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After the Chinese came across tea five thousand years ago, it took another couple of thousand years for the tea to disseminate to the rest of the world. Botanical name for tea is Camellia sinensis. Among perchance 1500 varieties of tea, my favored is Earl Grey. Since I like the comfortableness of teabags, I always stick with teabags. To make a perfective brew, one needs to store the tea bags or loose tea in an air-tight container at room temperature. One teabag is applied for each cup, and freshly drawn boiling water is a must. This is because the water ought to comprise oxygen for perfective flavor, and most of the taste is lost if the water is boiled more than once. The specific fragrance and taste of Earl Grey Tea comes from the oil of bergamot. Bergamot is a little orange, a cross amid pear lemon and sour orange. As a blend of Indian and Ceylon teas, this tea has been the favored of many, even the nobility and the kings, for rather galore time. The Earl Grey tea blend is named after the second Earl Grey–Charles Grey–who served as the Prime Minister in Great Britain in the original half of the nineteenth century. Earl Grey Tea carries a couple of legends with regards to it is origin. One of the legends involves Earl Grey’s servant rescuing an Indian rajah’s son from a man-eating tiger, and according to another legend, a Chinese nobleman–after his son’s rescue by the Earl’s men from drowning–served the tea blend to Earl Grey. Twinings sold the primary Earl Grey tea to the British; altho Jacksons of Pickadilly say they were the basi ones who came up with Earl Grey at regarding the same time. I don’t know if Jacksons’ assert is right or wrong, but I like the quote beneath their logo by Kakuzo Okakura, which says: “Tea is a work of art and needs a master hand to fetch out it is noblest qualities.” This quote alone gives the tea a special reputation as if it were a person. Besides Twinings and Jacksons of Piccadilly, numerous companies lately provide the Earl Grey Tea for consumers: Stash, Barrows, Yogi Tea Company, Bigelow’s, Pickwick, Numi Tea, Dragonwater, Tazo, Harney and Sons, Good Earth, Gevalia, Celestial Seasonings, etc. In York, UK, assorted Earl Grey Tea Rooms disseminate out in the city. Some of them carry all the formality of the British teatime rituals. Although seemingly formal, these establishments are very friendly to the tourists. For Earl Grey Tea lovers like me and in all probability for Captain Picard of Star Trek, visiting York’s Earl Grey Tea Rooms has to have a uninterrupted place on the to-do list, but for today, a freshly brewed cup of Bigelow’s Earl Grey Tea will have to be sufficient for me. |
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The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea
The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea
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The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea [HARNEY & SONS GT TEA]
A book for nearly all the senses
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I cannot do it the same justice as the first two reviewers, but I am in the middle of reading this thoroughly enjoyable book and the quality of writing, command of the subject, and passion for the product compelled me to comment.
This is a lovely book. I think Ralph White’s suggested reading sequence is a good one. My only wish is that the publishers and/or Mr. Harney had included photos of all the teas.
Bravo Michael Harney!
Destined to be a Classic
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Michael Harney’s new book is exceptionally attractive and will make a fine gift for any occasion. But the stunning beauty of this book is far from skin deep. It’s clear that Michael Harney approached this project the way he, his Father, John, and his brother, Paul, approach tea making itself. He clearly wanted the book itself to be elegant, but he also required that it illustrate the dimensionality and substance for which his teas are known.
Let me recommend a creative approach to this book. Start with the Appendix, From Tree to Tea, The Chemistry of Tea. How, otherwise, will you know what tea even is? Then treat yourself to a very succinct, five page, History of Tea. Okay, now flip back to the front and read the Introduction. Here Harney tells what led him to the business and what led him to write the book. You come away assured that his credentials are exactly what you wanted in a guide to teas. Michael Harney is a tea person’s tea person, the ideal personal trainer for teas.
The Guide to Tasting Teas is an eye opener. Who knew that there was something to be learned from examining the dry leaves? Who knew pot type affected a tea’s taste? Who knew about filtered water, and the impact of brewing temperatures, and brewing times? Who knew what to look for in the liquor? Who knew what intelligence there was to gain from smelling the wet tea leaves after pouring the liquor off? And who even thought that there could be a vocabulary dealing with the nuances of a tea’s body and flavor? In fact you’ll know all of this before you get to page 17, which is where your tour of the tea world will begin.
Start with a tea with which you feel familiar, say a Ceylon Black Tea. In this section you will find that there are three categories of tea, depending on the elevation of the tea gardens. You will learn that “The high grown teas, between four thousand and six thousand feet are what make Ceylon Teas’ reputation. That rarefied air produces exceptional teas like the wintergreen Uva Highlands.” Imagine! You learned something so basic about a tea you thought you already knew; imagine what you’ll learn about teas with which you are completely unfamiliar.
In time we’ll wonder how we limped along in the tea world before Michael Harney wrote this classic.
A little troublesome on the Kindle
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I love the text describing each tea, and it makes for wonderful reading. However, the chart with the information on each tea (such as leaf description, temperature, etc) is in image form, and as such is a little too pale for easy reading. Since it’s an image, you can’t bump the font size up and read that section easier. I’m disappointed in that, but I can make out the info if I take my glasses off!
Harney & Sons Guide to Tea
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is an excellent book. Although it limits the teas that are reviewed, there is a broad enough range to give the reader an overview. The most fascinating aspect is how the author explains and intertwines the history of tea with the history of the nations involved. The author’s descriptions of flavor and body of the brewed teas are very accurate. I have five books on tea. This is the best.
A Down-to-Earth “How-To” Guide to Great Tea
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have a soft spot in my heart for Harney & Sons because I learned to love tea by visiting their tea tasting room in Millerton, NY. This book is the perfect follow-up to that experience. Most of the book is devoted to tea tasting, and is designed to walk the reader through the process of preparing and drinking a series of related teas. The differences and similarities are described, which I find helps me focus on the subtleties of these special teas and heightens my enjoyment of them.
This book can pay for itself by helping you avoid buying expensive tea that you don’t enjoy. Mr. Harney recommends other tea suppliers, in addition to his family business, several of which (including Harney’s,) offer samples or small quantities for sale. It’s a great guide to purchasing and experiencing samples, so that you only buy larger quantitities of the teas you most enjoy.
Basic tea
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is excellent book covering everything one needs to know about tea. Well written, simple, understandable language. Just facts . Presentation simple and easy to follow. Twas exactly what I was looking for.
Highly recommend it as a “” basic tea textbook “” tho it covers the subject completely.