Tea or coffee? For the majority of people it’s a preference of one over the other and in recent years coffee is the beverage that gets the most attention. Whether it’s a latte or a cappuccino you’re after, you can find coffee shops on pretty much every corner these days. In the past few years, tea has really started to take off with brands like Teavana arriving on the high streets and cafes serving more than just your average tea selection.
World Atlas of Tea by Krisi Smith is a comprehensive book that leaves no stone unturned when it comes to looking at where tea comes from, what varieties are available and how it’s produced. It’s a timely look at just how widespread the love for tea is and how many varieties now exist across the world. You just have to look on the shelves in a supermarket to see that tea is a huge industry now with everything from flavoured teas, super strong teas and herbal teas selling by the bucketload.
Split into four parts, the book starts off with Tea Basics explaining everything from how tea grows through to the way its harvested and processed. The second part, Tea Brewing and Drinking, gives an in-depth look at the basics of tea brewing and the health benefits of drinking tea. There’s also a nice little section on how to store tea so you can keep it as fresh as possible retaining its taste. In part three the book explores Tea Blending and mixology offering recipes for those who fancy something a bit more exciting than bog standard tea.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the book is part four entitled The World of Tea. This section looks at tea across the world identifying the tea-producing countries in five different areas. It covers Africa, Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, Far East and South America. There is an impressive amount of detail for each area even detailing the amount of tea consumption that takes place.
World Atlas of Tea is beautifully presented. The sturdy hardback book features tea leaves printed on the design and it’s wonderfully simple. The layout of the book is gorgeous with lots of imagery, illustrations and fantastic images. From teapots through to fields of tea and everything in between, the book really brings the subject to life.
If you have any tea lovers in the family then the World Atlas of Tea should definitely be considered as a gift this Christmas. The book is rich with information and it will likely be informative for anyone, no matter how much tea they drink and buy. With wonderful detail, this eye-catching book is a really engaging read that is perfect for any tea connoisseur.
Publisher: Mitchell Beazley Release Date: 8th September 2016
