Florida Food Products has announced that Anuhya Bhaskara, director of research and development, has completed training and earned Tea Sommelier Certification from the World Tea Academy.
Bhaskara has spent the last 10 years working in research and development in and around the tea industry. Her efforts support customers who want to create RTD beverages, as well as other applications, such as ice cream, yogurt, confectionery, soups and sauces. She initially enrolled in the World Tea Academy and received her Tea Specialist Certification in 2021. She continued her education in the program to achieve Tea Sommelier Certification.
“My path to becoming a Tea Sommelier has helped me gain knowledge of the intricacies and history of tea,” Bhaskara said. “This certification has deepened my understanding of the complexity involved in the transformation of a humble tea leaf into the rich golden liquid in a cup — its origins, terroir, grades, processing, aging and brew times/temperature.
“Through the certification, I also learned how to balance strong flavors and subtle nuances that characterize each tea leaf or tisane and how to complement naturally occurring tones in a brew by pairing it with either food, fruits, florals or spices.”
The Tea Sommelier Certification at the World Tea Academy is an advanced degree offered for higher-level tea learning and requires the previous completion of the World Tea Academy’s Tea Specialist Certification. The certification consists of a multitude of online courses on tea including, Advanced Cupping, The Culture of Tea Around the World, Quality Assurance, Food Safety and Pesticides and Tea Sommelier Essentials.
“Today I am pleased to have achieved my goal and am putting my certification to the test. The tea category has experienced rapid growth post-pandemic, as consumers fulfill their desire to have a beverage that is as nutritionally beneficial as flavorful,” Bhaskara said.
“Additionally, the many varietals of tea offer unique flavor profiles, bringing consumers a worldly taste experience to many everyday food items. From green, black, white and herbal tea ingredients to whole-bean coffee extracts, our team at FFP can provide better-for-you tea and beverage solutions to boost your next tea or tea-flavored innovation.”
For more information, visit floridafood.com.
