Recommended Tea Books 

The Story of Tea By: Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss

Comments: A comprehensive book about all things tea. This is a great read for both general and specific knowledge. One of the few books that is accurate, timely and beautiful to look at. A must-have tea textbook for your library. Click to buy at Portland's own Powell's Book Store

Tea By Lydia Gautier and Jean-Francois Maliet

Comments: A large-format hardcover book that focuses on tea in a unique way. The strongest elements of this book are it's approach to sensory evaluation of tea. Never before has a tea tasting been presented like this. The author illustrates how to conduct a tea tasting of your own and assists in evaluating tea with a visual guide to brew colors, aromas and leaf assessment. The gorgeous photography and helpful charts make this book an excellent companion to The Story of Tea. Click here to purchase this book at Portland's own Powell's Book Store

The Way of Tea: The Sublime Art of Oriental Tea Drinking By:Master Lam Km Chuen

Comments: A helpful book in terms of getting a Chinese perspective on tea. This is important, because China is the birthplace of tea and is still one of the worlds leading producers and consumers of tea. This book contains some great information on traditional ways of brewing tea. For instance, how to tell the temperature of your water as it is heating without using a thermometer. It also includes a step-by-step pictorial guide on how to conduct a formal and informal Chinese tea brewing ceremony, using the gong fu cha brewing method. It also discusses tea types that the western world is unfamiliar with like yellow tea. The only things I did not care for in this book are a few points of misinformation. Additionally the entire last section gives recipes for teas that use Chinese herbs and in many cases not tea at all. It is in this last section that it becomes evident that this book is written by a Chinese herbalist and Feng Shui expert, not a tea merchant or grower. Overall however, the diagrams, instruction, and perspective make this book worth picking up. Click here to purchase this book at Portland's own Powell's Book Store

James Norwood Pratt's New Tea Lover's Treasury By: James Norwood Pratt

Comments: This book is essentially two books in one. Mr. Pratt is considered one of America's leading experts in tea history, culture, and appreciation. He is also a wordsmith, and it is evident that he enjoys taking his readers on a winding journey through tea. The first part of the book tells the history of tea, beginning with tea's origins and and then it's eventual migration into the western world. The second half of the book is about tea growing regions, harvest, varietals and culture. The latter part of the book is more concise and is a great reference guide to tea. Until recently many tea businesses have used The New Tea Lovers Treasury as a textbook and must-read for new employees. For a great story I would recommend the first half of this book. For boning up on basic tea knowledge I would recommend the second half of this book. Click here to purchase this book at Portland's own Powell's Book Store

The Tea Companion
By: Jane Pettigrew and Bruce Richardson

Comments: England's Jane Pettigrew is known as a leading tea expert throughout the tea industry. Her areas of expertise are tea history, culture and tea evaluation. The Tea Companion has a few different editions with different covers, so it can be a bit confusing when you are shopping for this book online. However, once you get your hands on a copy of this gem, you will be glad that you did. The author assimilates some of the most relevant information about tea and presents it in this concise and relevant book. This small book has no fluff, which is a rarity in the world of tea guides. The newest edition of The Tea Companion is arguably the best book for training for staff of any business that serves specialty teas. Click here to purchase this book at Portland's own Powell's Book Store New Tastes in Green Tea By: Mutsuko Tokunaga

Comments: This book the best (and possibly the only) English language guide to Japanese green teas. Written by one of Japan's leading tea authorities, New Tastes provides a concise explanation of leaf grades, flavor profiles, and brewing instructions of these often under appreciated types of tea. The final section of this book contains fun and interesting recipes for foods prepared using Japanese teas.Click here to purchase this book at Portland's own Powell's Book Store