Prepare for a richly exotic voyage across continents and centuries in this in-depth exploration of the world of tea. Like wine, tea has its own prestigious growing regions and plantations where are produced refined, noble, and modern varieties as distinctive as the terroir on which they are grown. This impressive volume follows the trade routes of the familiar yet mysterious tea leaf, from the origins of cultivation in China to Japan's legendary tea ceremony to the ritual of afternoon tea in the U.K. Practical advice describes the benefits of tea in the diet, the optimum brewing temperature, and precise measurements for steeping the perfect cup. Profiles of the Grand Crus of tea (32 worldwide varieties) plus recipes that pair well with tea or have tea as an ingredient are also featured. Rich and sumptuous photographs lead us through this ancient but still contemporary pursuit that reaches from remote Asian villages to exotic islands to today's modern cities. Tea is a book to be savored with all the senses.

Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world — but how much do you know about this exquisite drink made from the Camellia sinensis plant? And how much do you know about Chinese tea, the original infusion that started it all? If you’re an English speaker, chances are: not very much, and through no fault of your own. For various reasons (a very real language barrier being one), Chinese tea is treated as a niche category in the English-speaking world instead of the standard-bearer it deserves to be. We’re here to change this once and for all, first by unpeeling the layers of complexity that surround the world of Chinese tea, and then by setting the record straight on some mistranslations and misconceptions that have stuck over the years. In this book, author Chan Sin Yan dives into everything that’s relevant to Chinese tea: from the history of tea to the tea-making processes that differentiate a wulong from a green tea; from the six main types to the myriad styles of teas available; from famous Chinese tea-growing regions to the latest popular teaware; from food and tea pairing advice to seasonal tea suggestions and brewing etiquette. Readers can also glean straight from the source, as tea makers from across mainland China and Taiwan share their insights on the art and business of producing tea. Tea is for Everyone aims to bridge that treacherous gap between academic tea literature (much of which is not available in English) and the generic tea “guides” that don’t do tea or Chinese tea any justice. This book is a comprehensive and comprehensible take on a vast and complicated but endlessly fascinating subject. Tea should be for everyone, after all.

This study examines economic, social, political, and cultural changes as funneled through the teahouses of Chengdu during the first half of the twentieth century.

AROUND THE WORLD IN A TEACUP Did you know that tea is the most widely consumed beverage on the planet after water? Or that all of the world’s tea originates from only three varieties of a single plant? While a cup of tea may be a simple pleasure for most of us, there are a dizzying number of tastes from which to choose. And every tea, whether a delicately sweet green tea from Japan or a bracing, brisk Darjeeling black, tells a story in the cup about the land that nurtured it and the tea-making skills that transformed it. In this authoritative guide, veteran tea professionals Mary Lou and Robert J. Heiss provide decades of expertise on understanding tea and its origins, the many ways to buy tea, and how to explore and enjoy the six classes of tea (green, yellow, white, oolong, black, and Pu-erh). Additional advice on steeping the perfect cup and storing tea at home, alongside a gallery of more than thirty-fi ve individual teas with tasting notes and descriptions make The Tea Enthusiast’s Handbook a singular source of both practical information and rich detail about this fascinating beverage.

Where does tea come from? With DK's The Tea Book, learn where in the world tea is cultivated and how to drink each variety at its best, with steeping notes and step-by-step recipes. Visit tea plantations from India to Kenya, recreate a Japanese tea ceremony, discover the benefits of green tea, or learn how to make the increasingly popular Chai tea. Exploring the spectrum of herbal, plant, and fruit infusions, as well as tea leaves, this is a comprehensive guide for all tea lovers.

While there is a nearly universal agreement that drinking tea can benefit health, information on the benefits or adverse effects of drinking tea is scattered, leaving definitive answers difficult to ascertain. Tea in Health and Disease Prevention, Second Edition, once again addresses this problem, bringing together all the latest and most relevant information on tea and its health effects into one comprehensive resource. This book covers compounds in black, green, and white teas and explores their health implications, first more generally, then in terms of specific organ systems and diseases. With over 75% brand new content, this fully reorganized, updated edition covers a wider range of tea varieties and beneficial compounds found in tea, such as epigallocatechin gallate and antioxidants.Tea in Health and Disease Prevention, Second Edition, is an organized, efficient resource that will help readers find quick answers to questions and will help inspire further studies for those interested in tea research. This is a must-have reference for researchers in food science and nutrition, as well as nutritionists and dieticians. - Covers and compares features, benefits, and potential negative effects of the most important types of tea, including green, black, and white - Identifies therapeutic benefits of teas for new product development - Offers a "one stop shop" for research in this area, compiling both foundational and cutting-edge topics into one resource - Includes a dictionary of key terms, other health effects of tea or extracts, and a summary point section within each chapter for a quick reference