title: Modern Tea; A Fresh Look at an Ancient Beverage
author: Lisa Boalt Richardson

publication date:  August 29, 2014
publisher:  Chronicle Books

For me, tea is much more than a beverage. It is a lifestyle that I will continue to pursue, and I hope you will as well.
— Lisa Boalt Richardson (Modern Tea)

With tea shops popping up all over the place, it’s pretty obvious that tea is enjoying a new revival in North America. I point out “North America” mainly because tea is already vastly popular outside of this continent, especially in places Asia and the UK.

I grew up drinking tea (mainly orange pekoe, green tea and pu’erh) but switched to coffee during my university days. Lately though, I’ve found myself sipping (and buying) much more tea so I really wanted to learn more about the beverage in order to make more informed purchases. So I started researching on the internet, networking with tea purveyors and reading tea-related books. But seriously, there is A LOT to learn about tea. It’s a little overwhelming.

Luckily, I was sent a copy of Modern Tea late last year. It’s a small, relatively light book, but is packed with amazing info presented in an easy-to-enjoy format. Chapters in the book include:
– “What Is Tea?” – Where It’s Grown and How It Becomes Specialty Tea
– “The Art of Tea” – Buying, Storing, Steeping, and Tasting
– “Tea Ceremonies and Rituals” – Experiencing Tea in Many Different Ways
– “Beyond the Cup” – Pairing, Cooking, Cocktails, and More
– “The Buzz About Tea” – Caffeine, Health, Coffee, and Sustainability

Although I already knew a bit about the different classes of tea (white, green, yellow, oolong, black and dark), it was great to learn more about each variety and its cultural and agricultural history. The new things I learned about green tea alone were enough to make my head spin! But even with all these tea facts, I never felt like I was being crammed with info – it was more like a gentle tour through the world of tea.

I also really enjoyed the section on the differing tea ceremonies from different cultures (something I’ve never really learned much about). Not only does Lisa discuss the cultural background of each type of ceremony, but she offers the elements of each ceremony and tips for attendees.

Moroccan Tea Ceremony

However, the chapter that really hooked me was “Beyond the Cup” because it includes tips on how to cook with tea. If you’ve been following this blog, you know how much I love incorporating tea into my baking! So it was great to see a tea book go beyond the sipping and use teas in other ways.

Tea is serious business – there are even college programs where you can get certified as a tea sommelier. But for beginners like me, Lisa’s book is the perfect introduction to the second most popular beverage in the world. It’s warm and welcoming, packed with info but never dull, and covers tea from a multitude of cultural angles. It doesn’t matter if you prefer hot or iced, what variety you like or what cultural-angle you want to prepare your tea from – it’s all in this book.

Lisa, a Certified Tea Specialist, is an internationally-known tea expert and travels the world speaking, consulting and teaching about tea. Modern Tea is her third book. You can learn more about Lisa on her website www.lisaknowstea.com.

Lisa was gracious enough to spend some time answering some questions for my Author Q&A series. You can read my interview with her here.

Click here to purchase Modern Tea from The Book Depository (free worldwide shipping) or Amazon.

Disclosure: I received a copy of Modern Tea from the publisher for review purposes. I did not receive any financial compensation for writing this post and the post was not reviewed by the publisher prior to publication. All opinions expressed are my own. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

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