How to Prepare for Tea Master's Cup?
Are you interested in taking part in the next Tea Masters Cup competition? If you have always wanted to be in the competition, we have good news for you.
In this article, we will give you the information about what the competition involves, how to prepare yourself, and the categories you can take part in. Okay, let's get started.
What is Tea Master's Cup?
This is a unique international system of tea competition that involves tea professionals in four different categories:
- Tea preparation
- Tea pairing
- Tea mixology
- Tea tasting
At the moment, only 22 countries are required to hold the National Tea Competition. The international final of this event is held annually following a series of other qualifying championships in different taking part countries. The last Tea Master's Cup final took place on November 23, 2018, in Vietnam.
Previous finals took place in Turkey, South Korea, and China. The TMC competition started because there was a demand for the professional growth of tea specialists in the world.
How To Prepare for the TMC Competition?
Like we have stated earlier, they are four categories. To take part, you must be competent, at least in two of those categories. The organizing committee will choose eight contestants for each of the four categories. Once you are selected, you'll be required to pay a $75 fee to enter the competition.
Tea Masters Cup: Tea Preparation
In the tea preparation category, contestants take part in the skills of preparing and serving pure tea. As a contestant, you must make your tea and serve the judges two teas: The master's and organiser's tea.
The Master's tea is any pure tea you have prepared, and you should know how to serve it.
Organisers tea is based on a set of conditions and instruction judges have set forward for anyone to make the tea.
Here judges will set the terms and conditions so you follow them when you are preparing a particular taste of tea. Judges at the Tea Masters Cup will analyse your final tea outcome based on the following criteria:
1. Brewing techniques and serving manner- They will examine the brewing techniques you choose, confidence in the tea preparation, service, and convenience.
2. Presentation- Judges here will analyse your knowledge of the tea, the description of your brewing process, the accuracy of the taste, aroma, and visual appeal of your tea.
3. Aroma- They will check on the purity and aroma expectation.
Here are also the things that will make you disqualify:
Using flavoured and additive tea (sugar, milk)
Blended samples to make an organizer's tea.
Tea Master's Cup: Tea Pairing
In this category, contestants compete in creating and serving gastronomic composition with tea.
In the competition, a participant must serve and present two compositions to the judges: The Master and organisers.
A master's competition is any tea in its present composition.
Organiser's composition has to be prepared and served following the condition set forth by tournament judges will test the tea pairing with the following criteria:
Neatness and cleanliness-Neatness and cleanliness during the composition, neatness in the presentation and safety of the composition.
The appeal-visuals appeal-visual appeal of the tea composition
Presentation- Knowledge of the tea composition, accuracy of taste, artistry and appeal of the tea.
Taste- taste prediction and expectation, evaluation of taste.
Organizer’s Composition - The organisers will give them a set of teas, food, and tea-ware to master before the composition and set requirements for the organiser's composition.
Each Master prepares their composition based on tea and food from the organisers set and serves it during their performance. This part of performance allows judges to appreciate how well the Master can improvise with any tea and any food.
Master's composition
Each tea master prepares services and present's tea and food composition. It may be any composition served in any style. This part of performance allows judges to appreciate how well the masters make tea and food pairing with known ingredients.
Tea Masters Cup: Tea Mixology
In this category, contestants come and compete in the skill of preparing and serving tea based on mixes. In the competition, the participants have to serve the judges two mixes (masters and organizers mixology).
Master's mixology is any tea or your favourite tea that you want to impress the judges with.
The organizer’s mixology is prepared and served following a condition set forward by the tournament organizers. The following criteria are used to make the tea:
Techniques-involves preparation and presentation techniques someone uses, cleanliness, neatness.
Appeal- The visual appeal of the beverage and its attractiveness
Presentation- Accuracy of the mix, taste, and artistry of the mixology
Tea Synergy- Degree of synergy tea and other ingredients
Organoleptic qualities- Distinctiveness of the final taste of tea mixology.
Tea Masters Cup: Tea Tasting
In this category, contestants take part in the art of memorising and recognising different tastes of tea and its ingredients. This competition is held in two categories:
Pure Tea Subcategory- Here, contestants work with pure tea samples that have no additives or flavours. During the open tasting, contestants taste and memorise tasting notes of teas. In the blind tasting competition, participants identify the five tastes of beverages.
Multi-component blend subcategory- Contestants work with only pure tea and additives. In the competition, the contestants taste the tea and nine brewed ingredients that are used as additives. In the control tasting, contestants taste the infusion of the tea and the ingredients.
The key here is to recognise the tea and its ingredients. The winner is determined based on the results in both subcategories. The outcome of both categories form a single result. Any person with no formal training can take part in the tasting. If you feel like perhaps tea is a specialty of yours, why not give this competition a try? You can apply for the contest here.