The Story of Tea: A Cultural History
and Drinking Guide by Robert J.
Heiss
A Treasure - Passion, Love, And Deep Knowledge Of Tea Served Strongly Brewed.
Whether its a delicate green tea from China or a bracing Assam black, a
seemingly mild-mannered cup of tea represents a turbulent history of
intrigue and conquest, tradition and revolution, East and West. In this
sweeping tour through the history, culture, and lore of this 2,000-year-old
beverage, veteran tea professionals Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss
provide an in-depth resource for tea lovers, covering all aspects of
production and consumption--from the terroir in which a tea bush is
cultivated to the time-honored rituals of brewing and drinking. At once
passionate and carefully researched, this weighty tome will infuse readers
with a deep appreciation for the illustrious, invigorating, and elusive leaf.
Personal Review: The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and
Drinking Guide by Robert J. Heiss

What a revelation! I'm a tea nut (I drink mostly exotic high grade green
and Wulong whole leaf teas - often 3 16 ounce jars a day) - so I'm
particularly ripe for the charms of this volume - but the achievements of
this book are above and beyond. First, there is the artistry of the
photography and presentation. This book initially comes off as a coffee
table (forgive me - that's the expression) book because it's so beautiful. I
didn't read it for over a year because I figured such a pretty book would be
textually a lightweight.
However, what's in the text is the real strong suit of "The Story of Tea".
First off, you get the story - the history - of tea. It's quite unpredictably
fascinating - from ancient roots to England's centuries long struggle with
the Dutch over trade with China, the belated discovery of Assam's native
teas and the global transformation that followed. The Boston tea party
gets in there. Tea is woven deep in the crossroads of East and West.
Then you get a rigorous analysis of the drinking practices and their history
- and then the production techniques and their history. All of this is
beautifully illustrated. The sections on traditional tea production
methodology have National Geographic quality photographs of really
obscure tea production in really exotic places. The same goes for tea
drinking practice and ritual. It's part epicurean, part anthropological, and
part pure art.
If you are the kind of person who has sought out these exotic teas (I know I
am) then this visual information is really wonderful and will directly
translate into your appreciation for your exotic teas. All the world's tea
regions are covered. It's not all context. There's a drinker's catalog: a
section where the major tea types are depicted as unbrewed leaves on a
white background with a brewed cup (in a white cup) immediately above
with excellent tasting notes. This section alone is worth the price of
admission although it's just a tiny section of the whole book. It also makes
this book suitable as an introduction.
This is the best book on the subject of tea that I've encountered. If your
interest in tea extends beyond the tea bag you owe it to yourself to devour
this and then continue your journey through the incredible world revealed
there.
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