The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea

Michael Harney

Language: English

Publisher: Penguin Press

Published: Oct 7, 2008

Description:

From

Ever since the Boston Tea Party, Americans have never exhibited the same passion for tea that so many others in the world cultivate. Much of the tea consumed here is iced tea. Harney sets out to change American minds and educate their palates. Writing in language typically reserved for wine, Harney describes the distinctive tastes, colors, and mouthfeel of teas from each of the major groups: white, green, oolong, yellow, and black. He divides the green teas into Chinese and Japanese, and the black into Chinese and “British legacy,” a catchall term for teas from India and other remnants of the British Empire. He also recommends proper brewing temperatures and the appropriate brewing time for each tea variety. Harney’s comprehensive analyses of the differences among teas make this a noteworthy book for tea drinkers and a worthwhile reference tool for librarians. --Mark Knoblauch

Product Description

The country’s leading connoisseur presents a comprehensive guide for developing your tea palate.

The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea transforms tea drinkers into tea experts. Written by one of the country’s leading tea professionals, The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea is an illuminating resource for tea drinkers interested in developing and refining their palate as well as their understanding of the complex agricultural, historical, and cultural significance of tea.

Drawing on his singular experience, Michael Harney masterly explores the full range of teas, revealing how each tea is distinctive, with a taste that derives from a precise combination of cultivation and production techniques, and influenced by the geography as well as its history. These lively profiles of diverse tea varieties—from delicate white tea to aged black puerh tea—include brewing instructions and vivid descriptions of the beverage scent, taste, and appearance; everything you need to become a connoisseur.

Tea has long been popular in the United States, but only recently have Americans treated this nuanced beverage with a deeper curiosity, more refined approach, and wider appetite. The Wall Street Journal reports that total U.S. tea sales are nearly four times what they were in 1990, and this growing population of discriminate consumers will celebrate the new vocabulary provided in The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea.

Unique in scope, candor, and accessibility, The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea will quickly become the classic reference and staple in the library of every serious tea drinker.