Tea master - world record holder Ngo Thi Thanh Tam - Photo: NVCC
Record holder Thanh Tam talks to Tuoi Tre about her project.
* Why do you want to open a school to train tea masters?
- I have had many opportunities to talk with young people who love tea, have a good understanding of tea, how to make tea, and how to enjoy tea. Most of them shared their concerns about the fact that Vietnam does not have an official school to train tea masters.
Young people today partly attend classes on tea masters abroad. The majority of young people in Vietnam who are doing many positive things for Vietnamese tea seem to only learn and accumulate experience from their predecessors, but no one has actually obtained a formal degree.
Many young people who come to me say that if a tea academy is opened, they will be the first to study.
* Is the process and method to open a tea master academy or training institute difficult?
- Since I had the idea of opening a tea academy, I have researched all the procedures and cooperated with many schools and tea masters, including my teachers and my classmates who graduated and started teaching.
* Can you share about the qualifications after studying tea master classes?
- After many years of studying, I have obtained certain degrees. There are usually two types of tea masters: tea appraisers - who specialize in tea criticism; tea artists - who learn how to make a good pot of tea, how to perform or organize a tea party.
This is related to tea style, that is, the style and ethics of the tea maker and a little bit about tea appraisal, because to present a good pot of tea, the maker, in addition to skillful movements, also needs to have a certain level of understanding of tea.
For me, there is another important factor, which is the passion and love for tea. I especially love Vietnamese tea.
When performing tea art or participating in conversations with foreign friends, I often introduce Vietnamese tea and it is well received and highly appreciated.
* What are the practical jobs that tea masters can do after graduation, madam?
- In China, if you want to run a tea shop or open a tea house, you must have a tea master degree, at least a tea artist degree. Because before becoming a cultural symbol, tea was one of the drinks that served people's culinary needs.
Just like those who want to do food business need a food hygiene and safety certificate, those who do tea business also need a separate certificate, ensuring that the business person or person directly preparing the tea has certain knowledge, knows how to distinguish types of tea, and ensures safety for those who enjoy it.
* In your opinion, how is tea culture shaped in the overall Vietnamese culture?
- Our grandparents have a saying "a cup of tea is the beginning of a conversation", showing that gathering and reunion are also formed from a simple teapot.
Tea can be seen in most important Vietnamese ceremonies such as weddings, funerals, Tet, worship, diplomacy... and in the daily culinary activities of Vietnamese families.
With all that meaning, tea is an indispensable cultural feature in the overall culture of our Vietnam.
The use of tea today is not only a cultural issue but also a health issue. People enjoy tea not only because of the unique features of each type of tea but also to maintain their health.
Tea History MuseumSource
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