An illustrated guide to the world"s teas. Tea is second only to water as the most-consumed beverage in the world. When recent studies revealed green tea"s health benefits, North American consumption skyrocketed. Tea is a comprehensive guide to non-herbal tea, the plant Camellia sinensis. Concise and authoritative text and an abundance of color photographs take the reader on an escorted tour of the world"s tea-growing countries: China, Japan, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam and East Africa. Like a fine wine, it is the "terroir" -- a region"s soil and climate -- that imparts unique characteristics to a tea. The book covers black, green, white, yellow, oolong, pu"er, perfumed, aromatic and smoked teas. Topics include: * An overview of the history of tea * Tea varieties * The worldwide export of tea * How tea is processed * Signature tea cultivars * The art of making, serving and tasting tea, including tea ceremonies * Tea in cooking, with 15 recipes from gourmet chefs * A directory of teas. A set of detailed charts, tables and graphs shows the caffeine, antioxidant and other biochemical properties of 35 teas. Tea aficionados go on organized tours of tea-growing regions, enroll in tasting seminars and earn professional certificates. For them and for the interested reader who enjoys the occasional cup, Tea is a beautifully presented homage to the world"s most beloved hot beverage.