What do you think?
Rate this book
Tao of Chinese Tea: A Cultural and Practical Guide
Learn about the history of Chinese tea, which dates back over 5,000 years and involves emperors, wars, and unsung heroes. Take a closer look at the philosophies and wisdom behind tea that have been passed down from one generation to another. Follow the delicately crafted art of the tea ceremony and the etiquette of drinking tea at a traditional tea house. Learn how to prepare Chinese tea by a top-rated Chinese tea master.
- GenresTeaNonfiction
152 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
1 person is currently reading
37 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 26, 2021
This was honestly a very rough read, and it's clear that no one thoroughly proof read this book.
Pros:
1. Excellent steps in explain how certain tea ceremonies are conducted
2. Great break down of the different tea (with a well designed chart)
3. Great pictures
4. Great overview on Chinese tea culture
Cons:
1. The writer goes off in tangents about very specific stories, which are interesting, but they happen in the middle of sections and you forget what you were reading before they started telling the story.
2. Errors that should have been caught for example "'cha' in Japanese and Hindu" should be "chai in Hindi" (Hindu is a person who believes in Hinduism, Hindi is a language)
3. Some sentences run on for a LONG time (which tends to happen when they are describing art scenes)
4. Doesn't go super in depth in how tea leaves are processed and rolled
Overall, good start to getting a feel for tea culturein China but don't expect detailed explanations on any one topic
Pros:
1. Excellent steps in explain how certain tea ceremonies are conducted
2. Great break down of the different tea (with a well designed chart)
3. Great pictures
4. Great overview on Chinese tea culture
Cons:
1. The writer goes off in tangents about very specific stories, which are interesting, but they happen in the middle of sections and you forget what you were reading before they started telling the story.
2. Errors that should have been caught for example "'cha' in Japanese and Hindu" should be "chai in Hindi" (Hindu is a person who believes in Hinduism, Hindi is a language)
3. Some sentences run on for a LONG time (which tends to happen when they are describing art scenes)
4. Doesn't go super in depth in how tea leaves are processed and rolled
Overall, good start to getting a feel for tea culturein China but don't expect detailed explanations on any one topic
August 2, 2021
what a beautiful book and SO inspiring... made me want to go to China and wallow in the culture... sometimes I think I was born in the wrong place....the book is loaded with information and the pictures are exquisite. For now I will have to settle for a cup of tea and the dream of traveling to China and Japan before I perish...
February 25, 2016
Just as neophytes of tea shouldn't judge a tea by its appearance, so I should not have judged this book by its cover.
I love stories. And if you want to learn about the history of Chinese tea, you need to know the mythology behind many important events. This book is full of charming stories and legends written in very readable language (in many parts the English was awkward, but still easy to understand), even if it sounds like unreliable hearsay. Wherever possible, the author includes the multiple contending stories so you can judge for yourself.
One of the most important stories about tea is its origin: Who discovered tea and how did it happen? Shen Nong or Bodhidharma? A serendipitous poisoning or Newton's Apple-situation? Decide for yourself. Throughout history, emperors of the Song, Ming and Qing dynasty provided great stories too as to the origin of the matcha whisking ceremony, a conspiracy theory about Zheng He's voyages, and why some Chinese people knock two fingers on the table in appreciation of their tea.
My favourite stories were about the naming of teas: The farmer's dream that christened Tie Guan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy), and the scholar's three dreams that led him to put his red robes on Da Hong Pao. Also the snippet about Bi Luo Chun's fragrance being warmed by a woman's bosom, and the saying about Pu Er tea, 爷爷做茶孙子卖.
There's also a very useful section on selecting teaware, like qualities of a good Yixing Zisha teapot, a story about a monk who couldn't get clay but fashioned a new style of teapot from the castoff water that other monks used to wash their clayey hands, and interesting explanations of why Song dynasty teaware was black vs the Ming dynasty whites. Also pictures of the author performing three different tea ceremonies with various brewing tools. I thought it was cute that she made a "Desperate Housewives" reference in the epilogue and would love to visit her tea store in Shanghai!
What I didn't like:
The first section discussing health benefits of tea sounded pretty generic, not any better-researched than any given online article. Some claims were downright nonsensical.
The photos in this book are not amazing quality, but serve their purpose well enough. For prettier pictures, I suggest checking out The China Tea Book, which has beautiful photos but few stories.
Overall the book is full of juicy cultural stories and sayings that I have heard echoed in other books and documentaries about tea, so they seem legit, but the book needed more editing and polish to make the stories sound more credible. But that aside, I really enjoyed reading this and found it to be greatly enriching for any Chinese tea enthusiast.
I love stories. And if you want to learn about the history of Chinese tea, you need to know the mythology behind many important events. This book is full of charming stories and legends written in very readable language (in many parts the English was awkward, but still easy to understand), even if it sounds like unreliable hearsay. Wherever possible, the author includes the multiple contending stories so you can judge for yourself.
One of the most important stories about tea is its origin: Who discovered tea and how did it happen? Shen Nong or Bodhidharma? A serendipitous poisoning or Newton's Apple-situation? Decide for yourself. Throughout history, emperors of the Song, Ming and Qing dynasty provided great stories too as to the origin of the matcha whisking ceremony, a conspiracy theory about Zheng He's voyages, and why some Chinese people knock two fingers on the table in appreciation of their tea.
My favourite stories were about the naming of teas: The farmer's dream that christened Tie Guan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy), and the scholar's three dreams that led him to put his red robes on Da Hong Pao. Also the snippet about Bi Luo Chun's fragrance being warmed by a woman's bosom, and the saying about Pu Er tea, 爷爷做茶孙子卖.
There's also a very useful section on selecting teaware, like qualities of a good Yixing Zisha teapot, a story about a monk who couldn't get clay but fashioned a new style of teapot from the castoff water that other monks used to wash their clayey hands, and interesting explanations of why Song dynasty teaware was black vs the Ming dynasty whites. Also pictures of the author performing three different tea ceremonies with various brewing tools. I thought it was cute that she made a "Desperate Housewives" reference in the epilogue and would love to visit her tea store in Shanghai!
What I didn't like:
The first section discussing health benefits of tea sounded pretty generic, not any better-researched than any given online article. Some claims were downright nonsensical.
The photos in this book are not amazing quality, but serve their purpose well enough. For prettier pictures, I suggest checking out The China Tea Book, which has beautiful photos but few stories.
Overall the book is full of juicy cultural stories and sayings that I have heard echoed in other books and documentaries about tea, so they seem legit, but the book needed more editing and polish to make the stories sound more credible. But that aside, I really enjoyed reading this and found it to be greatly enriching for any Chinese tea enthusiast.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews