9781580088046 |
158008804X |
(pbk.) |
Available:*
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Searching... Rockrimmon Library | Paperback | 641.3372 H473T | Nonfiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
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.
Author Notes
MARY LOU HEISS AND ROBERT J. HEISS have been premium tea retailers since 1974. They are adventurous tea trekkers and food and travel writers, and they also present popular educational tea workshops and tastings around the country. They are coauthors of The Story of Tea and Hot Drinks . When not traveling to source tea for their shop Tea Trekker, the Heisses make their home in western Massachusetts.
Reviews (2)
Booklist Review
Making the perfect cuppa is not as easy as it may sound. How hot should the water be? How long should the tea steep? What kind of tea should be used in the first place? All pertinent tea-making questions are answered in knowlegeable, bouyant prose in this handy guide. The authors take readers along as they explore the world of premium tea ; premium tea, once unknown in the West, is now very popular in the U.S. ( Tea, by the way, is the most widely consumed beverage on the planet after water and still proudly maintains its title as the world's oldest beverage. ) Guidance is extended to purchasing and steeping tea, but the in-depth discussions of the properties and particular pleasures of the six classes of tea dominate most of the book's pleasurable pages. Information on tea storage and a glossary round out this excellent introduction to a special world.--Hooper, Brad Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Tea is the new wine-according to the Heisses (The Story of Tea), owners of a tea shop in Massachusetts. Focusing on pure, premium teas from Asia, the authors discuss how geographic setting, cultivation, plucking, and processing contribute to the distinctive flavor of a tea. Details on purchasing, steeping, and enjoying the six different classes of teas, with information on specific kinds, such as sencha, are provided as well as a select buyer's guide of retail and online sources. For Fisher (editor in chief, The Leaf), tea is more than just a beverage-it is a way of life. Applying the philosophy of the Tao, Fisher discusses how preparing and drinking tea can provide opportunities for inner enlightenment and personal harmony. He explores the history of tea and how the drink's rich cultural and philosophical heritage can represent the formula for a well-balanced life today. Verdict The Lipton tea bag crowd may not understand what all the fuss is about, but those who take their Camellia sinensis seriously will find that the Heisses have written a valuable guide. Heavy thinkers rather than just heavy tea drinkers will best relate to Fisher's literary meditation on the calming role of tea in today's hectic world.-John Charles, Scottsdale P.L., AZ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Excerpts
Excerpts
Introduction: The Glorious World of Tea How times have changed! Premium tea is enjoying the spotlight today in ways unimagined just a few short years ago. Until the 1990s, retail purveyors of premium tea in the United States could be counted on one hand, and specialty food stores stocked just a tame selection of humdrum black tea blends. At best, these selections were marked by country of origin, with perhaps a simple attribution to style of tea or country of production. Unlike today, little detailed information was available to tea drinkers, and most people did not even know what questions to ask. For many, tea was, well, not very exciting, but something that you could count on Grandma to have on hand. Today, we are learning how enticing and pleasingly distinctive premium tea really is. Tea can be subtle and alluring, bold and bracing, sweet and fresh, young and full of vigor, or rich and matured. It is always fragrant and welcoming at all times. Premium teas once unknown in the West are now becoming familiar, and new tea shops and tea houses are opening for business across the country. For tea enthusiasts, this offers a superb opportunity to travel the world of tea one delicious cup at a time. Crafting fine tea requires a highly developed sense of perception for touch, sight, and sound that no machine can replicate. And every tea--from Taiwan's Ali Shan High Mountain gao shan oolong to a brisk and bright Ceylon black tea from the Nuwara Eliya region of Sri Lanka--tells a story in the cup about the soil and air that nurtured it and the tea-making skills that transformed and shaped it. So get ready to explore the world of premium tea, with information to decipher tea lists, tea labels, and tea menus and to purchase a varied selection of wonderful and delicious tea with assurance. About Our Book In our thirty-five years as retailers of premium tea, we have been asked just about every possible question regarding tea, tea steeping, and tea storage. We have kept these questions in mind as we approached the topics in our book. Right up front, let us say that we define tea in the classic, historic sense as a caffeinated beverage brewed from the leaf of the Camellia sinensis bush. While it is commonplace today to refer to noncaffeinated, herbal beverages such as peppermint, chamomile, and lavender as "tea," we believe that such beverages should be called by other, more appropriate names, such as herbal teas, herbal infusions, or tisanes. Many of these beverages are delicious and refreshing, but they lie outside the scope of our book, and we leave discussion of them to others. The world's best teas comprise a tiny percentage of the yearly worldwide production of tea. Yet to us, these teas are the most significant. Therefore, our book focuses its attention on pure, unblended, premium teas from the tea-producing countries that have made the greatest contributions to the art and science of tea cultivation and manufacture: China, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan. As a result of learning, observing the results, and perfecting their techniques in the tea factories, generations of tea masters in these countries have created the most stunning teas imaginable. We believe that learning as much as possible about tea and the process of artisan tea manufacture will heighten your enjoyment of each cup you steep. We hope you take delight in our journey through the vibrant world of tea. A Simple Cup of Tea Is No Simple Matter Tea is an essential beverage that quenches the collective thirst of millions of people every day. Whereas tea was once grown only in China, today tea is cultivated in forty-one (and counting!) countries of the world, and new tea industries are developing as worldwide demand increases for more various types of tea. Excerpted from The Tea Enthusiast's Handbook: A Guide to the World's Best Teas by Mary Lou Heiss, Robert Heiss All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.Table of Contents
Introduction: The Glorious World of Tea | p. 1 |
Chapter 1 Purchasing Tea | p. 10 |
Chapter 2 Steeping the Perfect Cup | p. 26 |
Chapter 3 The Six Classes of Tea | p. 40 |
Green Tea | p. 42 |
Yellow Tea | p. 75 |
White Tea | p. 82 |
Oolong Tea | p. 92 |
Black Tea | p. 118 |
Pu-erh Tea | p. 150 |
Chapter 4 Tea Storage and Freshness | p. 174 |
Glossary | p. 182 |
Buyer's Guide | p. 191 |
Acknowledgments | p. 195 |
Index | p. 196 |