Tea

by Jan Barnes

This is a deeply delicious book on tea, containing recipes, tea trivia and all sorts of wonderful tips for having the best tea parities. I learned very much from it. Though I make and drink iced tea almost every day, taking it from home to work to everywhere, I did not realize that iced tea was invented in 1904 at the Saint Louis World's Fair. On page 108, the authors of this book explain that merchant Richard Blechynden, who owned a tea plantation, planned to give away free samples of hot tea to visitors at the fair. When a heat wave made hot tea unappealing, Blechynden decided to add ice to his brewed tea. This refreshing treat of my American South was born.

Paperback