Class Length: 3 weeks
Prerequisites: none
Class Kit Purchase Required along with additional materials: See class Overview Page for details

Every journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. This class introduces Camellia sinensis and the three factors that make it possible for this one plant to be the source of hundreds of kinds of teas. It also explores the botany of the plant, including the history, varieties, cultivars and cellular chemistry. The class continues with the six stages of tea processing and an overview of the six types of tea that come from this single amazing plant. The session concludes in week three with an introduction to professional cupping and the sensory evaluation of tea – a skill you will develop and hone throughout the program.

Class Length: 3 weeks
Prerequisites: CORE.01
Class Kit Purchase Required along with additional materials: See class Overview Page for details

Building on the curriculum of CORE.01 which included the stages of tea processing and the six types of tea, the first week of this class describes 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, explores naming and grading, and what the grading systems used in China, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Taiwan do and do not tell us. The last week will focus on the sensory evaluation of teas.

Class Length: 3 weeks
Prerequisites: CORE.01; CORE.02
Class Kit Purchase Required along with additional materials: See class Overview Page for details

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 including the culture and lore. In our fourth class, we continue to build the essential cupping skills required for all tea professionals.

Class Length: 3 weeks
Prerequisites: CORE.01; CORE.02
Class Kit Purchase Required along with additional materials: See class Overview Page for details

In the final online class for our core curriculum, we extend our knowledge of tea to an overview of the many botanical infusions other than Camellia sinensis. Our focus will be on the most popular herbals in the market such as Rooibos, Yerba Mate, Guayusa, and more. Sensory evaluations of several herbal infusions conclude the class.