7 books on the world of tea dedicated to enthusiasts

Tea literature

Whether for reasons of study, passion or curiosity, books on tea cannot be missing from a tea lover’s reading list. Some are true handbooks, guiding us and introducing us to the intricacies of the world of tea, telling us about its classification, areas of production and how the industry of this beverage so ancient and rich in history evolves over time. Others are cookbooks, because tea, much like wine, can pair beautifully with food and can even become an ingredient in so many dishes. Still other books tell us in a fascinating way the story of how tea has traveled through the centuries and the secrets associated with its trade.

Certainly the literature on tea has expanded greatly in recent years, opening up with sincere curiosity to a product that in the West (and especially in Italy) remains somewhat niche but is certainly growing.

I have collected for you what I think are 7 pillars of this literature, good both for those who are approaching tea for the first time, eager to learn more, and for those who are already routed on the path of knowledge and study but want to deepen some topics or, why not, experiment in the kitchen!

Books on tea: 7 pillars

Here, one by one, are the 7 books on tea that I most loved and highly suggest reading!

1. The Window on Tea. Definitive guide to the noblest of beverages By Nicoletta Tul (ed. Santelli, 2020)

I believe one of the most comprehensive and best-written book-manuals on the subject of tea: the author’s expertise emerges from every page, in which with passion and precision Nicoletta Tul tells us all about this beverage. The opening chapters are devoted to the history of tea and its origins, the classification of tea types and the proper preparation in both Western style and gong fu cha. Continuing with the reading, we are told how tea has traveled from China to other countries, with a beautiful final overview of tea ceremonies around the world and the great tea masters.

2. Tea Stories: Monks and Merchants, Queens and Adventurers By Linda Reali (ed. Donzelli, 2019)

I admit that I wore out the cover of this book (as evidenced by the photo) by taking it with me to the beach the summer I discovered it, because I could not stop reading it. It is a very fluent compendium of the history of tea, its origins and especially its entry into the West, with really interesting trivia, anecdotes and secrets concerning the tea trade but also how this mysterious beverage has been received and reinterpreted in Europe since its arrival in the 17th century. An author who has really managed to paint a complete and compelling picture, with a most enjoyable style and the ability to keep the reader glued to the pages.

3. Jane Pettigrew’s World of Tea: Discovering Producing Regions and Their Teas by Jane Pettigrew (ed. Hoffman Media, 2018)

This book is found only in English and is physically imposing (we are talking almost 3 kilos of book and a whopping 434 pages) but it is a must-have: it is a veritable atlas of tea in the world, with very detailed info on the terroir of each producing country, maps and wonderful illustrations. There is also a brief introduction to tea and its classification based on the teachings of the UK Tea Academy in London, of which the book’s author is a founder. Jane Pettigrew thus leads us on a discovery of old and new producing countries, revealing the presence of tea cultivation in locations we never expected (Australia, Scotland, North America, the Philippines, Indonesia…) and accurately providing all the data on tea varieties, processing methods and quantities produced in each area.

4. Tea at the Stove. Beverage and ingredient over 100 recipes and cult pairings from appetizer to dessert By Peter Semino (ed. Kiwi, 2018)

We enter the world of recipes here, with a book that, as the title itself mentions, collects more than a hundred recipes and pairings having tea as the main ingredient. Because tea is not just a drink for the five o’clock snack, nor should it be paired only with desserts: with a little imagination and a lot of creativity, the author guides us step by step in the creation of interesting sweet and savory tea-based recipes, “from appetizer to dessert“. You can find it on our online store!

5. Tea: Wine’s Sober Sibling by Mariëlla Erkens (ed. Terra Publishing, 2022)

I wanted to include a second cookbook (in English, in this case) because I find this publication really brilliant, in style, content and the structure given to the volume. The author is Mariëlla Erkens, a Dutch tea sommelier and tea educator as well as chef, with a spatial knowledge of both tea and food. This book not only offers many tea-based recipes, but pairs each one with at least 3 different types of tea based on the principles of tea & food pairing, i.e., pairing food and tea. In fact, the entire first part of the book is devoted to explaining scientifically (but in a simple and at times really hilarious style) what the principles on which tea pairing is based and how to put them into practice, with interesting parallels with wine and entire pages devoted to the basics of tea tasting. There are also a few chapters focused on pairing tea with a specific category of food, such as chocolate or cheese, as well as hints on the art of mixology. For all experimenters and lovers of unusual taste experiences, this is a must-have mainstay in your tea book collection.

6. Puer Tea: Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic. By Jinghong Zhang (ed. University of Washington Press, 2014)

In this volume, author Jinghong Zhang addresses with finesse and expertise many of the controversial topics surrounding the complex world of Puer tea and its history, past and present. The result of in-depth anthropological and ethnographic research, this book paints a comprehensive picture that tells us the story of Puer tea in all its beauty, from its origins in the small town of Yiwu in Xishuangbanna Autonomous Prefecture (southern Yunnan) to the present, including the characteristics of the natural and social landscape in which it was born and developed, as well as all aspects related to the processing, production, industry and market of this tea. An excellent book for those who wish to deepen their understanding of Puer tea and the culture of Yunnan.

7. Lu Yu – The Tea Canon (ed. Quodlibet, 2013 edited by Marco Ceresa with facing text)

I wanted to close this list of books on tea with a classic, a must-have in the collection of a true tea enthusiast: the Chajing, that is, the Canon of Tea. It is a work of enormous historical and cultural value, as it is the first real book on tea ever written. Composed by Lu Yu between 758 and 760 (thus under the Tang Dynasty), the Tea Canon represents the first comprehensive treatise on tea with chapters and sections dealing with every topic related to it: cultivation, harvesting, processing and preparation, with pages devoted to utensils, tasting and anecdotes about tea. The wonderful introduction and translation by Marco Ceresa, a recently deceased professor of Chinese language and literature at Ca’ Foscari University Venice, accompany us as we read this sacred tea text, immersing us in Lu Yu’s world and introducing us to this particular figure with an eclectic spirit: “He dressed simply, like a peasant. He lived in a hut in the woods and was an original fellow. Yet he became a god: the god of tea. And his work the most important book in the world on tea.”