Tea is an essential part of Chinese culture just as wine is in the western hemisphere. Just as sommeliers in the West select wines that best match particular dishes, Chinese tea sommeliers help people find suitable teas to enhance their tea-tasting experience.

“The role of a sommelier is like that of an educator who lets you know about tea ― the true essence of tea. The reason there are sommeliers is that they help you understand the truth about the tea itself and understand the best part of it,” said Wei Lei, a tea sommelier at upscale Chinese restaurant Whampoa Club in Shanghai in an interview with The Korea Herald on Tuesday in Seoul. 

Born and raised in Yunnan Province, one of China’s best known tea-producing regions, Lei is now well known as Shanghai’s top tea expert with 12 years of professional tea sommelier experience.

Lei pairs teas with Whampoa Club’s modern Chinese cuisine at The Shilla Seoul, but only for before and after the meal.

“We have to educate people that we don’t recommend tea during the meal because the tea itself has certain elements like chemicals that actually conflict with the food we eat,” said Lei.

“Drinking before a meal is about cleansing, protecting the stomach. After a meal, it’s more about helping with food digestion.”

Lei also serves different teas for men and women due to their different body systems and energy levels.

He recommended Anxi Supreme Tie Guan Yin for men and Hangzhou Baby Chrysanthemum for women to drink before meals and Puer tea for both sexes after meals.

“It’s about balance and harmony ― yin and yang,” said Lei.

By Lee Woo-young  (wylee@heraldcorp.com)