Dutch tea sommelier comes to Bangkok

A tea sommelier? What the heck, I thought as I read an article in the Bangkok Post announcing the 2012 World Gourmet Festival.

Well, a tea sommelier is someone who knows all kinds of teas and uses them as a basis for all kinds of cocktails, whether or not with alcohol. The most famous in this field is a Dutchman, Robert Schinkel, and he comes to Bangkok to demonstrate his knowledge in tea mixology during this Festival.

World Gourmet Festival

The details of this festival are as stated by the editors in a posting, nothing needs to be added. I don't know about you, but reading all those names of apparently famous chefs from all over the world, I didn't have the idea: "I have to experience that". They must be quite good cooks, not really, but I make absolutely no impression in my circle of acquaintances by saying that I sat down for a dinner made by, for example, one Victor Quintillà Imbernón from the Restaurant Lluerna in Barcelona. From the description of the expected clientele I have already concluded that I should be somewhat well dressed and that I should also count on a violent attack on my wallet. For the price of a dinner with a glass of wine, etc. from San Francisco's Michael Mina, I can probably eat for a month here in Pattaya.

Tea sommelier

I found it interesting that Robert Schinkel will be present. In the editorial posting it is said that he can make great cocktails, but that is described a bit too briefly. He is a tea sommelier, someone who makes cocktails based on all kinds of tea. He is probably the only tea sommelier in Europe with great prestige in the trendy culinary world. He is invited to all kinds of conferences, culinary gatherings and the like all over the world to demonstrate his knowledge and skill with tea.

Dilma tea

Robert is an ambassador for this well-known tea brand and there is a lot to read about him on their website. I quote some parts:

“Tea ice cream? Tea in a wine glass? Tea with cheese? A tea cocktail? Is that possible? Yes, that's possible. In fact, tea is booming! Robert Schinkel can talk about it for hours. As a professional tea sommelier, he provides tastings and seminars at conferences, events and fairs. Robert Schinkel is a mixologist, or cocktail bartender, taste trend watcher and tea sommelier. He understands everything you can pour. From spring water, tea and coffee to whisky, rum and cognac and everything in between... and on top, next to it and in it. Robert does everything he can to spread the gospel of taste.

Tea is booming

Tea is booming right now. Robert was the first Dutch tea sommelier, a profession that has existed for centuries in Asian countries, but is still new here. He lets people taste and see what a top tea from Sri Lanka does, in jemond, with a top cheese from the Netherlands. Just to name an example. As a cocktail bartender, Schinkel was already adept at combining flavors. “A few years ago I decided to experiment with tea. That's how I found out that tea lends itself well to making cocktails. I just tried out all the flavors of tea, always looking for the right tea-food combination.”

As a result, Schinkel is one of the few in the world that specializes in tea in any form. “I can use tea in cocktails, in culinary dishes – such as a crème brulee based on refined earl gray – fresh ice teas, tea ice cream…” “For example, I also discovered a special sparkling white tea. That is tea, where the fresh jasmine flower infuses the tea. The tea is bottled. The organic cane sugar it contains causes fermentation, which releases a tiny hint of alcohol. For example, we often serve this in champagne glasses as a particularly festive, yet non-alcoholic, welcome drink.”

Innovative thinking

The 'tea champagne' is not Schinkel's invention. “This product comes from the United States,” he clarifies. “It is very exclusive and made from one of the most expensive teas in the world. In 2009, Schinkel won an international competition for tea sommeliers, an initiative of tea brand Dilmah. “During that match I did things with tea that they had never seen,” says Schinkel. “They went from one surprise to another. That's because we look at things in a different way here. They are not used to that there.” “It is a typical Dutch characteristic to think innovatively, to push boundaries. I was recently in Shanghai to explain what you can do with tea. Unbelievable that a Dutch boy like me in a country like China, a tea country par excellence, is invited to give seminars about tea.”

If you go

If the Festival suits you, I wish you the pleasure of sitting down in style at one of the announced dinners of the elite of the world's culinary elite. If brownie can't pull it off, it might still be interesting to taste the atmosphere of such a festival in The Four Seasons. The festival has themed days, on which a different cook handles the ladle each time, but Robert can be found in the lobby throughout the festival.