Sommelier gets art down to a 'tea'

The tea sommelier profession is rapidly emerging in China, and Ji stands out as one of its most prominent figures. At this year's Michelin Guide Beijing awards, Ji was honored with the Sommelier Award, making her the first tea sommelier in the world to receive such recognition from Michelin.

In its official citation, Michelin described Ji in glowing terms: "She combines technical skill with keen observations, offering insights into tea history, health benefits, and market prices. In addition to training the team in tea service, she holds a professional certification, ensuring that each guest enjoys a delightful experience with her expertly brewed tea."

Ji is currently the head tea sommelier at Michelin two-star restaurant Lu Shang Lu and serves as the chief service mentor at Jiyue Tea, a platform focused on developing tea service systems and tea cultural products.

At Lu Shang Lu, she continues to deepen her understanding of Lu cuisine and perfect her tea pairings, while at Jiyue Tea, she and her team explore innovative tea and food pairings and train a new generation of tea sommeliers. Through her work, Ji hopes to further elevate Chinese tea culture within the culinary world.

The Michelin recognition has been a profound source of validation and encouragement for Ji. Looking ahead, she envisions a future where tea sommeliers have their own dedicated awards and hopes to inspire more people to pursue this evolving career.

Although tea servicing is a certified profession in the country, Ji says tea sommeliers specializing in tea and food pairing is not yet officially recognized as a profession in China, and she hopes the role will soon gain formal recognition.

Ji emphasizes that a tea sommelier must master all aspects of tea — tasting, brewing and service. "A skilled tea master precisely controls the brew's thickness and aroma, ensuring a smooth, sweet flavor while minimizing bitterness," she says.

"Our team is also certified as advanced tea appraisers," Ji adds, noting that these qualifications require deep knowledge of tea varieties, origins and processing methods, as well as the ability to assess quality and value.

Pairing techniques

In 2021, Du Yuemei founded the Jiyue Tea team, and Ji joined as a tea sommelier. Despite her years of experience in the tea industry, the art of pairing tea with food was a new challenge.

Ji recalls that when she began, many Chinese restaurants offered tea, but the selection was unimpressive, and guests rarely paid attention to it. "There was tea, but no real tea service," she says. "Restaurants didn't pair tea with food professionally, and there was no cultural storytelling or guest interaction."

Once Ji began collaborating with restaurants, her professional approach to tea service transformed the dining experience. "It not only increased revenue but also built stronger connections with guests. Now, many return not just for the food, but for the tea experience."