The Book of Tea: Revised and Updated Edition

by Alain Stella, Gilles Brochard, Nadine Beautheac

Tea is a beverage with roots all over the globe, from English tearooms to the mountains of Tibet. This exquisitely illustrated volume leads readers on an investigation of the many faces of a mythic plant, a ceremony, the cause of wars (remember the Boston Tea Party), and ultimately one of the world's favorite beverages. The Book of Tea provides a comprehensive history and background of the beloved ritual of tea, providing photographed accounts of tea farming, tea barons and, teatime, and capturing the various tastes and nuances of teas from around the world.

This book, based on the original Flammarion title The Book of Tea, is now edited and brought up to date.

This book acts as both a guide to the appreciation of tea and a travel guide to the regions responsible for the production of tea, including Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa. Anyone who loves tea will be delighted by the chance to delve into the magnificent photography and descriptive writing of The Book of Tea.

Genres: Tea, Nonfiction, Food, Cooking, Food and Drink, Reference

200 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good info in here which must be dug out of the inaccurate, the false and the rampantly colonialist. If you like “quaint” things then you might enjoy this book. I cringed through much of it but appreciated the insights it did provide. The images throughout were lovely and the quality of the writing picked up somewhat in the final chapter, “Taste of Tea”, with the final section of the book giving some useful summaries, pointers, and recipes.

[Susan Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

One species, several different varieties, and hundreds of ways of processing the leaves give us world of tea we now have. I never realized that green, black, white, oolong, and puer tea all come from the same plant. The only difference is in the processing. This book is a great introduction to the world of tea--where and how it is grown, how it is processed, and how it has made its way into various cultures. I have been trying different teas from Seven Cups in Tucson. Now thanks to Stella's book, I have a little better idea what I'm drinking.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great.
It was easy to read, broken up to make it seem faster (fantastic photos), full of information.
I learned a lot about tea needless to say.

[Pavel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coffee (tea?) table book, but also managed to cover the history, geography, and different types of tea. Looks of good pictures from around the world.

Distinct lack of tables: information about general steeping times and amount per cup is there, but would have been clearer in a table.

[Karen]

Lots of information about the history of tea. Beautiful photos.

[Evelyn Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

another great tea book

[Ernezimo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, have lots of humor, easy to read and very enlighted.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

All you ever want to learn about Tea!

[Mars · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice coffee table book for tea enthusiasts.

[Donna Nincic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning photography and beautifully written.