Like drinking tea and want to learn more? Although the 10000-hours rule says you may become an expert in almost anything by giving 10000 hours of your life, simply drinking the same tea an hour each day for the next 27 years won’t be enough.
How can I become more knowledgeable about tea?
To really learn about tea, experimenting with tea types and doing different tea activities is as important as learning the tea theory. Besides, once you start living a tea life, your fondness may grow into a genuine love.
Ready to expand your tea knowledge? Keep reading.
1. Taste different teas
Trying different types of tea is important to understand tea cultivars, types, aromas and flavors. For example, you may not be able to really understand the grassy sencha unless you try a nutty Dragon Well. These two types will immediately show you the difference between steamed and pan-fired teas. You don’t need to limit yourself only to loose leaf tea, try tea bags too, to understand the difference in leaf quality and grades. You may not understand the full potential of Assam teas unless you try a generic Assam tea bag and high quality unbroken Assam tea. How to try many teas in a short time? Gift yourself a tea subscription or order tea samples. Samples will usually contain at least 5 grams of tea, which will be enough for a cup or two.
2. Attend tea events
Attending tea events is great for not only learning more about tea from the industry experts, but meeting new tea friends as well. There are many tea events, from small tea shop events such as photo exhibitions or tea tastings to big tea expos. Although they may be postponed because of the current restrictions, make a list of tea events you want to visit in the future. A tea expo in China? No tea lover could say no to that!
3. Organize a tea party
Although many tea drinkers drink tea in solitude, tea has always been a social drink meant to bring people together. Tea parties may provide you with a precious experience of pairing tea with food, chocolate or fruits. Besides, you will be able not only to have fun with your friends and loved ones, but share tea passion too.
4. Learn about tea from books
Tea books are full of hidden tea knowledge. There are dozens of amazing tea books still for different levels – from beginners to experts. Many books are covering general tea knowledge and may be a great starting point in understanding tea better. A great way to start? World Tea Encyclopedia by Will Battle. Others may be more specialized and cover only one topic from the world of tea – such as an amazing book on pu’erh tea: Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic by Jinghong Zhang. Find out what are the best books about tea here.
The Tea Encyclopedia by Will Battle
5. Get a tea magazine subscription
Tea magazine subscriptions is very similar to a tea subscription. Only, instead of tea you will be getting a magazine. While there aren’t as many tea magazines as there are tea books, those that are available are extremely valuable. While books may cover more general knowledge, magazines will provide a more recent information from the world of tea too. Our pick? Eighty degrees.
6. Visit tea farms…
Visiting tea farms is the best way to understand how tea is made. Not only will you be able to stroll among vibrantly green tea bushes, but you will get to know different tea making equipment and learn to appreciate every tea leaf you drink. You don’t need to go far to visit a tea farm. Today, tea is produced on every single continent except Antarctica and many farms offer tours. If possible, visiting tea farms in different countries may be even more valuable. For example, tea making in China and India will be very different and offer a unique experience.
7. …Or tea museums
While the tea farms may give you an insight into how tea is made, tea museums will give you an insight into the rich history of tea. Some may be small, located on tea farms, such as Porto Formoso tea factory on the Azores, while others may focus on tea ware, such as Flagstaff House in Hong Kong.
8. Find time for a tea course
Tea courses are usually short, specialized, and sometimes free. You can find many free materials on Youtube or choose paid courses at sites such as Udemy.
9. Or attend a tea school
If you want a certification or don’t know where to start, a tea school may be an answer. Schools may provide you with basic knowledge that will help explore the world of tea further. Although there is still no standardized tea sommelier or a tea expert certification, each school will offer their own certificate that may help with developing your future tea passion or even career.
10. Read tea blogs
A free way to learn about tea is by reading tea blogs. There are hundreds of tea blogs out there, sharing knowledge, recipes, reviews and any possible tea information you can think of. Check out Simple Loose Leaf blog for information on tea types, brewing tea, and everything else a tea lover needs to know.
Need more inspiration? Start with doing small tea thing each day. Find the list of things to do here.
