World Atlas of Tea: From the Leaf to the Cup, the World's Teas Explored and Enjoyed

by Krisi Smith

The United States is the fourth largest global consumer of tea, with Canada following right behind. Black tea is the most popular but green tea sales are growing rapidly -- more than 60 percent in ten years -- driven by its proven health benefits. Specialty tea outlets are expected to double to nearly 8,000 by 2018 and an additional 40,000 coffee retailers are expected to generate more than 30 percent of their beverage sales from tea. The World Atlas of Tea covers tea from the ground up, including why the soil in China makes different tea than the soil in India. Tea mixologist Krisi Smith explains what a tea drinker needs to know to appreciate teas of all descriptions. She follows tea from the plantation to harvesting and processing to how to make the perfect cup. The book is illustrated throughout with beautiful color photographs taken in the field. The contents In this last section, the country profiles open with an introduction that describes the country's tea-growing history alongside a map showing the tea regions. Each area is described as to name, amount of tea produced, tea type, climate, location, and major plantations. Another spread sets out the specific teas grown in that country and describes their production, growing conditions, grade, processing methods, and taste profiles. The world of tea is here to stay. New varieties will be introduced, new health benefits will be proven, and tea sales will continue to grow. The World Atlas of Tea is an exceptional gift choice and specialty selection for this new world.

Genres: Tea, Nonfiction, Food, Food and Drink, Cooking, History, Cookbooks

240 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2016

Reviews

[Paul Fulcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every tea has a fascinating story to tell about the place in which it grew - from soil, climate and altitude to the choices its producers made in processing it.

The World Atlas of Tea is a guide to the world's greatest drink, infusions from the Camellia sinensis var. sinensis and var. assamica plants.

The book is written by Krisi Smith the co-founder of what is now Bird and Blend, a wonderful chain of tea-blending shops, and the book does feature tips for blending tea with different herbs and spices, but the main focus is on the methods and by which tea is produced, the different types and, as the name suggests, the different tea-growing locations. There is, thankfully, a world beyond the tea bags filled with dust that pass for tea in UK supermarkets.

Much of this will be fairly well-trodden ground to the tea connoisseur, and the book is a little under-edited/repetitive at times ('killing-the-green' seemed to feature on multiple pages), but it is beautifully produced, informative and comprehensive.

I would say it makes for an ideal 'coffee table' book, except that drink is as much of an abomination as milk in tea.

3.5 stars - rounded down to 3 as a world atlas of tea omitting Korean tea is rather disappointing, and I've have preferred some more on specific single-estate tea examples.

[Talbot Hook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this makes for an admirable introduction into the world of tea, though the balance is not quite correct according to what is "important" in tea knowledge. The book begins well with cursory discussions on the chemical compounds in tea, the history of the leaf, and has an excellent introduction to the tea-production process. (There is a nice graphic, though it is less clear than it should be, encompassing multiple pages with many side-notes.) The book then sweeps over tea blending, grading, and preparation, with solid pages of detail and advice. Where the book fails, though, is in its latter half, which is dedicated to tea around the world. And, considering the title World Atlas of Tea, this should have been the pièce de résistance. However, this part is far too detailed in the wrong ways; I don't necessarily care how many tons of tea are produced, exported, imported, sold, and imbibed within each country of the world - I care about what teas are produced, how, and what makes them unique. I feel the book would be stronger with the addition of just such a section. In the section on Japan, perhaps spend a few detailed pages discussing matcha, sencha, or gyokuro in-depth, so that we as readers can get a feel for the types of teas produced, and how they are processed in precise terms. The only tea-type-specific knowledge from the book (in which the production of white, green, etc. teas are discussed) amounts to a single page of small paragraphs. It is not that the latter half of the book was bad, but that it simply failed to meet an expected balance that should be present in a book that presents itself as an exploration of different teas "from leaf to the cup".

[Alex Pan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative book about tea. I liked the analysis on the countries all over the world which grow the majority of tea. Every chapter for each country has a small history story which is very interesting. It touches a lot of topics as well, in matters of organic teas, fair trade etc. It is my first book re teas and I learnt a lot. A very nice intro into the tea world.

[Tina Culbertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a tea aficionado this book, The World Atlas of Tea, is meant to be on your coffee table. It’s a large sized book with excellent binding, fantastic photographs and more information about tea than you may ever want to know. This must be the most comprehensive atlas about a beverage I’ve ever seen.

It’s broken up into four parts: Tea Basics, which addresses the plants, the grades and varieties and harvesting. Brewing and Drinking, this is self-explanatory, Blending, which is mixology and well…..blending.
The final section is called The World of Tea and this takes up the other half of the book. The tea growing areas of the world have their own chapters here and feature Africa, The Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, Far East and South America.

A+ to the photography, it’s well documented mot only in verbiage but the photos are great.

I will admit it’s more than I ever wanted to know about tea and I won’t read the entire book. Again, if you are a big fan of tea and want to know the history of how it’s grown in specific areas of the world, you won’t be disappointed in this book.

I’m pleased to say I won this book through Goodreads – all opinions are my own.

Review and photos may be found at Novel Meals: https://novelmeals.wordpress.com/2016...

[Anato · Rating 1 out of 5]

Covers a lot of ground in terms of the basic science behind tea, tea production, brewing and even includes some recipes. The writing is clear and easy to follow. However, I got part way through and discovered incorrect translations for the word chai, and recipes for "chai tea". Now I feel unable to trust the remaining information presented in the book. (For those who are unaware, chai just means tea and not spiced tea as the writer claims. Hence "chai tea" rather ridiculously translates to "tea tea").

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is exactly what I was looking for! I love my tea-drinking habit and wanted to learn more about the different types, their origins, and how they're made. I learned all that and more from this book. The author includes all sorts of information, from the types of teapots used worldwide to various tea traditions, that tea lovers will find fascinating. The book is laid out beautifully and is full of great photos as well; it would make an excellent coffee table book or a wonderful gift for tea-drinkers!

[Marcella Bongiovanni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Non sono sicura del perché di questo volume, se non per il fatto che l’autrice ha un negozio di te (ora una catena).
Non dice nulla di nuovo, anzi perpetua alcuni errori come fermentato al posto di ossidato (non sempre, diciamo che non corregge) o aggrega insieme tutti i prodotti che siano profumati o aromatizzati. Capisco che vendono ma perché includere tisane e infusi è un mistero.
Le foto sono tutte di stock, non sembra neanche un prodotto di un giro approfondito delle aree.
Alcuni orrori sono notevoli come il Darjeeling che sa di Champagne…

[Tran Lam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty photographic book on tea. A great starting place to learn about tea types, how to brew them, and the science behind it (not that in depth). Recommended to any simple tea lover (I don’t have a tea collection but I drink tea everyday).

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great overview of tea and the tea producing world. I did know a lot of things already, especially in the earlier chapters, but I liked hearing about specific countries and how their tea industries have developed over time. I might consider grabbing myself a copy in the future.

[Malia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so pleased I ran on to this new book. Since I turned into a tea person. If you want to know just about everything of Teas, this has the works, Yay! I'm siked!!! Due Date HAAA! Mine mine!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came to this from vietnam. A little repetitive, but also instructive. Geography of the world’s tea production.

[Adrian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative book on tea. Pictures were well for. And I learned more about my favorite drink. 🫖☕️

[Alicia Rachman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this! Typically coffee table books are a snooze, but not this. It was so easy to digest and I read through it so quickly. As someone who loves tea, you need this in your library!

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too little science, too many photos.

There are a lot of stunning photos but there's some that are strangely out of place in a commercial book, makes me wonder how they got past the editor. The section that lists all the regions and all the teas they produce is rather long and pointless. This leaves few pages for actual content.

It's OK for a coffee-table book but I don't recommend it as a book you can learn something from.

[Amber Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much of the same information as the Story of Tea. While often more accessible and probably better just to get a general idea of the history of tea this book has a lot on tea blending and just not as much as information about the tastes and appearances of various teas.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very detailed introductory resource for those new to tea. I was aware of a lot of the info in the first three parts of the book.

[Lorelei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fascinating to read and perfect for an overview before starting a tea course. I knocked a star for the ridiculous amount of misspelled words.

[Arielle Flowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great information. Great recipes

[Arianna Sutto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Molto utile e interessante. A volte ci sono troppi dati.