A History of Tea

It's this unveiling of both the sordid and sublime elements of tea's evolution that make the book such a fantastically riveting read-one served best with a bottomless cup of your most beloved blend. -Conscious Choice magazine (...) an engaging and offbeat exploration of the rise of tea around the world. -Tea: A Magazine Martin uses both anecdotes and practical information to tell the story of tea's route through history. -Fresh Cup magazine As a tea lover, I really enjoyed this one. Martin starts with the legends about the discovery of tea, then follows it through China (where it was originally a bitter drink prized mostly as a stimulant) to the discovery baking and drying it would make it taste good. What followed was a mix of steady growth, coupled with more than a few dark sides... -Goodreads In this stimulating history, gardening and crafts writer Martin follows tea from its medicinal origins in fourth-century China through its spread across the globe...This is an informative plunge into tea's history. -Publishers Weekly It provides the history of tea and its introduction to the various parts of the world. The history of tea trade is really quite interesting with wars, drugs and secrets filling the stories. This book does a lovely job of giving the history and sharing the various cultures views and methods of tea. -Crafty Moms Share blog In A History of Tea author Laura C. Martin tells the compelling story of the rise of tea in Asia and its eventual spread to the West and beyond...[it] also features a quick reference guide on subjects such as proper tea terminology and brewing. Enhanced with the inclusion of a section of thematically relevant and interesting illustrations, A History of Tea: The Life and Times of the World's Favorite Beverage is impressively informed and informative. -Midwest Book Review