Tea is second only to water as the most-consumed beverage in the world. When recent studies revealed green tea's health benefits, consumption skyrocketed. Tea is a comprehensive guide to non-herbal tea, the plant Camellia sinensis. Concise and authoritative text and an abundance of colour photographs take the reader on an escorted tour of the world's teagrowing countries: China, Japan, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam and East Africa. Like a fine wine, it is the "terroir" - a region's soil and climate - that imparts unique characteristics to a tea. The book covers black, green, white, yellow, oolong, pu'er, perfumed, aromatic and smoked teas. Topics include: An overview of the history of tea; Tea varieties; The worldwide export of tea; How tea is processed; The modern tea industry; Signature tea cultivars; The art of making, serving and tasting tea, including tea ceremonies; Tea in cooking, with 15 recipes from gourmet restaurants; A directory of teas. A set of detailed charts, tables and graphs shows the caffeine, antioxidant and other biochemical properties of 35 teas. Enthusiasm for tea is high. Aficionados go on organized tours of tea-growing regions, enroll in tasting seminars and earn professional certificates. For them and for the interested reader who enjoys the occasional cup, Tea is a beautifully presented homage to the world's most beloved hot beverage.
