The Tea Taster in India – An Unusual but Lucrative Profession
India has a unique landscape exclusively designed for a beverage called tea. For most of the Indians, tea is an emotion. Under this scenario, being a tea taster is one of India’s most unconventional yet exciting professions. It is quite lucrative and hence has become one of the fastest-growing career options in India.
Who is a Tea Taster?
A tea taster is designated to use his senses to feel the aroma and taste the tea from a sip. To bring about the beverage’s real essence, he needs to check its quality before further processing or packaging. Reputed tea manufacturing companies hire a tea taster who uses his taste buds to calculate the difference between composition and quality. Finally, he provides his expert advice to make things perfect.
What are the Skills Required to be a Tea Taster?
A tea taster is an artist. He is spiritually attached to this profession. He has the right skill to judge whether the component can harm your body or can calm you down. Hence tea testing involves both science and arts. A tea taster should essentially know tea plantation, cultivation of tea crops. The skill is to deal with top-level managers and lower-level labor is vital since many explanations are involved. Good communication skills are a must. A considerable amount of knowledge in the topography and Geography of tea is also necessary.. Also, they should be physically fit and sound and inclined to live an outdoor life. He should also refrain from any drug, which might result in turning his taste buds blunt.
What are the Required Qualifications of a Tea Taster?
A tea taster does not necessarily have a specific degree. He can be any graduate. However, a candidate with a degree in Botany, Horticulture, and Agricultural Science, Food Science, or any other related degree undoubtedly has an added advantage. After completing Higher Secondary, you will find many reputed institutes offer you specific postgraduate diploma programs that bring you the right certificate to a tea taster job. At present, the institutes which provide the tea tasting courses are:
- Department of Tea Husbandry and Technology, Assam Agricultural University
- Dipras Institute of Professional Studies, Kolkata
- Darjeeling Tea Research and Management Association, Darjeeling
- Birla Institute of Management and Futuristic Studies, Kolkata
- Indian Institute of Plantation Management, Bangalore.
- UPASI Tea Research Institute, Valparai
- The Tea Tasters Academy, Nilgiris
Career Prospect of a Tea Taster
At present, a tea taster has a lot of prospects. The remuneration of a professional tea taster varies from 10,000/- to 60,000/- per month based on the specialization. Since the tea manufacturing companies are near or at the hill stations, the tea tasters have the privilege to live a peaceful life in a splendid outhouse or bungalow. You have a say in the entire production process, including commercial matters, say import, export. In the future, you can also open your consultancy firm to guide numerous students with a surplus amount of knowledge and experience regarding the tea varieties and this job’s career prospects.