Provenance & authentication certification launch
Tea Academy announces the Provenance & Authentication certification for tea professionals focused on Chinese tea origin verification and supply-chain integrity. The first exam sitting opens 3 March 2027, with registration from 1 July 2026 via tea.events.
Saint Petersburg — 2026-06-01
SAINT PETERSBURG — 2026-06-01 — Tea Academy, the credentialing body within the Teamotea constellation, today formally introduced its new Provenance & Authentication Certification. The Specialist‑level credential equips tea professionals with the verified skills to assess geographic origin, authenticity, and supply‑chain transparency for Chinese tea.
Routine counterfeiting of high‑value teas — from Lóngjǐng (龙井) mis‑labelling to adulterated Shēng Pǔ’ěr (生普洱) — compromises producer livelihoods and consumer trust. The certification responds directly to a widening skills gap identified in the Academy’s 2025 industry survey: 68 % of hotel and restaurant purchasers reported difficulty confirming tea provenance without expert support.
Curriculum and standards
The certification syllabus draws on established Chinese national standards, including GB/T 22111 (geographical indication product — pǔ’ěr tea), GB/T 18745 (geographical indication product — Wǔyí yán chá), GB/T 14487 (terms of tea sensory evaluation), and GB/T 22292‑2017 (determination of pesticide residues by gas chromatography‑mass spectrometry). Candidates will master:
— organoleptic provenance profiling for Lóngjǐng, Dà Hóng Páo (大红袍), Shēng Pǔ’ěr, and Mí Lán Xiāng (蜜兰香) Dāncōng, — analytical techniques including high‑performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and isotope ratio mass spectrometry for chemical fingerprinting, — document verification of Chinese Tea Product Certification Marks and supply‑chain traceability ledgers, — digital provenance tools, covering blockchain‑based lot tracking and geographic information system (GIS) mapping of terroir.
The exam comprises a three‑hour written paper (40 %), a two‑hour practical authentication task using blind sample lots (40 %), and a twenty‑minute oral defence before an examiner panel (20 %). The pass threshold is set at 75 %, consistent with Tea Academy’s Specialist‑level benchmark.
Prerequisites and stackability
Provenance & Authentication Certification is a Specialist vertical within the Tea Academy ladder. All candidates must hold a current Tea Academy Foundation certificate before attempting the exam. Successful completion counts as one of the two Specialist verticals required to progress to Tea Master candidacy.
Quote from leadership
Evgeniy Smoley, Chief Executive Officer and Co‑Founder of Teamotea, stated:
“Counterfeit tea does not just hurt margins — it severs the bond between maker and consumer. This certification creates a portable, auditable proof that the professional behind a tea menu has the expertise to validate every claim of origin. We built the syllabus with the rigour that the global hospitality industry demands.”
Examiner panel
The examination panel brings together senior Tea Academy assessors and external subject‑matter experts. Co‑Founder and Strategic Advisor Victor Kornev, whose governance and standards expertise anchors the panel, is joined by visiting examiners from Yunnan Agricultural University and the Kunming Tea Research Institute. The panel will review the syllabus annually, ensuring alignment with emerging analytical methods and updated Chinese national standards.
Inaugural exam session
The first sitting will take place 3–21 March 2027. Examination centres have been confirmed in Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Berlin, Kunming, Hangzhou, and London. Tea Academy projects 200–250 candidates across the six centres, with a targeted pass rate of 72–78 %, mirroring historical Specialist‑level outcomes.
Registration opens on 1 July 2026 exclusively through the tea.events platform. Candidates are advised to enrol early as centre capacity is capped at 45 seats per window. Detailed syllabi and specimen papers will be available from 15 August 2026 on tea.school.
Provenance‑focused tools on the constellation
Tea Academy credential‑holders will have access to advanced provenance resources across the Teamotea constellation. The puerh.app site maintains granular lot‑level data and harvest‑year certificates for over 3 400 pǔ’ěr productions, while tea.travel publishes geo‑verified producer profiles for all major tea counties. These linked references will be embedded in the certification study kit.
Public verification
Each successful candidate receives a digitally signed credential page on tea.academy, complete with a QR‑coded badge that employers can scan to verify status in real time. Tea Master holders of the Provenance & Authentication vertical will appear in the Academy’s public hall of fame, linking to their thesis submission.
About Tea Academy
Tea Academy is the independent credentialing body of the Teamotea ecosystem. It sets and examines professional standards for tea specialists worldwide, operating a four‑tier ladder — Foundation, Specialist, Master, Educator — along recognised international principles for vocational certification.
Media contact
Evgeniy Smoley Chief Executive Officer, Co‑Founder press@tea.academy +7 812 000 00 00
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Media contact
Evgeniy Smoley