Looking for an informative, yet beautiful picture book to show off your obsession with tea? Look no further.
3/5 stars.
Hardcover, 220 pages.
Read from May 26 to June 01, 2016.
This is another book I picked up to try and learn a bit more about about the culture that I’m currently living in. I also have an obsession with tea so it was a good pairing.
The book is full of beautiful pictures of tea farms and ceremonies as well as anything you’ve ever wanted to know about tea. From the different types, how it’s farmed and processed, to how long to steep it, tasting etiquette as well as any cultural and historical connections with the tea in relation to China. It also briefly goes over the difference between a Chinese tea ceremony versus a Japanese ceremony.
Here are some cool tea facts that I learned:
– The Japanese tea ceremony is more about the ceremony and the actions performed, whereas the Chinese one focuses very much on the tea itself rather than meticulous actions. It may seem less extravagant than the Japanese version but it is just as important to Chinese culture.
– Black and green tea can be made from the same leaves. The difference is that black tea is fermented, whereas green tea is not.
– Green tea is often compared to youth, as it is not fermented and the leaves are still pretty fresh in some types, whereas black or oolong tea is compared to middle age as it is moderately fermented, and pureh tea to older age as this tea is extremely fermented and usually appeals to people with an older palate.
– Different types of tea are classified and named based on the location that it’s grown and farmed in, as well as the way that they are rolled, or not rolled, or fermented or not fermented.
– Proper loose tea leaves can be brewed numerous times. In fact, the first brew is often considered the worst and many will dump out the first batch.
– “During the Sui Dynasty (581-618), tea was used for its medicinal qualities. In the fourth and fifth centuries, rice, salt, spices, ginger and orange peel, among other ingredients, were added to tea. In the Tang Dynasty (618-907), tea drinking became an art form and a drink enjoyed by all social classes“. – China.org
– “Tea became a popular drink in Buddhist monasteries after the caffeine proved to keep the monks awake during long hours of meditation. For this reason, many monasteries cultivated vast tea fields. Lu Yu (Chinese: 陆羽), author of “The Book of Tea”, was an orphan brought up and educated in a monastery. It is likely that his experience growing up surrounded by tea inspired his book written during the Tang Dynasty. In “The Book of Tea”, Lu Yu recorded a detailed account of ways to cultivate and prepare tea, tea drinking customs, the best water for tea brewing and different classifications of tea.” – China.org
– While tea can be brewed in any tea pot, some types of pots favor different types of teas better. The most popular and also the most expensive is the purple yixing clay tea pots. They can go for hundreds to thousands of dollars.
– Tea is still a prominent part of Chinese culture. While there aren’t as many tea houses around as there was, groups of Chinese people will meet at these beautiful locations to drink tea and socialize.
– Tea and gardens go hand and hand. Many tea houses are set in beautiful gardens.
– Tea became a major currency for trade outside of China. The old tea routes are some of the oldest in the world and still exist today.
This book was surprisingly easy to read and really interesting. I am very interested in learning more! Overall this is the perfect coffee table book for any tea lover.
The Pluviophile Writer 
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