TeeMaa Tea Foundation Course

Are you passionate about tea and eager to explore it more deeply?
Are you interested in working with tea and building a solid foundation of knowledge and practical skills?
Or are you already working in the HoReCa field and would like to deepen your understanding of tea?

The TeeMaa Tea Foundation Course is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to tea culture, production, and practice.

Course Overview

This course covers a wide range of topics, including tea history, tea production, tea categories, teaware and brewing methods, and the fundamentals of tea chemistry. Throughout the course, participants will have the opportunity to taste and evaluate at least 16 teas from different categories and diverse origins.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the main tea categories and their basic characteristics

• Develop foundational tea tasting skills and analyze the tea from different dimensions

• Become familiar with Chinese Gongfu-style teaware and Japanese tea brewing utensils

• Master several tea brewing methods and adjust brewing parameters according to the characteristics of different teas

Instructors

Peng Luo

Peng Luo completed her Tea Art Practitioner training in 2012 in Changsha, China. She obtained the Senior Tea Art Specialist Certificate in China in 2025. She has been working in the tea industry since 2013, frequently traveling between tea mountains and tea processing facilities, and possesses extensive theoretical knowledge and rich hands-on experience.

Xinyuan Sui

Xinyuan Sui has been deeply engaged in the tea industry for over 12 years and regularly organizes a wide range of tea tastings and workshops. She completed her Tea Art Practitioner training in 2014 in Zhengzhou, China. In 2025, she was awarded the Japanese Tea Master Certificate by the Global Japanese Tea Association. She specializes in Japanese tea studies.

Course Structure

Lesson 1

Introduction to tea

• Origins of tea and key historical milestones

• Major tea-producing regions of the world

• Tea tasting and evaluation:

• Chinese green tea

• Lightly oxidized oolong tea

Lesson 2

• Introduction to the six major tea categories and their production processes

• White tea tasting and evaluation using a gaiwan

• Tea tasting:

• Comparison of two white teas from two different countries

Lesson 3

• Foundations of tea biochemistry

• Tea brewing fundamentals

• Tea tasting and evaluation:

• Japanese green teas: Gyokuro and Matcha

Lesson 4

• In-depth study of green tea

• Famous Chinese green teas

• Comparison with Japanese green tea: major Japanese green tea varieties

• In-depth study of yellow tea

• Tea tasting and evaluation:

• Two world-renowned Chinese green teas

• Two world-renowned Chinese yellow teas

Lesson 5

• In-depth study of oolong tea

• Traditional oolong vs. modern oolong

• Processing methods

• Famous regions and representative teas

• Brewing oolong tea

• Two oolong teas with different oxidation levels

Lesson 6

• In-depth study of black tea

• Types of black tea:

• Small-leaf cultivar black tea

• Large-leaf cultivar black tea

• CTC black tea

Lesson 7

• In-depth study of fermented teas

• Tasting and evaluation of fermented teas from different countries and regions

• Introduction to the types and trends of reprocessed teas and tea beverages, including scented teas, instant tea, tea blends, tea extracts, kombucha, bubble milk tea, and related products

Lesson 8

• Course review and examination

Opportunities After Certification

1. Participants will have the opportunity to observe one to two TeeMaa/Muyō tea workshops free of charge.

2. After completing two to three supervised workshop sessions, participants may be invited to assist in tea workshops.

Course Timetable

Spring Class

Time:
17:00–18:30 or 17:30–19:00 (to be confirmed in consultation with students)

Schedule:
Every other Tuesday and Wednesday

Dates (2026):

• 17 February

• 18 February

• 3 March

• 4 March

• 17 March

• 18 March

• 31 March

• 1 April

Course Instruction Language

English

Course Fee

320 €

You can choose also to make the first payment is 60€. The rest, you can pay monthly or split the total into as many parts as you'd like.

Students and professionals working in the HoReCa industry (Hotels, Restaurants, Cafés) are eligible for a 10% discount upon verification.

What the Course Includes

• Classroom teaching: A total of 8 sessions × 1.5 hours of in-person instruction

• Tea tasting: Sampling of over 16 types of tea, including exclusively sourced teas selected especially for this course, to support the theory learning and start building your own sensory map of the teas of the world.

• Materials provided: All tea, teaware, and brewing equipment are included—participants do not need to bring anything

• Learning materials: Curated course notes and reference materials for continued study after the course

• Examination: A final assessment to support learning outcomes and practical understanding

• Graduation certificate: Participants who successfully complete the course and examination will receive a TeeMaa graduation certificate

Conditions and Rules for Enrollment

By enrolling in the TeeMaa Tea Foundation Course, you agree to the following conditions:

Non-cancellable and non-refundable enrollment
Once your enrollment is confirmed, it cannot be canceled or refunded.

Sick leave policy
Sick leave may be taken if necessary; however, no refunds will be issued for missed classes. Arrangements to make up missed content are at the discretion of the course instructors. Attendance at all sessions is strongly encouraged.

Attendance and certification
Attendance at all sessions is required in order to be awarded the course certificate.

Acknowledgment and consent
By enrolling in this course, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the conditions and rules stated above. You fully consent to these terms and understand that your enrollment is final and all fees are non-refundable.