The Tea Enthusiast's Handbook: A Guide to the World's Best Teas [Paperback]

AROUND THE WORLD IN A TEACUP
Did you know that tea is the most widely consumed beverage on the planet after water? Or that all of the world’s tea originates from only three varieties of a single plant? While a cup of tea may be a simple pleasure for most of us, there are a dizzying number of tastes from which to choose. And every tea, whether a delicately sweet green tea from Japan or a bracing, brisk Darjeeling black, tells a story in the cup about the land that nurtured it and the tea-making skills that transformed it.
 
In this authoritative guide, veteran tea professionals Mary Lou and Robert J. Heiss provide decades of expertise on understanding tea and its origins, the many ways to buy tea, and how to explore and enjoy the six classes of tea (green, yellow, white, oolong, black, and Pu-erh). Additional advice on steeping the perfect cup and storing tea at home, alongside a gallery of more than thirty-fi ve individual teas with tasting notes and descriptions makeThe Tea Enthusiast’s Handbooka singular source of both practical information and rich detail about this fascinating beverage.CONTENTS
Introduction: The Glorious World of Tea 1
 
Chapter One: Purchasing Tea 10
Chapter Two: Steeping the Perfect Cup 26
Chapter Three: The Six Classes of Tea 40
Green Tea 42
Yellow Tea 75
White Tea 82
Oolong Tea 92
Black Tea 118
Pu-erh Tea 150
 
Chapter Four: Tea Storage and Freshness 174
 
Glossary 182
Buyer’s Guide 191
Acknowledgments 195
Index 196“a map to have in your grasp as you head down the dozens of intricate, interconnected paths that define the landscape of the world’s best teas.”
—Fresh Cupmagazine, December 2010

“Excellent, concise advice about tea.The Tea Enthusiast’s Handbook, a charming guide small enough to fit in a large pocket, brims with enthusiasm. ...The information is essential to l“G