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Summary
Summary
Whether it's a delicate green tea or a bracing Assam black, a cup of tea is a complex brew of art and industry, tradition and revolution, East and West. In this sweeping tour through the world of tea, veteran tea traders Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss chronicle tea's influence across the globe and provide a complete reference for choosing, drinking, and enjoying this beverage.
The Story of Tea begins with a journey along the tea trail, from the lush forests of China, where tea cultivation first flourished, to the Buddhist temples of Japan, to the vast tea gardens of India, and beyond. Offering an insider's view of all aspects of tea trade, the Heisses examine Camellia sinensis, the tea bush, and show how subtle differences in territory and production contribute to the diversity of color, flavor, and quality in brewed tea. They profile more than thirty essential tea varietals, provide an in depth guide to tasting and brewing, and survey the customs and crafts associated with tea. Sharing the latest research, they discuss tea's health benefits and developments in organic production and fair trade practices. Finally, they present ten sweet and savory recipes, including Savory Chinese Marbled Eggs and Green Tea Pot de Crâme, and resources for purchasing fine tea.
Vividly illustrated throughout, The Story of Tea is an engrossing tribute to the illustrious, invigorating, and elusive leaf that has sustained and inspired people for more than two thousand years.
Author Notes
Mary Lou Heiss and her husband, Robert, have owned and operated Cooks Shop Here, a purveyor of fine tea and other specialty food products, since 1974. Mary Lou is also the author of Green Tea . When not traveling to source teas and other ingredients for their shop, they make their home in western Massachusetts, where Robert's lively food radio program can be heard each week. The Heisses's deep respect for and passionate interest in artisan food products, traditional foods, and the history and evolution of world cuisines bring a global perspective to their work.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Purveyors of fine tea, the Heisses' documentary dexterously weaves through the wars, economic upheavals and embargoes surrounding what was once considered the "elixir of immortality." Though tea usage may predate written history, evidence suggests that Camellia sinensis's invigorating leaves were first cultivated centuries ago in the tea gardens of indigenous minorities in Northwestern China and along the Indian, Myanmar and Tibetan borders. Chinese monks recognized the energizing effects and medicinal value of this evergreen plant and, by touting its benefits, ignited a thirst for tea that quickly spread west via oceangoing tea clippers and along the Silk Road. The famed East India Company flourished, "teatime" became social tradition, and cream and sugar were found to balance tea's astringency. In this guide, the Heisses outline at length the production process from tea bush to tea cup, along with the nuances of regional varietals like China's sweet green tea and India's Darjeeling. An engaging historical and cultural study, this guide is geared toward both novice and consummate consumers intrigued by the world's 2,000-year-old tea habit. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Choice Review
The title of this volume is too modest to accurately describe this impressive, comprehensive overview of the plant and the beverage. Not only does the book include a cultural history and drinking guide, but also a veritable Linnaean taxonomy of bushes, varieties, styles, methods of manufacture, and even a chapter titled "An Encyclopedia of Tea." The reader learns about the importance of tea in world history, though mostly from a distinctly British point of view, through sketches of the British East India Company, the Boston Tea Party, and the Opium Wars. Other topics include brewing methods, tea customs and culture, health benefits, ethics of the tea trade, and cooking with tea. Recipes include Spicy Oolong-Smoked Duck Breasts and Lapsang Souchong and Jasmine Tea Ice Cream. Authors Mary and Robert Heiss, who are tea merchants with an unbridled admiration for the plant and the beverage, also take readers on a journey along the "Tea Trail," examining teas of the Orient from China and India to Southeast Asia. Of particular interest is the discussion of terroir, the distinctive soil and climatological characteristics of a geographical region that give teas of those regions their distinctive tastes. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers. D. M. Gilbert Maine Maritime Academy
Library Journal Review
Coffee fuels the Western world, while tea defines the East and is the second-most consumed beverage in the world, outgunned only by water itself. In this everything-you-always-wanted-to-kno w-about-tea-but-were-afraid-to-ask volume, a husband-and-wife tea-merchant team covers all aspects of tea-its growth, cultivation, and curing and how it's sold as well as its vast cultural and historical significance in China, Japan, Korea, and beyond (including the Colonial United States). Not simply used to jolt your brain awake with a caffeine infusion, tea and its traditions date back centuries. Although hundreds of different varieties exist, there are six basic classes of tea all stemming from the same plant (Camellia sinensis). This book functions as an encyclopedia, a history, a travelog, and a recipe guide to both properly brewing and steeping all varieties of tea in addition to using the leaf as an ingredient in many dishes. An absolutely exhaustive yet readable study, the Heisses' book is at once the best and only one you'll ever need on the subject. It's a well-brewed and tasty pot indeed.-Michael Rogers, Library Journal (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.