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Tea: History, Terroirs, Varieties
Beautifully illustrated... this definitive guide will appeal to die-hard tea enthusiasts.
-- Library Journal The reference work we've been waiting for has arrived: a comprehensive but not-too-weighty, one-volume coverage of the world's teas, abundantly and beautifully illustrated with photos of exceptional quality.
-- TeaTime 2014 World Tea Awards - Winner - Best Tea Book This second edition has improved and refined tasting notes with updated content about non-herbal tea, the plant Camellia sinensis . The book's elegant design is a complete guide to the world's second most popular beverage -- only water exceeds tea consumption. This book is now clearly the best book on this topic, concise and authoritative with dozens of photographs and images of the teas themselves, revealing the surprising variety of color and opacity of each variety. The book is an escorted tour of the world's tea-growing countries -- China, Japan, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam and East Africa. Readers discover how like a fine wine, it is "terroir", e.g., soil and climate, that gives a tea its unique characteristics. The book includes varieties of black, green, white, yellow, oolong, pu'er, perfumed, aromatic and smoked teas. Other topics include: The special features legions of tea drinkers will especially enjoy are:
-- Library Journal The reference work we've been waiting for has arrived: a comprehensive but not-too-weighty, one-volume coverage of the world's teas, abundantly and beautifully illustrated with photos of exceptional quality.
-- TeaTime 2014 World Tea Awards - Winner - Best Tea Book This second edition has improved and refined tasting notes with updated content about non-herbal tea, the plant Camellia sinensis . The book's elegant design is a complete guide to the world's second most popular beverage -- only water exceeds tea consumption. This book is now clearly the best book on this topic, concise and authoritative with dozens of photographs and images of the teas themselves, revealing the surprising variety of color and opacity of each variety. The book is an escorted tour of the world's tea-growing countries -- China, Japan, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam and East Africa. Readers discover how like a fine wine, it is "terroir", e.g., soil and climate, that gives a tea its unique characteristics. The book includes varieties of black, green, white, yellow, oolong, pu'er, perfumed, aromatic and smoked teas. Other topics include: The special features legions of tea drinkers will especially enjoy are:
272 pages, Paperback
First published October 16, 2009
79 people are currently reading
1326 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Gascoyne
2 books2 followersKevin Gascoyne is a professional tea taster at Camellia Sinensis Tea House in Montreal specializing in black teas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
June 13, 2019
So, I love tea.
I first started drinking it when I was younger; a friend and I would brew a cup and then watch Dr. Who. That was our ritual, and because of it, tea became associated with friendship, camaraderie, and that special Whovian sense of wonder.
Now eventually this ritual ended, but my tea obssession only grew. I’ve accumulated a great deal of tea gear, some might say an excess (but they’d be wrong, of course). I own a cast-iron tea pot, a ceramic teapot, a matcha set, a gaiwan, two french presses, three kettles, and more bowls, cups, and mugs than you can shake a camellia sinesis shrub at. By this point in time, I’ve brewed hundreds of different iced and fermented teas, keeping detailed notes on each. My little black book of tea tecipes is one of my most prized possessions. And then there’s the sheer variety of tea varietals I’ve consumed. At this moment alone, I’ve got tins of six different Chinese green teas from the 2019 spring harvest, as well as a rare ‘purple’ (really white) wild tea; an Iron Goddess of Mercy oolong; a Darjeeling black; herbals like Chrysthanemum and Egyptian-grown hibiscus and lavender; etc, etc. Honestly, I lose track.
Point being, I like tea, and I’ve gotten pretty snobbish about it. For example, I live in the southern US and in my opinion, most “iced tea” here would be better described as tea-flavored syrup, given the ludicrous amounts of sugar it contains. Still, my knowledge definitely skews toward the brewing and consumption of it, moreso than its growing, production, or history and culture. So, wanting to know more, I picked up this book, Tea: History Terroirs Varieties.
First off, the book is quite beautiful. It’s cleanly formatted and its glossy pages are full of pictures on practically every page, which makes it a great coffee (irony…) table book, especially if your friends are also interested in tea.
But when it comes to the actual content, I found it rather uneven. The bulk of the book (pages 36 to 188) is dedicated to the tea regions of the world, including China, Japan, India, Taiwan, India, and one combined chapter for Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, and East Africa. In addition, there are chapters on ‘the art of preparing tea’, ‘a short tasting guide’, ‘tea in gastronomy’, and a final part on ‘tea and health’ including a chemical analysis. Some of these were interesting, but I’d say a solid half of this book is filler material, of minimal interest even to a die-hard tea connoisseur like myself.
First, the Good:
*The various history sections and legends were all rather interesting. Learning how India first got into tea, learning where the ‘iron goddess of mercy’ moniker comes from, etc. [If you read my review for Death's End, you can see I was clearly inspired by these legends].
*Manufacturing methods are always illuminating - it’s nice to know where and how the stuff I’m drinking is created. Personally, I drank tea a long time before I knew what, exactly, differentiated a green tea from a black tea from a white tea from an oolong tea. Not to mention, it’s always nice to get a reminder that the tea doesn’t just arrive, by magic, from the aether. A human planted it and cared for it, a human picked it, another human processed it, and so on. In this time of Russia-instigated disunion and discord, I’ll take any reminder that we’re all in this together.
*Each regional section contains a selection of that region’s most famous teas. Looking at the pictures and reading the descriptions gave me serious tea cravings!
*Sections on local preparation displays the wonderful variety of tea culture (Japanese chado ceremony, the gong fu cha ceremony, the preparation of matcha, etc). Because of this book and other experiences, I purchased a gaiwan, and it’s now my preferred method of preparing tea.
*Sections for pairings of cheese & tea, chocolate & tea, and scotch & tea pairing got me excited to attempt such pairings myself.
*This was also my first look into the actual farming of tea, so I found that overview to be new and interesting but…
And now, THE BAD:
*While I enjoyed the overview of farming, the book often got into a level of detail that I can’t imagine anyone outside of actual growers and producers would find meaningful or interesting. Consider this quote describing the ‘southeast region’ of China:
“The most common soil type is old clay soil that contains both red and yellow clay. Except in the north of Fujian, the temperature is warm, with an annual average of 66 deg F to 72 deg F, the rainfall is abundant, with 45 to 80 inches annually, and the plucking season extends over a period of 10 months.”
Dry, statistical, boring - and they do this for practically every single province or sub-region within every country they talk about. I absorbed exactly zero of these details and can recall none of them.
*Each region contains an ‘interview’ with a local tea person. I was excited about these at first, thinking I might get a more human insight. NOPE. They are unimaginably dull. Consider this representative sample about JD RAI, tea producer:
Major yawn. Every ‘interview’ is like that. Just straight factual question and answer, without any sense of actual human conversation. Utterly utterly dull.
*The end contains a section in which they chemically analyze a tea to discover its caffeine and antioxidant qualities. It’s clear they were well-intentioned, but it’s also clear none of the authors had a firm grasp or appreciation of statistical analysis. Many of the analyses were done with a SINGLE trial - the standard deviation must be through the roof! Which is especially problematic because (for example) by one method the antioxidant concentration of anji bai cha was 1175 micromoles but by another method it was 1800 micromoles. A huge difference that essentially makes the whole thing a wash.
*The recipe section is relatively brief (a single recipe for iced tea for example) and also falls into the common trap of skewing towards exotic, hard-to-cook recipes rather than offering more mundane, but more useful, daily recipes. For example there’s a recipe for ‘pork belly braised in pu er tea with chopped jerusalem artichokes and cloves, with a chicory and star anise emulsion’ or ‘scallop carpaccio with marined celery and shittake mushrooms in a chinese white tea broth.’ Which isn’t to say these recipes are bad or particularly difficult. It’s just I don’t see myself actually making any of these and there are so very few.
...But then that’s the nature of this book. It’s meant to be an overview of tea and that’s exactly what it is. It touches on culture, history, farming, tasting, etc but never delves too deeply in any one topic. Furthermore, the writing style can best be described as encyclopedic with a keen absence of style or wit. As a result, Tea: A History (full title) makes for a solid reference book for a tea enthusiast or as a coffee table interactive decoration. But if you’re looking for something with more depth or insight, you’ll want to explore other options.
Also I love tea, so if you want to talk about it, leave me a comment!
I first started drinking it when I was younger; a friend and I would brew a cup and then watch Dr. Who. That was our ritual, and because of it, tea became associated with friendship, camaraderie, and that special Whovian sense of wonder.
Now eventually this ritual ended, but my tea obssession only grew. I’ve accumulated a great deal of tea gear, some might say an excess (but they’d be wrong, of course). I own a cast-iron tea pot, a ceramic teapot, a matcha set, a gaiwan, two french presses, three kettles, and more bowls, cups, and mugs than you can shake a camellia sinesis shrub at. By this point in time, I’ve brewed hundreds of different iced and fermented teas, keeping detailed notes on each. My little black book of tea tecipes is one of my most prized possessions. And then there’s the sheer variety of tea varietals I’ve consumed. At this moment alone, I’ve got tins of six different Chinese green teas from the 2019 spring harvest, as well as a rare ‘purple’ (really white) wild tea; an Iron Goddess of Mercy oolong; a Darjeeling black; herbals like Chrysthanemum and Egyptian-grown hibiscus and lavender; etc, etc. Honestly, I lose track.
Point being, I like tea, and I’ve gotten pretty snobbish about it. For example, I live in the southern US and in my opinion, most “iced tea” here would be better described as tea-flavored syrup, given the ludicrous amounts of sugar it contains. Still, my knowledge definitely skews toward the brewing and consumption of it, moreso than its growing, production, or history and culture. So, wanting to know more, I picked up this book, Tea: History Terroirs Varieties.
First off, the book is quite beautiful. It’s cleanly formatted and its glossy pages are full of pictures on practically every page, which makes it a great coffee (irony…) table book, especially if your friends are also interested in tea.
But when it comes to the actual content, I found it rather uneven. The bulk of the book (pages 36 to 188) is dedicated to the tea regions of the world, including China, Japan, India, Taiwan, India, and one combined chapter for Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, and East Africa. In addition, there are chapters on ‘the art of preparing tea’, ‘a short tasting guide’, ‘tea in gastronomy’, and a final part on ‘tea and health’ including a chemical analysis. Some of these were interesting, but I’d say a solid half of this book is filler material, of minimal interest even to a die-hard tea connoisseur like myself.
First, the Good:
*The various history sections and legends were all rather interesting. Learning how India first got into tea, learning where the ‘iron goddess of mercy’ moniker comes from, etc. [If you read my review for Death's End, you can see I was clearly inspired by these legends].
*Manufacturing methods are always illuminating - it’s nice to know where and how the stuff I’m drinking is created. Personally, I drank tea a long time before I knew what, exactly, differentiated a green tea from a black tea from a white tea from an oolong tea. Not to mention, it’s always nice to get a reminder that the tea doesn’t just arrive, by magic, from the aether. A human planted it and cared for it, a human picked it, another human processed it, and so on. In this time of Russia-instigated disunion and discord, I’ll take any reminder that we’re all in this together.
*Each regional section contains a selection of that region’s most famous teas. Looking at the pictures and reading the descriptions gave me serious tea cravings!
*Sections on local preparation displays the wonderful variety of tea culture (Japanese chado ceremony, the gong fu cha ceremony, the preparation of matcha, etc). Because of this book and other experiences, I purchased a gaiwan, and it’s now my preferred method of preparing tea.
*Sections for pairings of cheese & tea, chocolate & tea, and scotch & tea pairing got me excited to attempt such pairings myself.
*This was also my first look into the actual farming of tea, so I found that overview to be new and interesting but…
And now, THE BAD:
*While I enjoyed the overview of farming, the book often got into a level of detail that I can’t imagine anyone outside of actual growers and producers would find meaningful or interesting. Consider this quote describing the ‘southeast region’ of China:
“The most common soil type is old clay soil that contains both red and yellow clay. Except in the north of Fujian, the temperature is warm, with an annual average of 66 deg F to 72 deg F, the rainfall is abundant, with 45 to 80 inches annually, and the plucking season extends over a period of 10 months.”
Dry, statistical, boring - and they do this for practically every single province or sub-region within every country they talk about. I absorbed exactly zero of these details and can recall none of them.
*Each region contains an ‘interview’ with a local tea person. I was excited about these at first, thinking I might get a more human insight. NOPE. They are unimaginably dull. Consider this representative sample about JD RAI, tea producer:
How did you start your career in the world of tea? I started in 1984, when I was 24 years old, as assistant manager at the Barnesbeg Tea Garden.
And how many gardens do you now supervise? Currently I oversee five gardens: Castleton, Margaret’s Hope, Dilaram, Thurbo and Barnesbeg. I am also consulted regarding quality control and processing in Badamtam. I have around 5,000 workers under my supervision in those six gardens.
Can you tell us what is the approximate annual production of these gardens? Each year we produce about 1.9 million pounds of tea.
What are your main customers? Our main customers are: Twinings in London, Leafull Corporation in Japan and several wholesalers from Iran and Germany. We also sell nearly 45 percent of our production through auctions in Kolkata.
Major yawn. Every ‘interview’ is like that. Just straight factual question and answer, without any sense of actual human conversation. Utterly utterly dull.
*The end contains a section in which they chemically analyze a tea to discover its caffeine and antioxidant qualities. It’s clear they were well-intentioned, but it’s also clear none of the authors had a firm grasp or appreciation of statistical analysis. Many of the analyses were done with a SINGLE trial - the standard deviation must be through the roof! Which is especially problematic because (for example) by one method the antioxidant concentration of anji bai cha was 1175 micromoles but by another method it was 1800 micromoles. A huge difference that essentially makes the whole thing a wash.
*The recipe section is relatively brief (a single recipe for iced tea for example) and also falls into the common trap of skewing towards exotic, hard-to-cook recipes rather than offering more mundane, but more useful, daily recipes. For example there’s a recipe for ‘pork belly braised in pu er tea with chopped jerusalem artichokes and cloves, with a chicory and star anise emulsion’ or ‘scallop carpaccio with marined celery and shittake mushrooms in a chinese white tea broth.’ Which isn’t to say these recipes are bad or particularly difficult. It’s just I don’t see myself actually making any of these and there are so very few.
...But then that’s the nature of this book. It’s meant to be an overview of tea and that’s exactly what it is. It touches on culture, history, farming, tasting, etc but never delves too deeply in any one topic. Furthermore, the writing style can best be described as encyclopedic with a keen absence of style or wit. As a result, Tea: A History (full title) makes for a solid reference book for a tea enthusiast or as a coffee table interactive decoration. But if you’re looking for something with more depth or insight, you’ll want to explore other options.
Also I love tea, so if you want to talk about it, leave me a comment!
March 9, 2015
This book is probably the best I've read about tea. It is on the lighter side of comprehensive, and engages tea from many aspects, from health to history, and from tasting to terroir. It includes quotes from famous tea masters and gives brief overviews on teas and their histories. And, the pictures are gorgeous.
The only thing wrong with this book was its poor editing. There were formatting, spelling, or grammatical errors on nearly every page, which detracted from its quality, and hiring a native speaker of Chinese to edit the Chinese within the book would have also helped. There are some strange translations and inconsistencies in their other-language usage.
Yet, overall, it was a true delight to read, and is an excellent guide to have on-hand.
The only thing wrong with this book was its poor editing. There were formatting, spelling, or grammatical errors on nearly every page, which detracted from its quality, and hiring a native speaker of Chinese to edit the Chinese within the book would have also helped. There are some strange translations and inconsistencies in their other-language usage.
Yet, overall, it was a true delight to read, and is an excellent guide to have on-hand.
April 20, 2015
Apart from the multitude of grammatical errors, typesetting gaffes and other editorial oversights, this book is a fantastic repository of tea knowledge. Filled with facts about the production of tea in various countries, their local customs, descriptions of teas to look out for and fantastic photographs, this book is hard to put down. Best enjoyed while enjoying a cuppa of your own, mind you, as each page made me thirstier than the last.
June 25, 2020
Luettuani Suomalaisen teekirjan kaipasin vähän laajempaa näkökulmaa teehen, vähän enemmän tietoa teentuotannosta ja alkuperästä. Olin kirjastossa toisen kirjan perässä, mutta tämä opus löytyi sattumalta hyllystä.
Tea ottaa teehen sommelieerinäkökulman, käsittely muistuttaa kovasti viinistä puhumista. Ensin käsitellään teenviljelyä hieman yleisesti, sitten alueittain: Kiina, Japani, Taiwan, Intia ja lopuksi muut maat. Maiden teetuotannon ominaispiirteitä esitellään ja joitain tunnettuja teelaatuja.
Ceylonilaisen teen ystävänä vähän harmitti Sri Lankan niputtaminen muiden maiden osastolle ja ohittaminen nopeasti. Intiakin keskittyy pitkälti Darjeelingiin. Muutenkaan en ole ihan varma paljonko eri teelaatujen esittelystä on suomalaiselle teenjuojalle iloa, mutta ainakin japanilaisen teen moninaisuutta kirja avaa hyödyllisellä tavalla.
Lopuksi käsitellään teen valmistamista, teetä sisältäviä ruokia muutaman reseptin verran ja lopuksi on tieteellistä analyysiä teen ominaisuuksista, etenkin kofeiini- ja antioksidanttipitoisuudesta. Matcha on näissä reippaasti ykkönen, eli jos antioksidantteja teeltänsä kaipaa, matchaa kuppiin ja menoksi!
Kirja on runsaasti kuvitettu ja sohvapöytähenkinen, siihen on helppo tarttua ja selailla esiin jotain kiinnostavaa. Tietokirjana se on vähän pinnallisen oloinen. Konkreettisena antina se herätti halun kokeilla senchado- ja gong fa -haudutusta, jossa teetä haudutetaan samoista lehdistä useita pieniä annoksia peräkkäin, jolloin makuelämyksen pitäisi olla monipuolisempi.
Tea ottaa teehen sommelieerinäkökulman, käsittely muistuttaa kovasti viinistä puhumista. Ensin käsitellään teenviljelyä hieman yleisesti, sitten alueittain: Kiina, Japani, Taiwan, Intia ja lopuksi muut maat. Maiden teetuotannon ominaispiirteitä esitellään ja joitain tunnettuja teelaatuja.
Ceylonilaisen teen ystävänä vähän harmitti Sri Lankan niputtaminen muiden maiden osastolle ja ohittaminen nopeasti. Intiakin keskittyy pitkälti Darjeelingiin. Muutenkaan en ole ihan varma paljonko eri teelaatujen esittelystä on suomalaiselle teenjuojalle iloa, mutta ainakin japanilaisen teen moninaisuutta kirja avaa hyödyllisellä tavalla.
Lopuksi käsitellään teen valmistamista, teetä sisältäviä ruokia muutaman reseptin verran ja lopuksi on tieteellistä analyysiä teen ominaisuuksista, etenkin kofeiini- ja antioksidanttipitoisuudesta. Matcha on näissä reippaasti ykkönen, eli jos antioksidantteja teeltänsä kaipaa, matchaa kuppiin ja menoksi!
Kirja on runsaasti kuvitettu ja sohvapöytähenkinen, siihen on helppo tarttua ja selailla esiin jotain kiinnostavaa. Tietokirjana se on vähän pinnallisen oloinen. Konkreettisena antina se herätti halun kokeilla senchado- ja gong fa -haudutusta, jossa teetä haudutetaan samoista lehdistä useita pieniä annoksia peräkkäin, jolloin makuelämyksen pitäisi olla monipuolisempi.
October 21, 2023
If you are someone looking for information on tea, this book is filled with that.
It was quite amazing to see the amount of information and things about tea that I never knew about nor knew existed.
From different equipment such as a Gaiwan.
(A Chinese lidded bowl without a handle, used for the infusion of tea leaves and the consumption of tea.)
To learning that in Morocco they drink mint tea and pour the tea from a great height to cool the tea and create a frothy beverage.
I learned quite a bit!!
Though the information was amazing and really gave you a lot. I found that also effected my willingness to read this book. I felt daunted to continue because it felt like a never ending amount of info. And though it was interesting info, again the amount made it daunting.
If you want to read and learn more about tea but you're just beginning too. I would either search for a simpler beginners book on tea. Or just keep in mind that you will need to pace yourself well you read this book.
This book had a lot of images which is great as well, so that was nice.
It was quite amazing to see the amount of information and things about tea that I never knew about nor knew existed.
From different equipment such as a Gaiwan.
(A Chinese lidded bowl without a handle, used for the infusion of tea leaves and the consumption of tea.)
To learning that in Morocco they drink mint tea and pour the tea from a great height to cool the tea and create a frothy beverage.
I learned quite a bit!!
Though the information was amazing and really gave you a lot. I found that also effected my willingness to read this book. I felt daunted to continue because it felt like a never ending amount of info. And though it was interesting info, again the amount made it daunting.
If you want to read and learn more about tea but you're just beginning too. I would either search for a simpler beginners book on tea. Or just keep in mind that you will need to pace yourself well you read this book.
This book had a lot of images which is great as well, so that was nice.
March 8, 2022
I am a tea drinker, but not a fanatic. Yet, I still found this to be a fascinating book. This book cover so many areas, in sometimes exquisite detail, and while technical, it wasn’t dry (OK, not too dry). The authors do a great job keeping the sections short, including lots of pictures, and interspersing interviews and side topics throughout. To be clear, this is thorough investigation of all thing’s tea, and therefore will likely not appeal to everyone (or many of you). But if you are into this type of stuff, the authors have done a masterful job.
August 31, 2022
A marvelous introduction to the world of tea, with a survey of the Big Three tea countries (China, Japan, and India) and their most well-known varieties, along with lots of photography, reviews of specific types, tasting notes, recipes, and a fantastic closing summary of research into the health and chemical makeup of tea (looking specifically at caffeine differences between types and other health properties, such as the catechins or antioxidant levels). I am afraid that I am going to become an unbearable tea snob because of all of this. I can’t go back to tea bags now!!
June 3, 2017
This is an informative but problematic text on tea. There is a nice breakdown of prominent varietas from all the major tea-producing areas, a healthy dose of science (and rigorous chemical analysis), and some decent passages of tea history and geography. I didn't find the writing particularly engaging or sufficiently proofread, and I take issue with the redundant interview sections, mistranslations of Japanese terms, inaccurate etymologies of Chinese tea names, and historical accounts of the British tea trade in India that do not demonstrate a culturally proficient understanding of the implicit colonialism in the narratives.
Too dry to leaf through, substantial enough as a reference work, and marred by poor research in the cultural realm
Too dry to leaf through, substantial enough as a reference work, and marred by poor research in the cultural realm
February 1, 2022
This book is absolutely beautiful and includes SO MUCH information about tea - history, where it is grown, different types of teas, interviews with tea sellers. It's laid out in such a lovely way - but why did I not fully engage with it? I think sometimes the text was a wee bit boring and went in greater detail than I, a fully devoted tea drinker, needed. I learned A LOT and did enjoy it, and now, I am making a cup of tea.
April 15, 2021
Learned alot about tea. Focuses alot on what types of tea are grown where and why, which is neat. I think it couldve used a chapter on tea basics laying out very plainly the types of tea, their most common flavor profiles, and other basics as an intro. But still informative. Definitely reads like a textbook, but at least a readable one.
April 1, 2019
Awesome book about the history and use of tea
April 10, 2017
Un livre juste, concis et complet qui fait un panorama à ceux et celles qui veulent s'initier aux thés.
April 22, 2018
Great book on tea
February 16, 2012
This is a terrific book. Beautifully produced, well illustrated, broad in scope, readable text. I have picked up a few tea books over the years and this is by far the most accessible overview book to this amazing beverage. Written by a collective of tea specialists from Montreal.
May 2, 2025
Tea Time & Thoughts
Tea can be complex but it need not be...
Heat the water, prepare the tea and drink it properly. That is all you need to know. ~ Sen no Rikyu
#CamelliaSinensisTeaHouse
https://linomatteo.wordpress.com/2025...
Tea Time & Thoughts
Tea: History, Terroires, Varieties
Tea can be complex – it has a long and interesting history; its region of development adds to its flavour, tradition, and mystic; and the complexity is amplified by the various varieties and styles. Not to worry. The book deals with these complexities. It also encourages you to have a good cup of tea.
“Tea is nothing more than this: Heat the water, prepare the tea and drink it properly. That is all you need to know. ~ Sen no Rikyu
Yes, Sen no Rikyū, was a tea master. So, you can expect this simple statement to have deeper and more complex meaning. Then again, how do you like your tea?
• Hot, but not quite boiling
• Bold but not an energy drink
• Slow and steady, not something you quaff down
Yes, that is how I like it too.
Tea is a way of starting your day, ending it, or just something in between. You can have it along, with a meal, or share a pot with friends. It comes from China, originally, but you can get tea from India, Africa, other parts of Asia such as Japan and Taiwan, or even South America. It is with good reason that today, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world.
This book has advice on what to expect from various tea types – see below – to how tea can even be good for your health to a brief lexicon of tasting. Why, it even has suggestions on tea pots. Good suggestions at that. It is loaded with lovely pictures, maps, techniques, and testimonials.
There are six main categories or families of tea:
• white,
• green,
• yellow,
• wulong (or oolong),
• black
• Pu er (or Pu-erh).
Do you have a preference? Whatever your preference, it might be useful to keep in mind Rikyū, and his influence on the chanoyu or the Japanese "Way of Tea". Tea drinking in Japan has evolved into a spiritual ideal know as Chado:
Make a satisfying bowl of tea: Prepare the tea with care to suit the guests' tastes.
1. Arrange flowers as they are in the field: Place flowers naturally, reflecting their wild beauty.
2. Lay the charcoal to heat the water properly: Arrange the charcoal efficiently to ensure the water is at the right temperature.
3. In summer, evoke coolness; in winter, warmth: Create an atmosphere that complements the season.
4. In winter evoke warmth
5. Be ready ahead of time: Prepare everything in advance to ensure a smooth ceremony.
6. Be prepared for rain: Anticipate unexpected circumstances and be ready to adapt.
7. Give your guests your fullest attention: Show genuine hospitality and focus on the guests' experience.
This advice is good advice for any event: setting, tools, comfort, planning, preparation, contingency, and attentiveness. What could go wrong if we follow this approach? Lots, it seems, but we would be ready to deal with it. And dealing with it, while enjoying a cup of tea, well, that just seems to make sense.
Montreal’s own Camellia Sinensis Tea House has put together this very informative, insightful, and enjoyable compendium on Tea.
Enjoy the read, appreciate the effort, and do share that next cup of tea!
Lino Matteo ©™
Twitter @Lino_Matteo
https://linomatteo.wordpress.com/2025...
#FoodieFriday #Tea #Montreal #BusinessEnglish #LinoMatteo #BE #UP #Book #BookReview
Tea can be complex but it need not be...
Heat the water, prepare the tea and drink it properly. That is all you need to know. ~ Sen no Rikyu
#CamelliaSinensisTeaHouse
https://linomatteo.wordpress.com/2025...
Tea Time & Thoughts
Tea: History, Terroires, Varieties
Tea can be complex – it has a long and interesting history; its region of development adds to its flavour, tradition, and mystic; and the complexity is amplified by the various varieties and styles. Not to worry. The book deals with these complexities. It also encourages you to have a good cup of tea.
“Tea is nothing more than this: Heat the water, prepare the tea and drink it properly. That is all you need to know. ~ Sen no Rikyu
Yes, Sen no Rikyū, was a tea master. So, you can expect this simple statement to have deeper and more complex meaning. Then again, how do you like your tea?
• Hot, but not quite boiling
• Bold but not an energy drink
• Slow and steady, not something you quaff down
Yes, that is how I like it too.
Tea is a way of starting your day, ending it, or just something in between. You can have it along, with a meal, or share a pot with friends. It comes from China, originally, but you can get tea from India, Africa, other parts of Asia such as Japan and Taiwan, or even South America. It is with good reason that today, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world.
This book has advice on what to expect from various tea types – see below – to how tea can even be good for your health to a brief lexicon of tasting. Why, it even has suggestions on tea pots. Good suggestions at that. It is loaded with lovely pictures, maps, techniques, and testimonials.
There are six main categories or families of tea:
• white,
• green,
• yellow,
• wulong (or oolong),
• black
• Pu er (or Pu-erh).
Do you have a preference? Whatever your preference, it might be useful to keep in mind Rikyū, and his influence on the chanoyu or the Japanese "Way of Tea". Tea drinking in Japan has evolved into a spiritual ideal know as Chado:
Make a satisfying bowl of tea: Prepare the tea with care to suit the guests' tastes.
1. Arrange flowers as they are in the field: Place flowers naturally, reflecting their wild beauty.
2. Lay the charcoal to heat the water properly: Arrange the charcoal efficiently to ensure the water is at the right temperature.
3. In summer, evoke coolness; in winter, warmth: Create an atmosphere that complements the season.
4. In winter evoke warmth
5. Be ready ahead of time: Prepare everything in advance to ensure a smooth ceremony.
6. Be prepared for rain: Anticipate unexpected circumstances and be ready to adapt.
7. Give your guests your fullest attention: Show genuine hospitality and focus on the guests' experience.
This advice is good advice for any event: setting, tools, comfort, planning, preparation, contingency, and attentiveness. What could go wrong if we follow this approach? Lots, it seems, but we would be ready to deal with it. And dealing with it, while enjoying a cup of tea, well, that just seems to make sense.
Montreal’s own Camellia Sinensis Tea House has put together this very informative, insightful, and enjoyable compendium on Tea.
Enjoy the read, appreciate the effort, and do share that next cup of tea!
Lino Matteo ©™
Twitter @Lino_Matteo
https://linomatteo.wordpress.com/2025...
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June 19, 2018
This tome of a book, written by several staff members of the famed Montreal tea establishment "The Camellia Sinensis Tea House," covers a wealth of knowledge and experience across the spectrum of tea history, agriculture, pick styles, processing methods, tasting notes for examples of tea styles, brewing recommendations, 5-star chef recipes, and a section on the latest tea science (circa 2011).
Of particular interest in this book is the wealth of photographs that accompany the tea tasting descriptions, processing details, and tea plantation and garden photographs. For tea enthusiasts and professionals who have not yet gone to see these places and activities with their own eyes, these resources make this book extremely valuable.
The history section of the book was a little lightweight, but there are other tea history books that can provide more depth and nuance (see my other reviews). Where this book really shines is describing in detail the climates, landscapes, processing techniques, and local serving customs for the dozens of types of teas covered. The book includes occasional vignettes of tea professionals working in these different regions that add welcome color and personality to the book.
I was admittedly skeptical going in to the "tea and health" section of the book, as most of the time these parts of tea books include vague claims and platitudes or even junk science, but I was pleasantly surprised to see it showcase some actual rigorous science even if the results were inconclusive. The truth is, there is so much about how tea affects human physiology that we just don't know and at least these authors were honest about that.
I would recommend this book to intermediate tea enthusiasts and budding tea professionals who are looking to build their repertoire of knowledge in the traditional and emerging global tea terroirs.
Of particular interest in this book is the wealth of photographs that accompany the tea tasting descriptions, processing details, and tea plantation and garden photographs. For tea enthusiasts and professionals who have not yet gone to see these places and activities with their own eyes, these resources make this book extremely valuable.
The history section of the book was a little lightweight, but there are other tea history books that can provide more depth and nuance (see my other reviews). Where this book really shines is describing in detail the climates, landscapes, processing techniques, and local serving customs for the dozens of types of teas covered. The book includes occasional vignettes of tea professionals working in these different regions that add welcome color and personality to the book.
I was admittedly skeptical going in to the "tea and health" section of the book, as most of the time these parts of tea books include vague claims and platitudes or even junk science, but I was pleasantly surprised to see it showcase some actual rigorous science even if the results were inconclusive. The truth is, there is so much about how tea affects human physiology that we just don't know and at least these authors were honest about that.
I would recommend this book to intermediate tea enthusiasts and budding tea professionals who are looking to build their repertoire of knowledge in the traditional and emerging global tea terroirs.
November 20, 2018
Il libro sul tè più completo che ho trovato finora, non a caso vincitore dell'international tea book award. L'opera parte dalla storia e le origini della camelia sinensis, per poi proseguire spiegando i concetti di cultivar e terroir; poi passa a illustrare le varie famiglie di tè esistenti. Nei capitoli succesivi analizza i principali paesi produttori di tè, illustrandone le varie aree di produzione, i cultivar utilizzati e le varie tipologie di tè prodotte. Per ogni paese poi sono presenti delle schede con le tipologie di tè più famosi e relativi dati di degustazione (attacco, mezzo e finale) e gli strumenti consigliati per la preparazione e la degustazione. I capitoli successivi spiegano le varie tecniche e procedure pe preparare le varui etipologie di tè, inclusi tempi e temperature di infusione (tranne per il matcha, dove naturalmente è prevsita solo temeperatura). I capitoli finali illustrano le prorietà salutistiche delle varie tipologie di tè. Che dire, un libro fantastico e un'ottima guida di riferimento per chi volesse entrare in questo fantastico mondo.
January 27, 2022
"Tea" provides a detailed look at the history and present state of tea in China, Japan, Taiwan, India (and, briefly, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam and East Africa). The book started by providing an overview of the history of tea and information about the different tea types: black, green, white, yellow, oolong, pu'er, perfumed, aromatic, and smoked teas. The authors then focused on specific countries and talked about where the tea is grow, how the weather affects the tea taste, the tea types that they grow there, if the tea is primarily for domestic use or export, and details about how they process the tea and about local tea drinking ceremonies. They ended with 15 recipes that use tea and some scientific analysis about what levels of caffeine and antioxidants are in various teas and how different preparation methods (steeping times, multiple infusions, etc.) affect the amounts of caffeine and antioxidant in each cup of tea. If you really like your tea and want to learn the details, this book has a lot for detailed information.
February 7, 2025
|| 5 ⭐️ ||
I think I may have discovered my new favourite tea book! Incredibly thorough overview of tea history, tea regions, and famous varieties/cultivars with the most lovely-sounding descriptions of tasting notes I’ve ever read. Instead of dissolving into nothing but information about British tea traditions and teabags (as many tea books tend to do), this book digs deep into the rich history and culture of tea-growing nations and represents them well. Very informative. I even managed to learn some things I didn’t know before—such as the common use of fans over tea crops in Japan to disperse fog, retain soil warmth and prevent dew formation. I’d never heard of this.
There’s a section on learning how to properly analyze the taste and aroma of tea, including a lovely flavour wheel to reference (even though the writing in it is very small).
Finally, all the high quality photographs make it a delightful coffee table book for company to flip through. I’ll be adding this one to my wish list; I’d love to add it to my collection of tea books.
I think I may have discovered my new favourite tea book! Incredibly thorough overview of tea history, tea regions, and famous varieties/cultivars with the most lovely-sounding descriptions of tasting notes I’ve ever read. Instead of dissolving into nothing but information about British tea traditions and teabags (as many tea books tend to do), this book digs deep into the rich history and culture of tea-growing nations and represents them well. Very informative. I even managed to learn some things I didn’t know before—such as the common use of fans over tea crops in Japan to disperse fog, retain soil warmth and prevent dew formation. I’d never heard of this.
There’s a section on learning how to properly analyze the taste and aroma of tea, including a lovely flavour wheel to reference (even though the writing in it is very small).
Finally, all the high quality photographs make it a delightful coffee table book for company to flip through. I’ll be adding this one to my wish list; I’d love to add it to my collection of tea books.
June 22, 2021
(I read the third edition)
This tea is THE book to read if you want to know as much about tea as you can. This is a great start to get your footing and although there are some areas I wish I got more information it did a very good job at balancing the great task of explaining tea. It is very straight forward and concise with relevant historical explanations. Many other books about tea don't do to well of a job and the focus seems to shift and doesn't really stay in one direction which I gladly was not the case with this book. It definitely gave me some good information and helped me continue my journey in knowing more about tea.
This tea is THE book to read if you want to know as much about tea as you can. This is a great start to get your footing and although there are some areas I wish I got more information it did a very good job at balancing the great task of explaining tea. It is very straight forward and concise with relevant historical explanations. Many other books about tea don't do to well of a job and the focus seems to shift and doesn't really stay in one direction which I gladly was not the case with this book. It definitely gave me some good information and helped me continue my journey in knowing more about tea.
June 5, 2017
One of the best tea books I've read. It was comprehensive, covered all of the major (and minor) tea producing nations and gave some great examples and tasting notes for the teas. I really enjoyed the last chapter related to tea and health. It included a lot of chemistry and scientific studies about the health benefits of tea. I haven't seen any other tea book that did as good a job providing the science info in such a straightforward format. The layout and photography in the book was very good too.
April 24, 2020
This is a great informative book for those who is into the particulars of tea varieties, processing, and tasting. The author tells a bit of history, but mostly it is a description of the most popular cultivars grown in major tea producing countries (China, Japan, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Kenya, and Malawi), the way tea is grown and processed in every country, the way climate, soil, altitude, and latitude affect tea trees, and how to brew to brew it according to various countries’ traditions.
Knowing some of the facts of tea terroir and processing, one can know what more or less to expect from a tea when one buys it.
I especially loved a chapter on tea tasting and food paring.
Recommended for all those who want to know their tea.
Knowing some of the facts of tea terroir and processing, one can know what more or less to expect from a tea when one buys it.
I especially loved a chapter on tea tasting and food paring.
Recommended for all those who want to know their tea.
May 1, 2021
An amazing book to know everything about tea and even its "alternatives" such as rooibos and even yerba maté.
I'm obsessed with tea and really learnt eveything about it thanks to this book.
I love how has so many diverses point of view/analysis on tea : historical, scientific, culinary(recipes etc), cultural and much more !
I often go back to this book when I need to check something about tea for example how to properly steep your tea
To the authors and everyone else included in the conception of book : thank you !!
I'm obsessed with tea and really learnt eveything about it thanks to this book.
I love how has so many diverses point of view/analysis on tea : historical, scientific, culinary(recipes etc), cultural and much more !
I often go back to this book when I need to check something about tea for example how to properly steep your tea
To the authors and everyone else included in the conception of book : thank you !!
June 8, 2025
This book does exactly what is in the title. It provides a history of where and how tea is grown as well as how it is processed. Some information is a bit too detailed for an overview but overall I think this is a good starting place if you are interested in the differences between white and black tea. The major thing to keep in mind is that this is focused solely on tea trees that produce white, green, yellow, black, & puer teas. This book does not go over other types of plants grown to produce tea.
October 25, 2019
I read the version 2 of this book and noticed version 3 has some new images and new studies, but for the most part general idea. That being said, this is a good book to get a general idea of different tea, its health benefits, several different types of tea brewing, and history of tea. I wish they expand to other countries like sri lanka, nepal, africa, colombia and other upcoming tea areas in the same detail as taiwan, china, india, and japan. Overall pretty good read
January 15, 2021
The book was really informative, covering a lot of information about the properties of different teas from different areas. I've possibly been a bit spoiled by non-fiction books I've read lately, which have been written by great writers as well as experts. In comparison this had a slightly drier writing style, but that's probably me being picky (and, as I say, spoiled). As a drinker of all kinds of tea, I liked learning a bit more about the production & sources of it.
April 5, 2025
Imparts some great tea knowledge but also chooses some odd things to focus on. There’s understandably a large section devoted to tea in China and Japan, but most other tea producing countries only get a page at most. Sri Lanka (the home of Ceylon tea) gets barely anything for being as prolific as it is. Enjoyed the bits talking about how the English couldn’t grow tea so they just brought in 80 Chinese workers and suddenly they could grow tea. Tea is good, I think I’ll have another cup today.
June 20, 2025
I absolutely enjoyed every page of this book. It was recommended to me by a gentleman from the local tea shop, as it's perfect for beginners. The book is very well organized and contains plenty of interesting information about the history, methods of production, the various regions where tea is grown, as well as the different types of tea, and the photos are simply beautiful. I found answers to many of my questions.
October 5, 2020
Reading this entire book is like taking a well organized college level class on the history and current stage of tea growing and production in multiple countries. It includes information about how the plants are grown, picked, and marketed. Beautifully put together and expansive but highly readable.
November 29, 2021
Great read for someone who started his/her journey in the real of Tea. It gives you a general idea about tea history, regions, and varieties, and introduce you to some of the finest teas in the world. Personally, greatest tea adventure I ever had was in Camellia Sinensis teahouse in Montreal, so reading this book adds depth to my understanding of Tea and its origins.
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