TAIWANESE TEA, FROM PASSION TO PROFESSION
The Taiwan Tea Academy (TTA) offers a training program dedicated to the culture of Taiwanese tea: its history, regions, cultivars, processing and the art of brewing. In every lesson, theory and practice go hand in hand through guided tastings of Taiwanese teas.
The program is structured into three sequential levels, each a prerequisite to the next, and guides students from foundational knowledge to professional and specialist expertise in Taiwanese tea. The aim is to train tea lovers and professionals with a critical and sensitive mind.
HOW IT WORKS
LIVE ON ZOOM
Live evening classes online: two hours per lesson, one lesson per week, combining theory and tasting.
FULL RECORDINGS
Full video recordings are provided for students unable to attend live sessions.
TEAS AT HOME
Tea samples are shipped directly to students’ homes for guided and independent tastings.
TASTING SHEETS
Between lessons, students taste teas on their own and complete tasting sheets, which are then discussed live in class.
Each level includes live Zoom sessions, curated tasting tea kits, course study material, video recordings and the final certificate.
THE THREE LEVELS
Three sequential levels: each one prepares you for the next and ends with a final exam and the award of a certificate.
Level 1
TAIWAN TEA LOVERS
Topics
- The history of Taiwanese tea, from the Qing dynasty to today
- Geography, regions and terroir of the island
- Tea types and the six main Taiwanese tea classes
- Brewing methods and tea art: chadao and chaxi
Objective
Gain an in-depth knowledge of the key aspects of Taiwanese tea culture, combining study and tasting.
- Access
- First step of the program
- Exam
- Practical-theoretical, online
- Certificate
- Certified TTA Diploma
Level 2
TAIWAN TEA AMBASSADORS
Topics
- Ancient and modern teas: the main tea types and roasting styles
- Camellia formosensis, Taiwan’s native camellia
- The cultivars of Taiwan, including rare and near-extinct ones
- Taiwanese oolong processing
Objective
Explore the technical side, from botany to cultivars to processing, through the study of rare and precious teas.
- Access
- Level 1 passed
- Exam
- Theoretical and practical
- Certificate
- Certified TTA Diploma
Level 3
TAIWAN TEA PROFESSIONALS
Topics
- Conventional, organic and wild tea farming
- Biology and physiology of tea leaves
- The chemistry of Taiwanese tea
- Seasonality and the 24 solar terms
- Tea pairing and the great tea masters
- The aging of Taiwanese tea
Objective
Train professionals with a technical, critical and sensitive profile and a deep knowledge of Taiwanese tea culture.
- Access
- Level 2 passed
- Exam
- Written and oral
- Certificate
- Professional Certificate
CERTIFICATIONS
Each level ends with a final exam: students who pass receive the Certified TTA Diploma. At the end of the third level, the Professional Certificate is awarded.
Certificates are issued by the head of the Taiwan Tea Academy.
The Taitung government has recognized the TTA as a professional academy, and every certificate bears the mark of the Taitung government. The TTA is officially under the patronage of Taitung County as an academy that develops and promotes Taiwanese tea around the world.
TTA certificates are not Taiwanese ministerial or government certifications.
EVALUATION
- 80% Final exam, theoretical and practical
- 10% Active participation in class
- 10% Homework and tasting sheets