Certification · Level 1
Level 1
Where taste becomes vocabulary.
You don’t need to know anything about tea to start here. Level 1 is a short, engaging introduction to Chinese tea: the legends behind it, the ways one plant becomes six different drinks, and how to actually taste what’s in your cup. No jargon. No pressure. Just come curious.
Why Start Here
Chinese tea has five thousand years of stories behind it, emperors, monks, accidental discoveries, and a leaf that somehow became six entirely different drinks depending on how it’s handled.
Level 1 is built for that moment of “wait, tea does that?” The kind of spark that inspire one to share with a guest, a client, or a curious coworker. No exam pressure. No memorization. Just tea, told well.
Teaching Goal
At Level 1, that means recognition before analysis: you taste the six categories before you’re asked to name what’s happening inside them. The goal is vocabulary. By the end, you can taste a tea style, place it correctly, and describe what you’re tasting in the right language.
Four concepts, Your Syllabus
茶
One Leaf, Six Teas
How the very same plant becomes green, white, yellow, oolong, black, or dark tea. The biggest “aha” in all of tea.
山
Mountains in a Cup
Why a tea from one mountain tastes different from the same cultivar grown one valley over. And how to taste a place, not just a plant.
手
The Art of Pouring
A simple, beautiful way to brew tea with intention. No ceremony required, learn the better way to make your everyday cup.
心
Taste Like a Professional
An introduction to how tea professionals describe colour, aroma, and mouthfeel. Plus the etiquette behind serving and receiving tea, culturally and professionally.
A First Taste of the Five Qualities
Learning Outcomes
Format
Delivery
Fully online, self-directed, at your own pace
Time
Under 6 hours, in bite-sized lessons
Prerequisite
None, total beginners welcome
Wrap-Up
Check-in
A short, friendly knowledge check, no grade
You’ll receive
A Certificate of Completion
What’s next
Level 2, if the thirst stays with you
Course Material
Tea samples
Purposefully sourced references for the learning sequence
Study material
Curated syllabus with digital lecture notes
Tasting workbook
L1 Systematic Approach to Tea Tasting (SATT)
CCTP Level 1, Discover Chinese Tea · Launching Soon
Email to inquire and be first in line.
Level 1 is in development, a fun, low-pressure way into Chinese tea for anyone curious. It also works well as team training for hotels, cafes, and hospitality groups looking to give guest-facing staff more confidence and charm. Email to inquire, whether for yourself or a team. No commitment required.
Format
Online, self-paced
Time
Under 6 hours
Prerequisite
None
L1 Tuition
$149 CAD
Group and cooperative inquiries welcome. Responses within 48 hours.
Thanks, you're on the list. We'll be in touch when Level 1 launches.
Join the Waitlist
Or email directly: teaacademy.org@gmail.com