Heaven of Tea

Looking to learn more about tea? The Tea Companion is the perfect way to deepen your understanding of tea and gain a valuable guide to choosing teas you should try. This little book is actually broken into two parts: the first is titled The Story of Tea and takes you through the history, legends, and reality of making great tea; the second is titled Global Tea Directory and is a reference guide to the teas of the world with specifics on great teas you should try.

When I first started learning about tea, this book was indispensible. The first half is a very informative read (that you’ll probably read more than once). Ms. Pettigrew’s talent for making tea history and production fascinating keeps you turning pages long after you should have turned out the light and gone to sleep. And it is just detailed enough to give you a thorough education about the various types of tea and how they differ from one another. And the reference materials are excellent. From a Tea Taster’s Vocabulary, through Grading Terminology and into the specific teas grown in various countries and regions throughout the world, you will keep coming back as you expand your understanding of teas over time. Here’s an example of the detail from page 147 about Tea in China:

Until the late nineteenth century, techniques used for tea cultivation were much the same as they had always been. Seed were collected in October, germinated through the winter months, then planted out during the spring rains in neat rows. Larger plantations were laid out on north- and east- facing hillsides, and millet and corn were grown amongst the tea bushes to provide shade. During the colder winter months, straw was tied around the bushes to protect them from frost. An ancient Chinese proverb says that “The finest teas come from high mountains” and this is true, but it did not stop the Chinese from growing tea everywhere, even on the outskirts of busy towns as well as in extremely inaccessible and isolated locations.

Clearly, you can go as deep as you would like with this excellent guide! At Teavana we try to carry books that offer a good benefit to tea novices as well as those who have a bit more understanding of tea. This is one of those perfect books that a novice will really enjoy, but it has the details that will keep even knowledgable tea drinkers referring to it over time. And it’s broken into nice, short sections so you can take it in small chunks, if you prefer. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking to expand their knowledge of teas or those looking to find new types of tea to try. And history buffs will enjoy all the details; from the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung to the beginning of Afternoon tea and the infamous Boston Tea Party, you get the tea lover’s take on tea’s tumultuous history.

So, why wait? Learn more about tea today with The Tea Companion: A Connoisseur’s Guide by Jane Pettigrew. You can purchase it here.