Written by one of the country's leading tea professionals, this work is an illuminating resource for tea drinkers interested in developing and refining their palate as well as their understanding of the complex agricultural, historical, and cultural significance of tea.

Read Michael Harney's posts on the Penguin Blog. The country’s leading connoisseur presents a comprehensive guide for developing your tea palate. The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea transforms tea drinkers into tea experts. Written by one of the country’s leading tea professionals, The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea is an illuminating resource for tea drinkers interested in developing and refining their palate as well as their understanding of the complex agricultural, historical, and cultural significance of tea. Drawing on his singular experience, Michael Harney masterly explores the full range of teas, revealing how each tea is distinctive, with a taste that derives from a precise combination of cultivation and production techniques, and influenced by the geography as well as its history. These lively profiles of diverse tea varieties—from delicate white tea to aged black puerh tea—include brewing instructions and vivid descriptions of the beverage scent, taste, and appearance; everything you need to become a connoisseur. Tea has long been popular in the United States, but only recently have Americans treated this nuanced beverage with a deeper curiosity, more refined approach, and wider appetite. The Wall Street Journal reports that total U.S. tea sales are nearly four times what they were in 1990, and this growing population of discriminate consumers will celebrate the new vocabulary provided in The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea. Unique in scope, candor, and accessibility, The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea will quickly become the classic reference and staple in the library of every serious tea drinker.

A dramatic historical narrative of the man who stole the secret of tea from China In 1848, the British East India Company, having lost its monopoly on the tea trade, engaged Robert Fortune, a Scottish gardener, botanist, and plant hunter, to make a clandestine trip into the interior of China—territory forbidden to foreigners—to steal the closely guarded secrets of tea horticulture and manufacturing. For All the Tea in China is the remarkable account of Fortune's journeys into China—a thrilling narrative that combines history, geography, botany, natural science, and old-fashioned adventure. Disguised in Mandarin robes, Fortune ventured deep into the country, confronting pirates, hostile climate, and his own untrustworthy men as he made his way to the epicenter of tea production, the remote Wu Yi Shan hills. One of the most daring acts of corporate espionage in history, Fortune's pursuit of China's ancient secret makes for a classic nineteenth-century adventure tale, one in which the fate of empires hinges on the feats of one extraordinary man.

The authoritative guide to the etiquette of taking tea for business or pleasure.

What is the role of quality in contemporary capitalism? How is a product as ordinary as a bag of tea judged for its quality? In her innovative study, Sarah Besky addresses these questions by going inside an Indian auction house where experts taste and appraise mass-market black tea, one of the world’s most recognized commodities. Pairing rich historical data with ethnographic research among agronomists, professional tea tasters and traders, and tea plantation workers, Besky shows how the meaning of quality has been subjected to nearly constant experimentation and debate throughout the history of the tea industry. Working across fields of political economy, science and technology studies, and sensory ethnography, Tasting Qualities argues for an approach to quality that sees it not as a final destination for economic, imperial, or post-imperial projects but as an opening for those projects.

Since the discovery of tea as a beverage nearly 5,000 years ago, hundreds of different brews have been perfected, and tea lovers have flourished in nearly every country on Earth. This book is the ultimate connoisseur's guide to tea types, histories, legends, and lore, tea brands throughout the world, retail and mail-order tea companies, and more. Photos, many in color.

Savory and sweet dishes flavored with the world's most versatile ingredient, this unusual cookbook has recipes for everything from the soup pot to the frying pan using tea. Illustrations.

Indulge in the age old custom of reading tea leaves.

HowExpert Guide to Tea explores the best practices you can find worldwide when it comes to making teas of all kinds. Tea is the second-most consumed beverage globally, and this book seeks to explore all the ways people enjoy it and how you can make yourself the very best cup of tea. Learn the difference between the different types of tea and what makes their flavors distinct and delicious. Learn how to blend your own tea and how to brew it once you’re ready. Examine the process of adding different flavors to your tea once it has been brewed, and even go through the process of making tea yourself. The driving philosophy behind this book is that you should drink the tea you enjoy, whether that is a tea that is brewed over the course of an hour’s preparation and consideration or a bag tossed into a bucket of hot water. You will learn from this book the many methods of making tea so you can replicate, customize, and totally ignore them in favor of processes that produce something more to your liking. About the Expert Jessica Kanzler lives in the United States with her wife and cats. She has been drinking tea ever since coffee betrayed her in college, and she has never once looked back. Jessica’s love for tea has driven her to obsess about the stuff to the point that passion has become a full-time infatuation. Jessica’s favorite tea is Earl Grey, followed closely by Jasmine. She prefers her tea hot, her cups deep, and her company generally silent and about 40 feet away. Beyond her obsession with tea, Jessica also writes freelance with a specialty in technology and pop culture, and she is also a director for a literacy-focused nonprofit. HowExpert publishes quick ‘how to’ guides on all topics from A to Z by everyday experts. Visit HowExpert.com to learn more.

"Plant a tea plant and watch it grow! Grow Your Own Tea is truly a masterpiece how-to guide to cultivating and enjoying the sacred leaf. It will delight even the armchair gardener and casual tea lover." —James Norwood Pratt, author of James Norwood Pratt’s Tea Dictionary Tea lovers, make a fresh pot, sit down with this delightful guide, and discover the joys of growing and processing your own tea at home. Tea farmer Christine Parks and enthusiast Susan Walcott cover it all from growing tea plants and harvesting leaves, to the distinct processes that create each tea’s signature flavors. In this comprehensive handbook, you’ll discover tea’s ancient origins, learn about the single plant that produces white, green, oolong, and black teas, and discover step-by-step instructions for plucking, withering, and rolling. Simple recipes that highlight the flavor of tea and creative uses for around the home round out this must-read for tea fans.