Not included: books focusing on tisanes, tea recipe books, books not in English (because I only speak the one language, I’m definitely not an authority on others). I figured most wouldn’t be interested in recipe books (I’m not), so I avoided doing the extra work. I also avoided blending books for the most part, since the majority focus on blending tisanes.
Disclaimers and unavoidable problems: I haven’t read every book on this list, so I don’t always know if they’re in exactly the right category. Plus many books fit in multiple categories. Some have misleading names. I ended up putting emphasis on books on specific countries; that is, those on specific aspects of a single country (ex. Chinese tea economy) went under China instead of Economy.
There were also a lot of problems with Japanese and Chinese authors (whether the publisher followed Western or Eastern conventions of surnames; some I had to guess). Also an entire collection of books on Tea Clippers which I couldn’t decide if I wanted to include, just because they’re cool, but only tangentially related to tea.
Future plans include: Adding peer-reviewed journals, and links to archive.org/Gutenberg for public domain works. I’ll likely devise a legend later to quickly mark country-specific books that have a focus (E: Economy, H: History, Cu: Culture, Ce: Ceremony…).
New Releases
Books posted here are also sorted in the master list below. I avoided reprints/reprints of public domain books, of which there are always a bunch, but included updated editions of existing works. Included updated volumes of existing books.
2018
- Tea Sommelier: A Step-by-Step Guide, by François-Xavier Delmas, Mathias Minet - 11 Sep 2018
- Gathering for Tea in Modern Japan: Class, Culture and Consumption in the Meiji Period, by Taka Oshikiri - 28 Jun 2018
- World of Tea: Discovering Producing Regions and Their Teas, by Jane Pettigrew – 15 Jun 2018
- Tea: History, Terroirs, Varieties (updated volume), by Kevin Gascoyne – 1 May 2018
- Cultivating Femininity Women and Tea Culture in Edo and Meiji Japan, by Rebecca Corbett - 31 Mar 2018
- Global Tea Science: Current Status and Future Needs (Burleigh Dodds Series in Agricultural Science), by Liang Chen – 20 Dec 2017
- Japanese Tea: A Comprehensive Guide, by Simona Zavadckyte – 10 Nov 2017
- The Little Book of Tea, by Andrew Langley – 19 Oct 2017
- The Romance of Tea, Reprint with foreword by James Norwood Pratt, by William H. Ukers – 21 Jun 2017
- Three Basic Teas and How to Enjoy Them, by Virginia Utermohlen Lovelace – 27 Feb 2017
- The World Tea Encyclopedia, by Will Battle – 19 Jan 2017
An interesting problem here: Is how do you separate books that have detailed dictionaries by tea type as WELL as comprehensive guides, and those that JUST have guides, and those guides that follow brewing, or production, or both?
- Battle, W. The World Tea Encyclopedia
- Chow, K. All the Tea in China
- Delmas, F. The Tea Drinker’s Handbook
- Delmas, F., Minet, M. Tea Sommelier: A Step-by-Step Guide
- Gascoyne, K. Tea: History, Terroirs, Varieties
- Gaylard, L. The Tea Book
- Gebely, T. Tea: A User's Guide
- Gleason, C. The Biography of Tea
- Keating, B.R. and Long, K. How to Make Tea
- Kilby, N. The Tea Book: All Things Tea
- Klingner, W. World of Tea: A Beginner’s Guide to Tea
- Langley, A. The Little Book of Tea Tips
- Lu Yu, The Classic of Tea
- McCormick, Malachi A Decent Cup of Tea
- Pasqualini, D. T. & Suet, B. The Time of Tea
- Peltier, W. The Ancient Art of Tea
- Pettigrew, J. The Tea Companion: A Connoisseur’s Guide
- Pettigrew, J. World of Tea: Discovering Producing Regions and their Teas
- Pratt, J. N. Tea Dictionary
- Pratt, N. J. The Tea Lover's Treasury
- Rasmussen, W., Rhinehart, R. Tea Basics: A Quick and Easy Guide
- Smith, K. The World Atlas of Tea
- Souter, K. The Tea Cyclopedia
- Uhl, J. The Art and Craft of Tea
- Ukers, W. U. All About Tea Vol. I, II
- Walsh, J. M. A Cup of Tea
- Yin, N. Tea Art of China
I’m putting a disclaimer here because many books toting “the history of tea” end up being Britain-centric. I haven’t read all of them to confirm their placement.
- Alan, M. The Empire of Tea
- Day, S. P. Tea, its Mystery and History
- Ellis, M. Empire of Tea: The Asian Leaf that Conquered the World
- Heiss, M. L. The Story of Tea
- Hohenegger, B. Steeped in History: The Art of Tea
- Mair, V. H. and Hoh, E. The True History of Tea
- Martin, L. C. Tea: The Drink that Changed the World
- Moxham, R. A Brief History of Tea
- Pasqualini, Dominique, T. The Time of Tea
- Pettigrew, J., Richardson, B. A Social History of Tea
- Rappaport, E. A Thirst for Empire: How Tea Shaped the Modern World
- Slavin, S. Tea
- Stevens, B. The Way of Tea and Justice
- Ukers, W. The Romance of Tea
Most culture books are organized under their country. Some books cover multiple countries though, and those are listed here.
- Machester, C. Tea in the East
There’s a bit of overlap with the Botony/Growing/Production section with books that focused on both. Books on the Economy of specific countries are instead listed under their country section below.
- Akiyama, T. A New Global Tea Model
- Asopa, V. N. Competitiveness in Global Tea Trade
- Forrest, D. M. The world tea trade
- Gartar, G. K. The World Tea Economy
- Hall, N. The Tea Industry
- Harler, C.R. The Culture and Marketing of Tea
- Mui, H. The Management of Monopoly
- Staveacre, F. W. Tea and Tea Dealing
- United Nations Tea Marketing Systems in Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka
- Wickizer, V. K. Tea Under International Regulation
These ended up lumped together because a number of books overlapped. If the list becomes larger, I might break it up as best I can into Growing and Production.
- Chen, L. Global Tea Science: Current Status and Future Needs
- Chen, L. Global Tea Breeding
- Eden, T. Tea
- Harler, C. R. Tea Growing
- Harler, C. R. Tea Manufacture
- Mann, H. H. The Tea Soils of Assam and Tea Manuring
- Money, E. The Cultivation and Manufacture
- Rosthorn, A. D. On The Tea Cultivation in Western Sshuch’uan (sic) and the Tea Trade with Tibet via Tachienlu (sic)
- Shahidi, F., Ho, C., Lin, J. Tea and Tea Products: Chemistry and Health-Promoting Properties
- Werkhoven, J. Tea Processing
- Willson, K. C. Tea: Cultivation to Consumption
Britain
The UK, Great Britain, some of her colonies.
- D’Antonio, M. A Full Cup
- Forrest, D. M. Tea for the British: The Social and Economic History of a Famous Trade
- Rose, S. For All the Tea in China
- Scott, J. M. The Great Tea Venture
- Avery, M. The Tea Road: China and Russia Meet Across the Steppe
- Ball, S. An account of the cultivation and manufacture of tea in China
- Benn, J. A. Tea in China: A Religious and Cultural History
- Blofeld, J. The Chinese Art of Tea
- Chan, K. P. A Glossary of Chinese Puerh Tea
- Chan, K. P. First Step to Chinese Puerh Tea
- Chi-Lin, L. Early Teapots Encyclopedia II
- Chu, T. H. Tea Trade in Central China
- Etherington, D. Green Gold: The Political Economy of China’s Post-1949 Tea Industry
- Evans, J. C. Tea in China: The History of China’s National Drink
- Fong, R. The Great Teas of China
- Fuchs, J. The Ancient Tea Horse Road
- Gardella, R. Harvesting Mountains: Fujian and the China Tea Trade, 1757-1937
- Hinsch, B. The Rise of Tea Culture in China: The Invention of the Individual
- Hohenegger, B. Liquid Jade: The Story of Tea from East to West
- Hung, P. Tea Production, Land Use Politics, and Ethnic Minorities
- Liu, T. Chinese Tea: A Cultural History and Guide, by Liu Tong, translated by Yue Liwen
- Long, W. Chinese Tea Culture
- Reid, D. The Art and Alchemy of Chinese Tea
- Smith, P. Taxing Heaven’s Storehouse: Horses, bureaucrats, and the destruction of the Sichuan tea industry, 1074-1224
- Wang, J. & Guo, D. All About Tea in China
- Wang, J. All the Tea in China: History, Methods and Musings
- Wang, J. & Guo, D. Illustrated Book of Chinese Tea
- Wang, J. Illustrated Dictionary of Famous Tea in China
- Wang, L. Tea and Chinese Culture
- Yun, L. Chinese Tea
- Zhang, J. Puer Tea: Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic
- Zhang, S. The Wild Truth of Tea
- Zhou, W. and Yue, S. Pictorial Album of Chinese Tea Art
- Anderson, J. L. An Introduction to Japanese Tea Ritual
- Chiba, K. Japanese women, class and the tea ceremony
- Corbett, R. Cultivating Femininity Women and Tea Culture in Edo and Meiji Japan
- Cross, T. The Ideologies of Japanese Tea: Subjectivity, Transience and National Identity
- Fujioka, R. Tea Ceremony Utensils
- Fukukita, Y. Cha-No-Yu: Tea Cult of Japan
- Guth, C. M. Art, Tea, and Industry: Masuda Takashi and the Mitsui Circle
- Hammitzsch, H. Zen and the Art of the Tea Ceremony
- Honda, H. Vietnamese and Chinese Ceramics Used in the Japanese Tea Ceremony
- Kato, E. The Tea Ceremony and Women’s Empowerment in Modern Japan: Bodies Re-Presenting the Past
- Ohki, S. Tea Culture of Japan
- Pitelka, M. Japanese Tea Culture: Art, History and Practice
- Sadler, A. L. Cha-No-Yu: The Japanese Tea Ceremony
- Sasaki, S. Chado: The Way of Tea; A Japanese Tea Master’s Almanac
- Sen, G. A Chanoyu Vocabulary: Practical Terms for the Way of Tea
- Sen, S. Chado: The Japanese Way of Tea
- Sen, S. XV Tea Life, Tea Mind
- Sen, S. XV The Japanese Way of Tea: From its Origins in China to Sen Rikyu
- Sen, S. XV The Spirit of Tea
- Surak, K. Making Tea, Making Japan
- Taka, O. Gathering for Tea in Modern Japan: Class, Culture and Consumption in the Meiji Period
- Tanaka, S., Tanaka, S. & Reischauer, E. O. The Tea Ceremony
- Varley, P. and Isao, K. (editors) Tea in Japan: Essays on the History of Chanoyu
- Zavadckyte, S. Japanese Tea: A Comprehensive Guide
- Besky, S. The Darjeeling Distinction
- Chatterjee, P. A Time for Tea: Women, Labor, and Post/Colonial Politics in an Indian Plantation
- Griffiths, Sir P. A History of the Indian Tea Industry
- Koehler, J. Darjeeling: The Colorful History and Precarious Fate of the World's Greatest Drink
- Anthony (Brother) Korean Tea Classics
- Anthony (Brother) The Korean Way of Tea
- Yoo, Yang-Seok The Book of Korean Tea
- Forrest, D. M. A Hundred Years of Ceylon Tea
- McCarthy, A., Devine, T. Tea and Empire: James Taylor in Victorian Ceylon
- Arvo, W. E. A Geography of the Tea Industry in Kenya
- Stern, N. H. An appraisal of tea production on small holdings in Kenya
- Habibullah, M. Tea Industry of Pakistan
- Chen, J. A Tea Lover’s Travel Diary (Vol 1): Phoenix Single-Tree Oolong & Tie Kuan Yin Oolong
- Chen, J. A Tea Lover’s Travel Diary (Vol 2): 4 World-Famous Chinese Green Teas
- Graham, P. J. Tea of the Sages: The Art of Sencha
- Lovelace, V. U. Three Basic Teas and How to Enjoy Them
- Oppliger, P. Green Tea: The Delicious Everyday Health Drink
Not to be confused with Journals, of the Academic Peer-Reviewed short. See further below.
- Barker, G. M. A Tea Planter’s Life in Assam
- Fortune, R. A Journey to the Tea Countries of China
- Fortune, R. A Residence Among the Chinese
- Fortune, R. Three Years’ Wanderings in the Norther Provinces of China
- Fortune, R. Yedo and Peking
- Fisher, A. Tea Wisdom
- Fisher, A. The Way of Tea
- Murphy, F. H. The Spirit of Tea
- Okakura, K. The Book of Tea
- Mariage Frères The French Art of Tea
- Mariage Frères (Alain Stella) French Tea: Mariage Frères - Three Centuries of Savoir-Faire
- Twining, R. and Co. The Twinings in Three Centuries: The Annals of a Great London Tea House
- Wild, A. The East India Company Book of Tea
- Freeman, M., Ahmed, S. The Tea Horse Road: China’s Ancient Tea Road to Tibet
- Lambardi, G. Tea Sommelier
- Walsh, J. M. Tea-Blending as a Fine Art
Of the academic and peer-reviewed variety. To be added at some point in the future…
