The China Tea Book

by Luo Jialin

Tea isn’t just a drink—the cup you hold in your hands is steeped in more than five thousand years of history and it all began in China. A lavishly illustrated chronicle of the world’s most popular beverage (second only to water), The China Tea Book covers everything from the leaves to the pervasive culture they spawned.

Kettle-boiled tea in the Tang Dynasty, powdered tea during the Song, pressed cake in the Ming—the history of tea is as diverse as the varietals themselves. Whether green, oolong, or black, each tea has a unique personality, which The China Tea Book captures in photographs and facts. As the trade of tea took off in the 16th century, the associated health benefits and cultural expressions spread around the world. The etiquette of tea drinking and the art of tea brewing may be centuries old, but understanding them leads to a deeper appreciation of the now ubiquitous drink. Designed for leisurely reading yet eminently practical, The China Tea Book is sure to enchant Chinophiles and tea-lovers alike.

Genres: Tea, Nonfiction, China

212 pages, Hardcover

First published September 11, 2012

Reviews

[Annette Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've not counted, but I'd guess I have close to 25-30 books solely related to tea - tea culture, tea ceremony, tea parties, tea recipes, tea history etc. Much of the information in these books overlap considerably and this stands true for The China Tea Book, however, I was drawn to the way it seemed to be all things for all people. That said, it's not diluted or dumbed down for a generalist audience.

The first part of the book is deicated to various varietals - providing information on how its harvested and treated. In addition, the author provides detailed information on how to steep and serve, what diseases its known to heal, and how to store. The second half of the book is about the culture of tea: teaware, ambiance, where/how to serve, art, calligraphy, its links to Buddhism and how it was adopted by the Japanese.

The photos in this book are amazing making it worthy of coffee table book or gift giving status. However, I would say that this is a bonus, not the reason to purchase it.

Descriptions of varietals are often so poetic, you'll want to dash off to the nearest tea house (or go online if you don't have a tea supplier nearby) to order/sample them for yourself.

I particularly loved this passage about Pu-erh (or bo-lay as we call it in Hong Kong):

"Pu-erh is believed to be good company when we want to lose ourselves in meditation or seek inner peace. Though it is evident that Pu-erh is starting to be better appreciated by younger people, it is still generally more popular with the older generation. As far as gender is concerned, Pu-erh seems to be more popular among male drinkers than female. While other varieties are graded on the basis of aroma and taste, Pu-erh is aromatic to the extent of odorlessness and tasteful to the taste of tastelessness. Drinkers are often tongue tied when trying to describe their experience drinking Pu-erh. Men of letters used to compare tea to romantic relationships. Green tea is often associated withour first love -- we have little idea of what love means but suddenly find ourselves in love. Oolong reminds us of the most unforgettable relationship in our life, in which we have exhausted all of our passion. Black tea is often identified as a spouse. Pu-erh impresses us in a different way. We are bonded to it in a way that we ourselves cannot clearly explain. It is not exactly kinship, nor friendship nor romance.We cannot remember when or where we met for the first time and feel no loss at its absence. However, looking back years later, it will suddenly dawn on us that it was in fact the one who knows us best, who always puts us at east, and effortlessly helps us rise above the trivial concerns of life."

You had me at "Pu-erh." :-)

[Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have studied tea for over a decade and have also been to some of the places mentioned in the book, so I was very much looking forward to a great read. The book is ambitious in that it tries to cover not only some of China's most famous teas, but also much about the culture of tea.

There is also an overarching theme of superiority throughout the book. Tea is made out to be superior to other beverages. Chinese tea is the best. Chinese tea culture has the most depth, and on and on. In talking about Taiwan oolongs, for example, he cites how the Taiwanese may have the most varieties of oolongs, but "Taiwanese Oolong still cannot compete with Fujian Oolong in those areas outside the island... (72)." I don't exactly know what he means by this statement, except to say that his description of classic Taiwan teas, such as Frozen Summit/Dong Ding oolongs, is poetic but empty. "The temperament of frozen-summit oolong lies in a certain elegance that is neither overbearing nor fawning, hidden beneath an understated maturity (74)." What does this mean?? Frozen Summit oolong comes in many forms, and is produced from two main tea varietals and an innumerable number of hybridized versions of those two varietals. It can be excellent or complete junk, but the modern version can generally be characterized by spherical rolling, light oxidation (not fermentation as the author suggests), light to medium roasting and exhibits characteristic fruit flavors. Don't take my word for it, look at the description of this tea from tea retailing websites and see if the author's version matches. This is just one of several attempts at tea poetry, but to be fair, such mischaracterizations happen in many books on tea and is not limited to this author or his work. Lastly, such misinformation is not limited to his descriptions of non-Chinese tea, either. Of Wuyi Rock tea, he states that "each tea bush takes root on the rugged cliffs." Romantic as this sounds, it is simply not true. While there are some tea bushes that grow out of the hills and cliffs, if you visit the Wuyi region in Fujian, you will see nicely terraced tea farms just as you would anywhere else. Again, these are just some examples, there are many more throughout the book

I found Chapter 9 of the book, on the dissemination of tea, to be particularly hollow. Here, he only highlights the spread of Chinese tea and tea culture to Japan and along the Ancient tea route. Reading through this section, one certainly feels like the author has a bone to pick with the Japanese. He claims that Chinese tea culture flourishes and is imbued in all aspects of society, while he leaves the reader with the impression that he views the Japanese tea ceremony as inflexible, simplistic and ritualistic. To these points I would say (1) Chinese tea culture is not nearly as overreaching as he would have us believe. There are way more Starbucks and coffee shops on the mainland now than tea shops, heck, there are probably more bubble tea shops than traditional tea shops. (2) There are several different Japanese tea ceremonies represented by many different tea schools, the nuances of which are likely lost on the author.

Lastly, the author claims to have "won" certification as a tea-making master from the Luyu Tea Institute in Taiwan. I have been to the institute and have knowledge of their programs there. One may earn certification as a "tea-brewing master" through coursework, but there is no such designation there that one may "win," as if through sheer talent or some kind of contest. While this clarification may seem slight, it is further representation of the misinformation that detracts from the credibility of the book and its author. The most worthwhile things about this book are its pictures, which are not even the author's own (accredited to his friend Han Zheng).

[Jo-Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pros: Covers the main teas, discusses the process of how different leaves are turned into tea, beautiful photographs, covers tea ceremony and compares with Japanese tea ceremony, you can tell the author loves tea

Cons: sometimes the writing comes off awkward or stiff, trying to cover too much in one book, the later chapters were not as interesting as I was only in it for the tea leaves part of the book

Overall, great introduction to Chinese tea but leaves you wanting more

[Wesley Paris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty great read for beginners and tea enthusiasts alike, explores various types of tea in different regions, along with great pictures.

[Tish · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beautiful photos make this a fantastic coffee-table book, and the sections on specific tea cultivars (Bamboo Leaves Green, Dragon Well, Wuyi Rock Tea) might be interesting to some of my guests. However, the writing does not convey as much information as it ought to, and the book is not delightful to read.

I enjoyed the sections dealing with practical information, such as "Storage of Tea" and the introductions to Green Tea, Oolong Tea, etc where they discuss how brewing vessels of different materials affect the quality of each type of tea. But the writing tends to have all the high-flown hollowness of academic / corporatespeak, as shown in this awful paragraph:

"Predominantly made of mature leaves, Oolong tea's fermentation level is determined by tea tree variety, the required properties of the finished products and historical influence. In this way, some varieties of Oolong tea have varied in fermentation level in different historical periods, such as Iron Mercy Goddess. Some varieties observe a uniform fermentation level due to their distinctive features, such as Wuyi Rock Tea and White Tip Oolong. Generally speaking, the more heavily fermented the tea is, the more challenging it is to identify the original flavor of the tea leaves."

I much preferred the conversational, heartfelt style of Tao of Chinese Tea. If you want to hear lots of stories and lore around tea, that book is packed with information and fun to read.

[Truly · Rating 3 out of 5]

ea isn't a drink.
The cup, that you hold in your hand, is the culmination of over five thousand years of history.

Buku ini menggoda mata saya saat BBW karena kata China dan Tea. Kedua hal tersebut memang selalu mampu membuat rasa penasaran saya tergelitik. Ditambah dengan warna kover yang mengusung nuansa hitam sehingga membuat gambar terlihat kontras. Saya membayangkan buku ini berada di rak buku saya, pasti cantik *ego penimbun buku*

Pertama kali melihat, masih
ragu untuk membeli. Alasan utama adalah karena harganya nyaris sama dengan anggaran maksimal Rp 200.000. Kedua sepertinya pernah lihat buku ini dalam koleksi perpustakaan kantor. Kalau ada yang bisa dipinjam buat apa beli, anggaran bisa disisihkan untuk yang lain. Ketika menemukan buku ini untuk kedua kalinya saat datang lagi, diputuskan untuk memindahkan dalam keranjang belanjaan. Dari pada menyesal nanti.

Kalimat pertama yang saya baca, langsung menyeret saya dalam pesona isi buku ini, "A copy of The Book of Tea from the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). It begins, “Tea is from a grand tree in the south…The flower is like that of the wild red rose turned white…Its liquor is like the sweetest dew of Heaven.”
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http://trulyrudiono.blogspot.co.id/20...

[Sacha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative overview of a very few select types of Chinese Tea, of some of the culture which surrounds it, and briefly, it's extension into the world beyond China. The author speaks as if he is the authority on tea, while much of what he says is contrary to my own experiences in China, and contrary to the experiences of many Chinese with whom I have spoken about such things. Jialin makes it seem like the Chinese are intimately tied to the culture of tea, while in reality, the great majority of Chinese drink tea from a thermos, sans grand cultural ceremony. Blame it on the cultural revolution, or perhaps it occurred long before that, or more likely, it has always been this way: the majority doesn't know or care much about tea. It is a beverage, and it carries with it a scent of national pride.
When reading the section in which Jialin dips into the Japanese tea ceremony, it is well to remember the violent past China and Japan share, which neither can let go of. Hardly impartial.
At times Jialin comes off as ignorant in his authoritative stance.
Still, I enjoyed the book. On practical matters one can't go wrong. And the photographs are luscious.