of tea in the cup. The class materials also include a glossary of tea defects and describes when and how they develop during processing as well as how they would be recognized by taste and/or aroma in the cup. Featuring 16 teas, most of the class is dedicated to the cupping exercises that are designed to illustrate and illuminate how all of these influences appear in the cup.

In this advanced class we examine each of the stages of processing from the point of view of the tea leaf and the chemical transformations that are taking place. Our goal is to identify the volatile and non-volatile chemical compounds that we experience in every type of tea we drink understand how each step of the manufacturing process supports the development of those desirable compounds.

By taking this class you will be able to:

• Name the key chemical compounds involved in tea processing.
• Name and describe the key chemical reactions involved in tea processing.
• Identify how each stage supports the development of desirable compounds.
• Identify how each stage helps inhibit the development of undesirable compounds.
• Describe the nature and flavor contributions of the chemical compounds developed during tea processing.
• Name the different groups of polyphenols in tea and identify their role in tea’s flavor.

Course Length:

3 weeks (plus one week grace period to submit assignments and complete any tests.)

On their own as single ingredients or artfully blended with other herbs and with Camellia sinensis leaves, botanicals – or herbs – bring a rich variety of flavors and benefits to tea products and are an important ingredient in the world of tea. This class is a comprehensive exploration of the extensive world of botanicals, creating clarity and understanding with concise definitions and in-depth explanations at every level.

By the end of this class you will be able to:

• Identify stages of processing in herbal products manufacture.
• Assess the major factors in herb quality and how to test them.
• Describe the basic strategy for creating herbal blends.
• Name the top 14 herbal ‘tea’ ingredients.
• Discuss the issues related to safety, regulation and labeling of herbs.

YOU WILL RECEIVE: 5 herbal teas

COURSE LENGTH:

3 weeks (plus one week grace period to submit assignments and complete any tests.)

This comprehensive Test-only course is for experts who are qualified, via professional experience, other certification programs or both, to take our course-ending exams for our first five courses and move straight to CORE.06 Beyond Camellia Sinensis.

Summaries of content covered in each of the five exams.

CORE.01 – Essentials of Camellia Sinensis introduces the amazing tea plant and the three factors that make it possible for it to be the source of hundreds of kinds of teas. This class also explores the botany of the plant, including the history, varieties, cultivars and cellular chemistry and continues with the six stages of tea processing and an overview of the six types of tea that come from this single amazing plant.

CORE.02 – Tea Enhancements and Grading Systems examines the six post-manufacturing processes of blending, flavoring, scenting, decaffeination, baking and aging. We will look at the teas these additional processes create and the impact some of these processes have on labeling. The second week of this fundamental class asks 'What is the best tea?' and examines the meaning of quality in tea, naming and grading, and what the grading systems used internationally do and do not tell us.

CORE.03 – Tea Terroir I – China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea. We begin our journey to countries of origin and a detailed approach to terroir. And we rightfully start off with our focus on the birthplace of tea – China. This class will also explore three countries of origin highly influenced by this tea powerhouse but truly unique unto their own – Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

CORE.04 – Tea Terroir II – India, Sri Lanka and Kenya. For the next step in our exploration of major producing countries, we shift to the south and discover the beauty and characteristics of teas from India, Sri Lanka, and Kenya, as we further our review of the world of tea.

CORE.05 – The Infusion. Most of the classes in the core curriculum focus on the tea plant and how and where it is grown and manufactured. This class explores the process that transforms the tea leaf into the final product – a cup of tea. By looking closely into the three components of the process we will explore what is in the cup and how it got there.