Stuff Every Tea Lover Should Know

by Candace Rose Rardon

Tea is arguably the most popular beverage in the world, but there’s more to know beyond the colorful boxes sold at your local grocery store. Like wine and beer, each tea variety has its own distinct history, source, and flavor profile, from Darjeeling to matcha to Silver Needle. Tea is also embedded in the traditions of many cultures around the world and is shared with others through distinctive ceremonies that include unique customs, foods, and accessories. Within the pages of this pocket-sized guide, you’ll find information, how-tos, and trivia for tea lovers of all levels. Experts and newbies alike will learn about:

• Tea Bags vs. Loose Leaf
• How to Prepare Tea
• Tea Families and Common Varieties
• Tea Traditions around the World
• How to Host an Afternoon Tea for Adults
• How to Throw a Tea Party for Children
• And more!

Genres: Nonfiction, Tea, Food, Food and Drink, Cookbooks, Cooking, Travel

144 pages, Hardcover

Published April 14, 2020

About the author

Candace Rose Rardon is a writer and sketch artist originally from the state of Virginia, although she has called the UK, New Zealand, and India home. Five years ago, she fell in love...but with the world, not "the one." This journey has since taken her from a pearl farm in the South Pacific to a rickshaw run across India. Recently featured in the New York Times, her travel blog, The Great Affair, is all about seeking inspiration and opening yourself up to the possibilities that life offers.

Reviews

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers everything you could ever want to know about tea from the rich history of tea to how to brew it properly. There are chapters about the different types of teas, the pros and cons of teabags vs. loose leaf tea, how to determine the flavors and aftertaste of a tea blend, and how to brew the perfect cuppa.

There are excellent instructions on how to store tea, how to determine the caffeine content, and how to calculate the correct temperature and steeping time.

One of the details that make this book special is the inclusion of Asian tea ceremonies and traditions, along with fun things like a tea pet, which is a small unglazed clay figurine that can be saturated with the tea and takes on a beautiful patina and aroma of the tea. There are also tea ceremonies from Russia, Tibet, Britain, Turkey, New Zealand, India, Morroco, and a dozen other cultures. There is a section about the newly popular "bubble tea" from Taiwan, and it has inspired me to try it! But I was especially delighted to see a section for Southern Sweet Tea native to my own Southern United States.

I learned about types of tea I had never heard of before, like the rare yellow tea which undergoes only slight fermentation and has a more mellow taste than green tea. There is also a small separate section about tisanes, or herbal tea, which are not true tea since they don't include actual tea leaves.

There is an entire chapter with instructions for hosting your own tea party. It includes things like how to choose a theme, design a menu, and try your own tea blends. You can make your own tea bags, put together DIY sugar cubes, and there is a recipe for traditional scones. There is also a small section on throwing a children's tea party.

My only complaint is that I wish there were more photos or illustrations demonstrating the different types of tea, the types of Eastern tea pots, and styles of brewing and serving tea.

This wonderful book has given some great ideas to try for my next cup of tea!


Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[SohCahToa · Rating 5 out of 5]

هذا الكتاب صغير (بحجم كف يدي) فيه معلومات عامة عن المشروب العالمي: الشاي. تاريخه, أنواعه, و أشهر أماكن زرعه و حصاده

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4 Stars ★★★★
Stuff Every Tea Lover Should Know is a great pocket-sized guide to learn more about tea, its history, the various tea families, & provides lots of interesting facts you may not have known before! 🍵🌿🧡
As an avid tea drinker, I was really looking forward to seeing what I'd discover in this book! Rardon's packed a lot of detail into this and I loved how she continuously referenced its origins in China. I'm not too knowledgeable on tea's history, so I enjoyed getting all these different layers and sides to tea, how its prepared, and overall just getting a better understanding of its history.
There's a nice highlight of tea history to start the book off which was a great choice because its brief, but pulls you right in.
Some of my favorite facts included: learning about a Matcha tea whisk (I never knew this was a thing!), the pros/cons of tea bags, and learning more about the specifics of different tea families.

There's occasion diagrams to highlight the anatomy of a tea plant, tea accessories, and occasional illustrations near the end. Although a majority of this book is very text heavy. Though, its great Rardon focused a lot of the information on tea in Asia, because that's where a majority of its history originates. The overall presentation of each section and the information it offers was definitely well thought out!

I never knew all the details about the different tea families, there's even ones I'd never heard of before, so again its was a nice, light read to just learn more about this amazing drink.

My only gripe is that although it can be quick to read, the information is all super fascinating, and Rardon has a nice writing style, a it can feel a bit dense at times if you decide to read through a lot of sections in a couple sittings. Again, the writing is very good, but because there's just a lot of explanation packed into such few paragraphs it can also take on a slow pacing...

The sections with the best writing included the timeline, parts of the 'Tea Basics' section, learning about the tea families and the 'Tea Traditions Around The World.'

A delightful guide that's packed with lots of great info and will also leave you wanting to make yourself a nice cup of tea!
*Requested a copy from the publisher

[USOM · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

Every year I fall more in love with tea. It fuels me, picks me up in the afternoon, and lulls me to sleep. Especially considering 2020, tea has been my lifeline. While I've always been a fan of tea, I've only begun to begin experimenting and delving more into tea types. Stuff Every Tea Lover Should Know came at the perfect moment. It is written in a way that is easily digestable and incredibly educational. I love how it is organized - as if it could anticipate my questions!

full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...

[Karissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book that I got from the publisher (Quirk Books) for review.

Content (4/5): This is a well done collection of tea facts and information. I enjoyed it and learned a lot about tea that I didn't know. Everything is covered in here from history to tea types to tea preparation and even tea ceremonies.

Writing Style (4/5): The book is well written and easy to follow. The small format does make it a bit harder to read but it’s still very well put together.

Summary (4/5): Overall I would definitely recommend if you want a quick overview of tea. This would also make a great coffee table book or gift to a tea lover.

[PJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author’s descriptions had me itching to drink even more tea, which is already my second most consumed beverage after water. I’m excited to try some teas I’ve never heard of or tried before! Someday I’d love to tour a tea estate. ☕️

[Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the stuff you never knew you didn't know about tea! I really enjoyed learning about all the different tea traditions from around the world.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a small book- literally it can be held in the palm of your hand. It gives very concise information on the history of tea, types of tea, preparation and tea parties. I am a life long tea drinker and I am glad I picked this book up to learn more. Nothing better than a cup of hot tea, a good book and a fire in the fireplace on a cold winter’s early morning.

[Brittnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read, with a wealth of information presented in very easy to retain sections. I would highly recommend this book as a first resource for anyone just starting into their pursuit of tea knowledge.

My only wish is that, given the mention of Yerba Matte, a section about Rooibos, its origin and preparation could have been included since it is often the anchoring based of a Tisane.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

[Nathan Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

In reading a book it is striking to see how exactly people read a book, and for whom a book like this is written. Before I read this book, someone I know took a look at the book and commented that this book had a lot of good information in it, which it does, but that the cover design was a bit lacking (It is rather simple) and that the book could have used some references that connected it to other books that had recipes in them. As a reader, this book struck me as more or less what someone would expect from a basic factbook about tea that does not demand heavy or serious reading and which can be read a little bit at a time if one does not have to return it to the library in a hurry, as was the case for me. This book lets us know that there are many tea lovers, and it does a good job at pitching material to different groups of tea lovers, giving information to educate and amuse a wide variety of tea lovers while also being rather ecumenical in terms of appreciating those who appreciate tea, which is something to appreciate. If tea is the sort of material that encourages snobbery, it is not a snobbery that looks down on other uses of tea, but rather is an common snobbery of a variety of tea lovers.

This book is a short one at about 150 short pages. The book begins with an introduction. After that comes a selection of material on tea basics, including what tea is, highlights from the history of tea, terms every tea lover should know, the anatomy of the tea leaf, how tea is made, caffeine content, tea tasting, loose leaf versus bagged tea, how to store tea, a note about water quality, tea accessories, types of teapots and how to use them, how to prepare tea, and recommended steep times and water temperatures. This is followed by a discussion of various tea families and common varieties, including black, green, white, yellow, oolong, dark teas, as well as tisanes. The next part is the one that is the most interesting part for me, namely the tea traditions around the world, including ceremonies in China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, Russia, Turkey, Iran, India, Pakistan, Morocco, Britain, New Zealand, the American South (my native tea tradition), South America, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, and Taiwan. I was surprised at how many of these traditions I knew. After that, the author talks about tea parties, including how to host high tea, a tea party for children, as well as providing a basic recipe for scones and tea cocktails, after which there are resources and acknowledgements.

It is worthwhile to ponder what it is that people should know about tea. Or rather, it is worthwhile to see what it is that authors believe that tea-drinkers need to know about tea in order to intelligently drink it. When people believe that a food product requires an education it is an interesting thing to see the elements of that education. And to be sure, tea does offer plenty of insight when it comes to education. Tea is not essential for life, but it is a product that many of us (myself included) have a great deal of fondness for and drink in large quantities in a wide variety of forms. Tea can be served hot or cold as well as with a wide variety of processing, and in the form of loose leaf as well as bagged, with various degrees of quality and with effects based on terrain. Tea requires drainage and tends to grow best in subtropical but also highland areas. And while tea came from China originally, it has since spread far and wide, and often is said to include various herbal tisanes as well. The complexity of tea makes it a fit area of study in a similar form to viniculture and other complex cultures.

[Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a tea lover I was curious what it was that I was supposed to know. The book is what it says it does: it talks about tea. What tea is, its origins, different types, how to prepare tea, special tea events, and more. It's a short little book that would probably make an excellent gift for a tea lover in your life.

That's about it. There's not much to add or say. If you're already a tea drinker and have done basic research there's probably not too much that you'll learn from it. That said, I did appreciate some things that I haven't seen in other books such as how to throw tea parties for adults or children, different types of tea traditions from all around the world from boba or bubble tea to Southern US's sweet tea to high tea in New Zealand, etc. It seems like a lot of tea books will talk about tea in the United Kingdom or tea in China, or tea ceremony in Japan but don't go further.

And while I did like it I wish it had more pictures. For its size it's not that type of book but I would have loved pics of the various tea traditions or recipes that are sprinkled throughout the book. I suppose one can always buy a coffee table type of book and this is just my preference.

That's about it. Again, maybe not necessarily a book to keep as reference but certain a nice and quirky book that would fit in a gift basket of tea-themed items.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the idea of this book but it was obvious to me half way through that this is a book that would shine so much more for me if it was in audio-form. It might be because of the fact that I'm so used to listening to lectures (from my University days but also podcasts etc) that I just generally absorb more information from non-fiction books when it is presented in audio.

The sketches were nice but used too sparingly and without, for example, indicating which was which of the different tools displayed in the "group shots". I am not a tea-beginner so I got on pretty well but it would have been clearer for everyone if the illustrations had labels of some kind next to the different items pictured.

I also would have scrapped the last section about Tea Parties. It cheapened the, before this point, more intellectual feel of the book and since it was the very last part of the book it is that feeling the reader will be leaving with.

Overall, enjoyable in parts if perhaps a bit dry.

[hannah cottrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

|| 4 ⭐️ ||

Delightful little book! From the cover I was expecting a very western or exclusively British perspective on tea, and that’s not what this was at all. Not only did the author delve into each tea type (including yellow tea!) and how it is produced, but she also took the time to explain some of the different sub-categories within those. I was fully convinced she knew what she’s talking about when she addressed the fact that herbals technically don’t qualify as teas. She talked about gong fu brewing and other traditional brewing methods, and went through various countries with rich tea-producing histories. There were so many thoughtful details included in this book, making it an excellent one for tea beginners to have on hand. Surprisingly thorough and all-inclusive for such a short and straightforward book!

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entry into Quirk's pocket sized guides, "Stuff You Should Know". This short book gave a thorough history of tea, including its accidental origins. There was so much about types of tea, broken down by region, as well as the ceremonies to prepare it. Of course there was helpful tips and recipes tacked on to the end as well. Definitely worth a look through!

I will say my biggest complaint is the pocket-size of these books. The text is much smaller and it's a bit inconvenient. I'd prefer a larger sized novella to give my eyes a bit of a rest. Otherwise, all the Stuff You Should Know books have been quick guides to seemingly mundane subjects. But fascinating reads all together!

[Edina Balogh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Igazi könyvmoly klisé vagyok: én is imádok egész nap egy kancsó tea társaságában olvasni,
nem csak télen. Nyáron persze nem melegen iszom a teát. Emiatt úgy gondoltam kötelező
elolvasnom a Corvina kiadónál megjelent Teaivók zsebkönyvét. Furcsa, hogy ezelőtt nem
olvastam ebben a témában.

A kiskönyv tényleg minden információt tartalmaz a teáról, amit egy teafogyasztónak illik
tudni. Infót kapunk a termesztésről, különböző teakészítési módokról és szertartásokról. A
könyv hatására nyáron már nem forrázom le a teafüvet.

Ez egy szép keménytáblás borításba bújtatott ismeretterjesztőcske. Nagyszerű ajándék lehet a
teafogyasztóknak!

[Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise but fairly comprehensive introduction to tea and tea culture derived from the camellia sinensis plant, featuring the basics of tasting (from aroma to finish), varieties of tea, its history and terminology. Including advice on brewing and storage by type, information on traditions from Tibetan po cha, Turkish cay, southern US sweet tea, and South American yerba mate (an unrelated but similar stimulating plant), it’s a fun little book, a nice taste of the world when its a little more difficult to travel. A quick read, I feel it would be a great gift for someone interested in getting more into the complexities of tea.

[Jennifer Chow · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing pocket-sized guide with fun details all about tea! There’s a plethora of information in its tiny pages, such as the chemical properties of tea and how to distinguish the different types. Interesting tidbits also include tea customs from around the world and how to host tea parties.

A must for tea lovers everywhere!

[Valarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main thing I learned is that I thought tea was complex, but now I know it’s way more complex than I thought it was initially.

And I’ve now added a bunch of life destinations for authentic tea experiences. Not bad for a book I picked up just because I was reading a bunch of dreary stuff lately and needed at least a quick break.

[Bean · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who enjoys tea way too much this tea really fascinates me. I never thought about my tea before I drank it. Another thing to note I found a lot of amusement out of this book, my family laughed over this book for a very long time. I truly recommend if you are into tea and books.
“A day without tea is a day without joy”

[bookreader_nix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seriously, who would have thought there was so much behind tea? It was interesting learning the history surrounding tea and how different cultures utilize tea for societal occasions and what-not. It's also interesting to learn how important tea is to specific cultures and how each cultures' tea stems from an overall theme.

[Peter Sidell · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I’ve become a tea drinker it was fun to get into this book. There are things I didn’t know and were fun to learn about. The review of tea classifications and characteristics was interesting. I’m not sure I will ever have the dedication to become a tea tourist. It does make me interested in trying more varieties of tea and ways of preparing it.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute little pocket book that I carried around. It contains a history of teas. It talks about different types of teas. Infusion of flavors or steeping of full flavor. As a tea lover, I found this little book charming and a short read.

[Tara McGee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute book, really great size to carry around and read on the train. Really useful and in depth information to understand all the basics of tea! Would recommend for anyone getting interested in tea to have all the info in one place.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super helpful overview of tea and what you need to know about it. Doesn't go in depth into any one topic and instead lets you skim the surface of a little bit of everything. An incredibly useful, short, and interesting book

[~ivy~]

this is not something to read in one sitting—but I keep coming back every now & then (or will do, eventually)

[Bailey T. Hurley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tea lover’s favorite. Plenty of solid facts, history, fun quotes, and details to become an expert on tea.

[Wendy]

So glad I added this to my bookshelf. This small book is packed with lots of information and facts about tea. What is there not to like :D

[Daniela · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really good basic, basic guide for people who want to learn about tea.

[Jill Tallman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always nice to have a refresher course on the different kinds of teas and the history of something that brings me comfort.