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.

Tea is an international drink, both in terms of its origins and popularity, and has a colorful and fascinating story to tell. This handsome illustrated reference is a guide to all the major varieties of tea--favorites such as Darjeeling, Assam, and Earl Grey, as well as the more acquired tastes of Lapsang Souchong, Keemun, and Nilgiri. The main part of the book is a directory of teas grouped by country of production, and subdivided by region, then by tea type. There is a brief introduction to each tea-producing area, accompanied by maps for each. The countries covered are China, Japan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Georgia, Kenya, and Malawi. Each individual tea is illustrated by close-up photography of the dry leaf, wet leaf and infusion, with an accompanying description of characteristics and brewing tips to enjoy the variety at its best.

Where does tea come from? With DK's The Tea Book, learn where in the world tea is cultivated and how to drink each variety at its best, with steeping notes and step-by-step recipes. Visit tea plantations from India to Kenya, recreate a Japanese tea ceremony, discover the benefits of green tea, or learn how to make the increasingly popular Chai tea. Exploring the spectrum of herbal, plant, and fruit infusions, as well as tea leaves, this is a comprehensive guide for all tea lovers.

This pocket-sized handbook to all things tea is the perfect gift for tea connoisseurs, tea newbies, and anyone who appreciates a good cuppa. Tea is one of the most popular beverages in the world—second only to water. And there's so much to learn and try beyond the colorful boxes in the grocery store. Like wine and beer, each tea variety has its own distinct history, source, and flavor profile, from Darjeeling to matcha to Silver Needle. Tea is also embedded in the traditions of many cultures around the world and is shared with others through distinctive ceremonies that include unique customs, foods, and accessories. Within the pages of this pocket-sized guide, you’ll find information, how-tos, and trivia for tea lovers of all levels. Experts and newbies alike will learn about • Tea Bags vs. Loose Leaf • Anatomy of a Tea Plant • How to Prepare Tea • Tea Families and Common Varieties • Types of Teapots and How to Use Them • Tea Traditions Across the World Plus an illustrated guide to tea accessories, terms every tea lover should know, highlights from tea history, a tea tasting guide, tips for throwing tea parties, and much more!

AROUND THE WORLD IN A TEACUP Did you know that tea is the most widely consumed beverage on the planet after water? Or that all of the world’s tea originates from only three varieties of a single plant? While a cup of tea may be a simple pleasure for most of us, there are a dizzying number of tastes from which to choose. And every tea, whether a delicately sweet green tea from Japan or a bracing, brisk Darjeeling black, tells a story in the cup about the land that nurtured it and the tea-making skills that transformed it. In this authoritative guide, veteran tea professionals Mary Lou and Robert J. Heiss provide decades of expertise on understanding tea and its origins, the many ways to buy tea, and how to explore and enjoy the six classes of tea (green, yellow, white, oolong, black, and Pu-erh). Additional advice on steeping the perfect cup and storing tea at home, alongside a gallery of more than thirty-fi ve individual teas with tasting notes and descriptions make The Tea Enthusiast’s Handbook a singular source of both practical information and rich detail about this fascinating beverage.

The Book of Tea is a brief but classic essay on tea drinking, its history, restorative powers, and rich connection to Japanese culture. Okakura felt that "Teaism" was at the very center of Japanese life and helped shape everything from art, aesthetics, and an appreciation for the ephemeral to architecture, design, gardens, and painting. In tea could be found one source of what Okakura felt was Japan's and, by extension, Asia's unique power to influence the world. Containing both a history of tea in Japan and lucid, wide-ranging comments on the schools of tea, Zen, Taoism, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony and its tea-masters, this book is deservedly a timeless classic and will be of interest to anyone interested in the Japanese arts and ways. Book jacket.

• Learn everything you need to know to create a healthy, bountiful tea garden and enjoy high-quality tea and herbal infusions • Discover more than 60 diverse plants that make great tea, including the classic tea plant and dozens of flavorful leaves, flowers, fruits, and roots • Explore best cultivation practices and nine fun garden designs • Let it steep: learn how to brew the perfect cup of tea

Chinese Tea Master Jason C S Chen has spent the past twenty-two years deeply involved in the business of tea. He has visited most of the best known tea gardens in China where authentic and traditional tea is grown. During these trips he has always had his camera at his side. This, the second book in the Tea Lover's Travel Diary series, documents, photographically, the most popular tea in the world: Green Tea. This book is a photographic exploration of the creation of the top four green teas in the world from harvest processing and the first tasting.

TEA BASICS Your complete guide to the perfect cup Civilized, soothing, delicious, and relaxing . . . tea offers an ideal refuge from the fast pace and stressful demands of life today. But with the astonishing array of teas currently available, how do you find a cup you can really call your own? Start with Tea Basics. This handy reference covers all of the essentials of tea buying, brewing, and tasting, and explores the comforts of ritual and healing that tea has provided through the centuries. As you sip and savor the wonderful flavors of black teas, green teas, oolongs, and scented/herbal teas, you'll understand why tea is consumed by more people worldwide than any other drink except water. So put the kettle on, put your feet up, and immerse yourself in Tea Basics! Inside you'll find: * Tea facts: its origins, history, and many varieties * Guidance on selection, blending, brewing, tasting, and storage * Tips on tea etiquette * A tea-tasting glossary * Select sources of tea and related equipment

"Essential for anyone who talks, eats, or thinks about food." —Bev Bennett, Chicago Sun-Times The New Food Lover's Companion is an indispensable resource for everyone from home cooks to culinary professionals. This widely praised and highly esteemed reference guide has been updated with new information to reflect the way we eat in today's world, taking into account our healthier lifestyles and more diverse palates, including: Over 500 new cultural listings, including Korean, Persian, and South American additions Definitions and explanations for cooking tools and techniques A microwave oven conversion chart An extensive breakdown of food labels and nutritional facts Suggestions for substituting recipe ingredients Among the myriad of foods and culinary subjects defined and explained are meat cuts, breads, pastas, and literally everything else related to good food and enjoyable dining—a veritable food bible for the novice home-cook, culinary student, or the self-proclaimed foodie. The New Food Lover's Companion is a reference guide—not a cookbook—but it includes hundreds of cooking tips plus an extensive bibliography of recommended cookbooks. More than 7,200 entries plus line art are included in this seminal work. "As thick and satisfying as a well-stuffed sandwich." —The New York Times