TeaChat

If you'd like to review or discuss any tea-related books, magazines, or articles, please feel free to post them to this thread.

[Mary's Note: This thread was begun in part by discussion raised here.]

Just to get the ball rolling, and in the spirit of the TeaDay poll that Mary mentioned, here are some of the many categories into which "tea books" can fall. I'm sure there are lots of others that aren't coming to mind:

Fiction in which tea plays a major role in the book. (The only one I can think of is The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery, but there must be others. Any mysteries, I wonder?)

Non-fiction about tea. This would include:

- Books of recipes that feature tea in some central way (actual tea recipes, recipes that use tea leaves or matcha as an ingredient, and recipes for tea accompaniments)
- Tea culture, philosophy, or "ambiance"
- History of tea
- Tea types (black, green, yellow, white, etc.) and preparation
- Tea utensils (teapots, cups, bowls, etc.)
- Tea ceremony (Japanese, Chinese, Korean, etc.)
- Tea humour
- Tea-related art.

What is your favourite tea book?

I only own currently four books on tea.
Le guide du théophile a short guide from the shop "le palais des thés"
A nice guide for beginners, nothing more.

New tastes in green tea a 128 p guide on japanese green tea.
Some good green tea based recipes, nice photos, a brief history on japanese tea. Only 15$ so if you like japanese green tea and cooking, you should buy it.

The tea ceremony which I received and wrote about yesterday in teaday.
A must have if you are curious about tea ceremony: not too complex but very detailed (20$)

The book of tea by Kakuzo Okakura. A classic.

Mary R wrote:If you'd like to review or discuss any tea-related books, magazines, or articles, please feel free to post them to this thread.

[Mary's Note: This thread was begun in part by discussion raised here.]

Thanks, Mod Squad!!

Here is a good book for beginners:

The Tea Companion, by Jane Pettigrew
http://www.amazon.com/Tea-Companion-Con ... F8&s=books

Part I is a brief history of tea, which includes how tea is produced and processed, tea grading, tea taster vocabulary, teaware, and brewing methods. Photos are lovely.

Part II is a nicely organized directory of teas by country of production. Included are many photos of tea plantations.

The spring issue of "Kateigaho International Edition" magazine has a great article on the making of chasen and chakin (that's tea whisks and tea cloths).

There are a couple of pictures at http://int.kateigaho.com/list_23.html and much more in the article.

While not a tea magazine, KIE is an awesome look at Japanese culture and traditions.

Salsero wrote:BTW, tea book lovers. Any and all are welcome to sign on, get a user name, and post a review of tea books at Wikicha, the tea info center of the future.

http://wikicha.com/index.php/Tea_Books

I received this morning:

Tea Ceremony: Asian arts & crafts for creative kids

Hardcover: 64 pages
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing (July 15, 2004)

ISBN-10: 0804835004
ISBN-13: 978-0804835008
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 9.1 x 0.6 inches

Many step by step photos on how to perform a tea ceremony, some tips to do it at home.

Good introduction to tea ceremony (not only for kids) for only 12$

This time a specialized book.
Too specialized for the use I will make of it, but giving very interesting details, all the names of flowers, utensils and foods for chanoyu.
I bought it mainly for the food description. There aren't any recipes though, but a thorough description of each and their name in both Japanese and English transcription.

Chado the Way of Tea: A Japanese Tea Master's Almanac

Paperback: 792 pages
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

ISBN-10: 0804837163
ISBN-13: 978-0804837163
Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 1.9 inches

Price about $30

olivierco wrote:This time a specialized book.
Too specialized for the use I will make of it, but giving very interesting details, all the names of flowers, utensils and foods for chanoyu.
I bought it mainly for the food description. There aren't any recipes though, but a thorough description of each and their name in both Japanese and English transcription.

Chado the Way of Tea: A Japanese Tea Master's Almanac

I absolutely love this book - although most people may find it a little too specialized.

I really appreciate the sections on kigo, seasonal words for the month. Part of tea practice is to assign a gomei (honorary name) to utensils such as the chashaku. So having a reference for tea-related kigo is very helpful!

chamekke wrote:
I absolutely love this book - although most people may find it a little too specialized.

I really appreciate the sections on kigo, seasonal words for the month. Part of tea practice is to assign a gomei (honorary name) to utensils such as the chashaku. So having a reference for tea-related kigo is very helpful!

I find it too specialized as I don't practice tea ceremony (yet?). But it is definitively a great book.

My amazon.co.jp order arrived very fast (4 days only) I bought 5 books on tea ceremony (and two origami books as well)

A small book about how to make shifuku
茶籠に仕組む仕覆・網袋 (茶の湯手づくりBOOK) (大型本)

￥ 1,050
40 pages
Publisher: 淡交社 (2002/12)
ISBN-10: 4473019497
Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8 x 0.2 inches

http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/4473019497

olivierco wrote:My amazon.co.jp order arrived very fast (4 days only) I bought 5 books on tea ceremony (and two origami books as well)

A small book about how to make shifuku
茶籠に仕組む仕覆・網袋 (茶の湯手づくりBOOK) (大型本)

￥ 1,050
40 pages
Publisher: 淡交社 (2002/12)
ISBN-10: 4473019497
Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8 x 0.2 inches

http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/4473019497

How easy is it to follow the instructions from the pictures alone? Or do you read Japanese?

witches brew wrote:
How easy is it to follow the instructions from the pictures alone? Or do you read Japanese?

Easy without any japanese language knowledge, but not without any sewing skills...

Another interesting book:

DVDで覚える茶の湯―お茶のお稽古入門書 (単行本)

Many pictures to detail tea ceremony and for the price, you have a 90 min DVD (allzone) corresponding to the book.

￥ 1,785 (less than $20!)
127 pages
Publisher: 新星出版社 (2006/03)
ISBN-10: 440507092X
# Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 0.6 inches

http://www.amazon.co.jp/DVD%E3%81%A7%E8 ... gy_b_img_b

I just got this out of the library, on The Japanese Tea Ceremony. It looks excellent so far. Some great color plates, and a lot of history.

(note, I now see that olivierco posted about this above too, just w/o the cover pic)

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