Can anyone recommend a good basic book on tea that is not too
technical or esoteric? I'm looking for a simple "how to" book that
describes the various types of tea and how to prepare them.

Amazon returns 303,963 results for "tea". If I go to the "coffee &
tea" section, I still get 465 results.

Can anyone narrow that down a bit?

On Aug 14, 10:27*am, "Square Peg (00)" > wrote:
> Can anyone recommend a good basic book on tea that is not too
> technical or esoteric? I'm looking for a simple "how to" book that
> describes the various types of tea and how to prepare them.
>
> Amazon returns 303,963 results for "tea". If I go to the "coffee &
> tea" section, I still get 465 results.
>
> Can anyone narrow that down a bit?

I'd get Upton's (not Lipton's) free catalogue and then move on from
there. Toci

On Aug 14, 11:27*am, "Square Peg (00)" > wrote:
> Can anyone recommend a good basic book on tea that is not too
> technical or esoteric? I'm looking for a simple "how to" book that
> describes the various types of tea and how to prepare them.
>
> Amazon returns 303,963 results for "tea". If I go to the "coffee &
> tea" section, I still get 465 results.
>
> Can anyone narrow that down a bit?

As a book lover, tea is one area that really only has two options. The
fluff books and the technical/esoteric. The fluff ones tend to be the
trendy own-branded books in the bargain section of a B&N and tell you
how to make "summer tea coolers" or some such. The only thing I could
say would be to go to a local bookstore (Borders/Barnes&Noble) and
grab each book they have on tea and flip through them at the store
until you find a suitable one for your needs.

I always plug "The book of tea" but it is one of those esoteric books,
although available free online or ~$4 in book form.

- Dominic

I think the websites that sell tea do a good job of what and how. I
would recommend a book that gives you an overview of tea.
Unfortunately those books are no longer in print. I think you can
still get Tea Lover's Treasury by James Norwood Pratt. There are so
many loose teas (not bagged) out there just start with anyone. Buy
yourself a 12 oz pot, throw a pinch of leaf into the infuser which
looks like a little detachable strainer inside the pot, top off with
boiling water, wait a couple of minutes, pour and enjoy. This is the
informal English method of making tea. You can buy a pot and cup
which are two pieces but mate as one. You can get a large cup with
the removeable infuser inside bypassing the pot.

Jim

PS If the pot or any other brewing vessel you find doesnt have an
infuser use any kitchen strainer when pouring the tea to catch the
loose leaf.

Square Peg (00) wrote:
> Can anyone recommend a good basic book on tea that is not too
> technical or esoteric? I'm looking for a simple "how to" book that
> describes the various types of tea and how to prepare them.
>
> Amazon returns 303,963 results for "tea". If I go to the "coffee &
> tea" section, I still get 465 results.
>
> Can anyone narrow that down a bit?

What do people think of Jane Pettigrew's book:
http://www.amazon.com/New-Tea-Compan...9096869&sr=1-6

I have a copy but have only flipped through it.

Lew: Are you referring to The Book of Tea by Alain Stella? This is one
of the books I bought a long time ago, before I knew much about tea. I
enjoyed reading all of the historical information.

Alan

Alan > writes:

> What do people think of Jane Pettigrew's book:
> http://www.amazon.com/New-Tea-Compan...9096869&sr=1-6
>
> I have a copy but have only flipped through it.
>
> Lew: Are you referring to The Book of Tea by Alain Stella? This is one
> of the books I bought a long time ago, before I knew much about tea. I
> enjoyed reading all of the historical information.

I don't think I mentioned anyone's _Book of Tea_. It must have been
someone else.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

On Aug 19, 9:44*am, Lewis Perin > wrote:
> Alan > writes:
> > What do people think of Jane Pettigrew's book:
> >http://www.amazon.com/New-Tea-Compan...t/dp/096634783...
>
> > I have a copy but have only flipped through it.
>
> > Lew: Are you referring to The Book of Tea by Alain Stella? This is one
> > of the books I bought a long time ago, before I knew much about tea. I
> > enjoyed reading all of the historical information.
>
> I don't think I mentioned anyone's _Book of Tea_. *It must have been
> someone else.
>
> /Lew
> ---
> Lew Perin /

I think that must have been directed to you mistakenly, but was
actually me. I was speaking about Okakura's "The Book of Tea" which I
mention often when tea and books come up. I've never really been drawn
in by any "tea books" specifically but that one is free online and a
quick read... it won't help you brew a specific type of tea, and is
slanted to Japanese tea/ceremony, but worthwhile for free or a couple
bucks in a store.

- Dominic

the most interesting books i have read have been volumes 1,2 0f the
out of print Ukers book- "All About Tea"
i recently purchased "Liquid Jade" by Beatrice Hohenegger
and "The Korea Way of Tea" by Brother Anthony of Taize ( I bought this
from www.shanshui teas.com?

joanne

On Aug 20, 3:26*pm, wrote:
> the most interesting books i have read have been volumes 1,2 0f the
> out of print Ukers book- "All About Tea"
> i recently purchased "Liquid Jade" by Beatrice Hohenegger
> and "The Korea Way of Tea" by Brother Anthony of Taize ( I bought this
> from *www.shanshuiteas.com?
>
> joanne

I haven't heard of the first two you mentioned, but "The Korea Way of
Tea" is a great read, although specialized. Which to me is better when
it comes to tea otherwise the brush is far too broad to be useful. I'd
say the best advice I could think of for the OP is to pick a specific
tea or style and then get a book on that subject or a more narrow
focus. I'll look into those others you mention, I'm always up for a
good (or even passable) tea book or two.

- Dominic

On Aug 20, 3:41 pm, "Dominic T." > wrote:
> On Aug 20, 3:26 pm, wrote:
>
> > the most interesting books i have read have been volumes 1,2 0f the
> > out of print Ukers book- "All About Tea"
> > i recently purchased "Liquid Jade" by Beatrice Hohenegger
> > and "The Korea Way of Tea" by Brother Anthony of Taize ( I bought this
> > from www.shanshuiteas.com?
>
> > joanne
>
> I haven't heard of the first two you mentioned, but "The Korea Way of
> Tea" is a great read, although specialized. Which to me is better when
> it comes to tea otherwise the brush is far too broad to be useful. I'd
> say the best advice I could think of for the OP is to pick a specific
> tea or style and then get a book on that subject or a more narrow
> focus. I'll look into those others you mention, I'm always up for a
> good (or even passable) tea book or two.
>
> - Dominic

the two books by ukers are "classics" -they were written in 1935 and
have been out of print for many years-
fortunately a local library has them-

ukers also wrote a book titled "all about coffee" in the same time
period

Liquid Jade" is a new book whick on purchased on www.amazon.com

I personally like Jane Pettigrew's Tea Companion and New Tea Companion. The new book by "The Story of Tea" by Mary Lou and Robert Heiss is wonderful but very lengthy and more text book-ish.

For simple, short, and inexpensive, you might want to get Adagio Tea's "A Guide to Tea." It's a pretty decent starter book for someone just beginning to learn about tea.

On Sep 3, 10:10*pm, TeaPages > wrote:
> I personally like Jane Pettigrew's Tea Companion and New Tea Companion.
> The new book by "The Story of Tea" by Mary Lou and Robert Heiss is
> wonderful but very lengthy and more text book-ish.
>
> For simple, short, and inexpensive, you might want to get Adagio Tea's
> "A Guide to Tea." *It's a pretty decent starter book for someone just
> beginning to learn about tea.
>
> Square Peg (00);1172653 Wrote:
>
> > Can anyone recommend a good basic book on tea that is not too
> > technical or esoteric? I'm looking for a simple "how to" book that
> > describes the various types of tea and how to prepare them.
>
> --
> TeaPages


Is there a lot of overlap between Jane Pettigrew's Tea Companion and
New Tea Companion?