Modern Tea: A Fresh Look at an Ancient Beverage

by Lisa Boalt Richardson

It's a beverage, a commodity, a ceremony, a meal, a spiritual encounter, a connector of people, a drink of peace, a pick-me-up, a comforter, and a way of life for many. As tea continues to rise in popularity, this comprehensive guide explores the celebrated beverage through the eyes of a certified tea specialist. From its sometimes murky origins to today's wide range of tea ceremonies, Lisa Boalt Richardson delves into the world of tea to create a fresh and accessible package for tea rookies and gurus alike. With tips for shopping, storing, steeping, and tasting, plus advice for using tea in pairings, cooking, cocktails, and home health remedies, this fascinating read is everyone's cup of tea.

Genres: Tea, Nonfiction, Food, Cookbooks

164 pages, Hardcover

First published October 14, 2014

Reviews

[Pamela Hamon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an overview and introduction to tea interspersed with the author's personal stories about the tea industry and visits to tea gardens and factories in several parts of the world. The author has a casual writing style that is inviting to read, much like if you were having a conversation with a good friend over tea and about tea.

Unlike a number of more casually-voiced tea books, this one approached the health/wellness, science, and chemistry parts of tea judiciously. Facts were presented as a "best of our knowledge now" manner and opinion and loose guidelines (such as for brewing methods) were not presented as dogma.

This book would be good for an aspiring tea enthusiast who is looking to go beyond the absolute basics. The section on buying and storing tea especially offers excellent advice for how to start seeking out quality tea, developing your palate, storing tea, and good general reference points for basics of tea brewing.

My biggest complaint for this book is that it lacked in photographs at critical sections when visuals would have been stronger than words such as describing the processing steps for making different styles of tea, describing the visuals of vista views from tea gardens, tea cultivars, etc. The photographs that were included, while very pretty, were not always annotated very well (at least in the ebook edition) so you would see tea pictures but none of the teas were labeled.

[Bambi · Rating 5 out of 5]

To me this was very beginner friendly book, and gives variety of information different aspects of tea. F.ex. Tea types, ceremonies, making of tea, and so on. Definetly would recoment to anyone interested of tea, and the book is easy to follow and it is not too heavy to read.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing how little I knew about my favorite beverage

[Aaron Myatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attempting to put the "tea" back into my British heritage, and also learn some more about a much loved beverage I grabbed this book from from a clearance sale.

Much to my surprise I read it in a weekend and have found myself remarkably more aware of the intricacies of tea culture, and very motivated to learn and try more. I am looking forward to finding some speciality tea leaves to try at the earliest opportunity.

If you have an interest to learn some more about the beverage we drink very regularly, it's history, ceremony and mindfulness, this book provides a concise and easily consumed read, that will leave your mind "infused" with knowledge!

[Taylor's♡Shelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the beginning of her book, Richardson states that some people may call her an "expert". I would definitely be among these people.

I've read a couple of books on this topic and Richardson's might be my favourite so far. I particularly liked the sections on tea rituals (these are always fun to read), cooking with tea (I've baked with tea a lot but never cooked with it), and the effects of tea on the health of the consumer. Richardson apologizes for getting a little "scientific" in the last but I'm glad she did. Her experience in the field is extremely evident and I learned a lot more from this book that I expected going in.

[Stephie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a while for me to finish it. But I´m pretty sure that I´ll re-read a few chapters or recipes. Richardson did lots of research to come up with this nice book. I was able to validate a few basics that I´ve been learning in my journey on tea and I felt nostalgic because I used to go to this beautiful tea shop that is no longer open. In this tea shop, I found this book for the first time along with other publications, they had their small tea library which you could enjoy while drinking tea.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot from this book; the history of tea, the different kinds, and how to make a proper cup. I really enjoyed the section that discusses tea ceremonies from around the world. The tea seeping chart and water temperature chart is really helpful too. I feel I enjoy my tea now after reading this. Would recommend.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clearly written with great references to studies on caffeine and other health related topics. Beautiful discussions and instructions for tea ceremonies around the world.

[Ben Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty thorough and accessible primer on tea. Approachable for someone new to tea but also goes sufficiently in depth to still be interesting.

[LINDA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Especially love the page on how to determine water temperatue by sight.

[Janelle Mallari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though oddly structured, this book is an informative and delightful read.

[Terica · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy to read but highly informative book on tea. Covers history, cultivation and preparation, and tea rituals around the world.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

** Books 152 - 2017 **

This books to accomplish Tsundoku Books Challenge 2017

4,2 of 5 stars!

I just love how this books is really informative! I love how it is differentiate what types of tea, How we make a perfect tea, what the correlation between tea ceremony and religion. Seriously i'm falling in love with this pieces! It is talk about tea and it is easy to read with! ^__^

Thankyou Big bad wolf 2017!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Modern Tea is a small, light book, packed with info presented in an easy-to-enjoy format. Chapters in the book include:
– "What Is Tea?" – Where It's Grown and How It Becomes Specialty Tea
– "The Art of Tea" – Buying, Storing, Steeping, and Tasting
– "Tea Ceremonies and Rituals" – Experiencing Tea in Many Different Ways
– "Beyond the Cup" – Pairing, Cooking, Cocktails, and More
– "The Buzz About Tea" – Caffeine, Health, Coffee, and Sustainability

Although I already knew a bit about the different classes of tea (white, green, yellow, oolong, black and dark), it was great to learn more about each variety and its cultural and agricultural history. The new things I learned about green tea alone were enough to make my head spin! But even with all these tea facts, I never felt like I was being crammed with info – it was more like a gentle tour through the world of tea.

I also really enjoyed the section on the differing tea ceremonies from different cultures (something I've never really learned much about). Not only does Boalt Richardson discuss the cultural background of each type of ceremony, but she offers the elements of each ceremony and tips for attendees.

However, the chapter that really hooked me was "Beyond the Cup" because it includes tips on how to cook with tea. It was great to see a tea book go beyond the sipping and use teas in other ways.

Tea is serious business – there are even college programs where you can get certified as a tea sommelier. But for beginners like me, Boalt Richardson's book is the perfect introduction to the second most popular beverage in the world. It's warm and welcoming, packed with info but never dull, and covers tea from a multitude of cultural angles. It doesn't matter if you prefer hot or iced, what variety you like or what cultural-angle you want to prepare your tea from – it's all in this book.

[Debra Hale-Shelton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richardson's book provides basic information about the six classes of tea with more information about subtypes and makes some source recommendations. The author also dispels some myths about tea and its caffeine content and its health attributes. Yes, tea often has caffeine; yes, tea can be healthy. But the details aren't as cut-and-dried as many of us may think. I read her book on Kindle and wish I'd read it in paper because of the pictures. They did not translate well at all to Kindle. Otherwise, I enjoyed the book and am happy I read it. I probably highlighted more information in this book for future reference than I have any other.

[Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been quite the drinker of tea for the last ten years or so, present for the great tea revolution here in the United States as tea, globally the most popular beverage next to water, becomes the trendy thing. As more and more types are available aside from the bland, old tea bags common the US, it can be easy to be overwhelmed. Lisa Richardson's Modern Tea is a concise, easily read compendium of tea knowledge ideal for beginners looking for an introduction to the sometimes complicated world of tea. I would recommend this book as a good place to start for people interested in learning more, as Richardson discusses everything you need to know; tea production and history, preparing tea, the rules of tea tasting, various traditions of tea drinking around the world, and, of course, health and environmental benefits of tea.

All tea is a product of the camellia sinensis plant (other herbal infusions more properly being known as tisanes), a variety of world production techniques result in the six forms of tea, white, green, yellow, oolong, black, and dark. It is interesting to see the rarefied, complicated tasting traditions connected traditionally to wine and coffee expand in recent years to beer, and here, to tea. Also, tea is probably the most affordable luxury drink you can get, so try it out. It is such a variable beverage that there are varieties to suit every taste, and Richardson also offers some advice on what types to try out based on your coffee preferences.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this exceptional book! It is a very well-written history of tea, and it includes detailed information about the various types of tea, steeping tea, shopping for tea, etc. It is also the ultimate tea resource, containing a useful index and some quick-reference charts for steeping tea. The most fascinating parts of this exceptional book are the personal accounts of visiting tea estates around the world. This book would make an extraordinary gift for the tea lover in your life. In the interest of disclosure, I'm friends with the author, but that in no way impacts my review. I highly recommend this book! It's phenomenal.

[Tracy Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great read if you are interested in all things tea! Great for someone just getting into it as well as long time lovers of the beverage. The photos are very visually appealing also. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this book.

[J. Else · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for tea lovers. Good overview of the tea process, tips for preparing and pairing tea, and benefits of drinking tea. Well researched and outlined. She also references one of my favorite tea stores: TeaSource, a Minnesota business with expert knowledge and customer service!

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I learned so much and appreciated all of the references. The world of tea has a rich history and has evolved to include tisanes, ceremonies, rituals and diversified international markets.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly inviting overview to the world of tea. The author's knowledge is endless and her passion is infectious. Began my tea tasting journey right after I finished this book.

[Delaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a book that was self-described as a non-pretentious look at tea for beginners through tea lovers, this was pretty pretentious. Maybe I just didn't want to know this much about tea.