Essential holiday reading for any tea lover
If you’re looking for unique holiday read or you simply want to learn more about the world’s second favourite drink, we have found an insightful book about tea to suit you. Covering themes including the history of tea, traditions, tastes and varieties, here are just a few of our favourites.
Tea Time by Jean Cazals
An exceptional illustrative coffee table book, food photographer Jean Cazals documents 50 of london’s best locations for a truly outstanding afternoon tea. From traditional premium hotel teas to those with a modern twist and even casual dining options, you’ll discover a photogenic afternoon tea suitable for every taste and occasion.
The true history of tea by Victor H Mair and Erling Hoh
If you want to learn about the real history of tea and its origins, Mair and Hoh’s remarkable story of tea from ancient times to the present day provides the definitive timeline. Covering historical markers including the Tang and Song Dynasties in China and the American Revolution, you’ll learn the grand and at times astonishing beginnings behind our favourite daily drink.
Tea by Kevin Gascoyne
For detailed knowledge about specific teas and their origins, Kevin Gascoyne’s comprehensive guide to tea varieties is an excellent place to start. Here the reader is taken on a journey to the world’s most popular tea-growing regions including China, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam and East Africa which help identify the correlation between geography and tea blends distinctive flavours.
The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzō
If you’re fascinated by tea rituals and culture, The Book of Tea offers an incredible insight into the secular aspects of tea and Japanese life. In the book, Kakuzō talks about the unique traditions and meaning behind 'Teaism' alongside the highly regarded art of the Japanese Tea Ceremony.
The Social History of Tea by Jane Pettigrew
A joint historical documentary of tea written in collaboration with American tea writer Bruce Richardson, Pettigrew beautifully illustrates the fascinating influence tea has had on British and American culture and commerce across nearly four centuries. An indepth academic book which would be enjoyed by both beginners and tea history fans alike.
