TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Kaiping Culinary School (開平餐飲學校) in Taipei has joined with the German Doemens Savour Academy in Munich to launch Taiwan’s first “Water Sommelier” training and certification course in Taiwan.

The program is Deomens' first water quality testing and service course in Asia for professionals in the food and drink industry, as well as first water sommelier training curriculum offered in Mandarin.

The training course is described by the Doemens Savour Academy on their website.

“The education of the 'Water Sommelier' is unique in the world and is held at the internationally renowned Doemens Academy in Graefelfing near Munich. Next to a theoretical knowledge transfer about the widely varying water types and their characteristics, the course is enriched with many sensory trainings, group tasks and field trips.”

In the past, professionals would need to travel to Germany to complete the course, but now a top of the line course on water quality and service is available in Taiwan, reports UDN.

Wu Youyu (吳侑諭), an instructor at the Kaiping Culinary School teaching in the water sommelier program, says that all too often people think “water is just water.”

However, through the water sommelier course, Wu says, professionals can learn how water “is more than just about thirst. Water is good for your health, can add flavor to your diet, and nurture a lifestyle and positive benefits beyond what most people can imagine.”