Timothy D'Offay

This journey to the world's finest teas, captured in extraordinary photography, brings alive the aroma, taste and texture of this drink in all its many nuances, and will give connoisseurs and casual readers alike a much deeper understanding of how great tea is created. Includes sections on botany, cultivation, processing methods and the impact tea has had, and continues to have, on culture. The Life of Tea also follows Michael and Timothy's travels in China, Japan, India and Sri Lanka, featuring the producers of some of the world's finest teas and the characteristics that make these teas so sought after. This book is the ultimate guide for tea enthusiasts, following the journey from plantation to pot.

Unravel the history, sample the flavors, and experience the amazing versatility of the world's favorite brew and all its health-giving properties. Tea expert Timothy d’Offay starts with the very basics with a section on water and tea tools to make brewing easier. Then, as well as traditional ways of making tea, he explores new brewing methods such as “Flow Brew”, which involves brewing one tea through another to create an infusion, and “Ambient Tea”, a way of making tea pair better with food. There is a “Cold Brew” chapter as well as one for delicious sparkling teas, called “Kitchen Colas”, which you can make in the comfort of your own home with tea and a few other natural ingredients. “Fresh Fruit Tea Quarters” are another new innovation, combining tea and fresh fruit juice to create a refreshing soft drink. In Leaf Tea there will be recipes to make the most of matcha and the other stoneground teas now available so you can learn to make tasty “Somersault” drinks—frappes, milkshakes and ice creams. So turn on your kettle, tune into tea culture and drop those tea bags for some of the best leaf tea experiences you can have.