The Healthy Diet

Tea is hot and getting hotter. In The New Tea Book: A Guide to Black, Green, Herbal, and Chai Tea, no leaf is left unturned. Discover the wide variety of teas that are available and their myriad health benefits, as well as over 50 recipes for cooking with tea:

• beverages,
• savories, and
• delectable sweets.

This strikingly photographed volume takes readers on a visual journey exploring the riches of black, green, oolong, and herbal teas, from the fragrant, full-bodied Assam to the spirited and spicy Yunnan. An exciting addition is the completely new Personal Spa section, introducing a host of aromatherapy touches for the home with recipes for tea bath sachets, eye pillows, beauty soaps, and potpourris. Finally, a list of resources gives information on where to find interesting tea blends and equipment, not to mention author Sara Perry's favorite international teahouses. Here's just the right cup o' tea.

About the Author

Sara Perry is the author of numerous Chronicle craft and cooking books, including The New Complete Coffee Book. She lives in Oregon and writes for the Portland Oregonian.

Alison Miksch's photographs have appeared in Better Homes & Gardens, Country Home, and Redbook magazines and can also be seen in Luscious Lemon Desserts and Couscous.

Serious aficionados of green tea will welcome The Green Tea User's Manual from Helen Gustafson, tea buyer for Alice Waters' famous Chez Panisse restaurant. Short though this book may be, it thoroughly covers a subject not well understood in America: the uniqueness of green tea and its distinction from quotidian black tea.

Gustafson has researched the best methods for bringing out green tea's essences, and she recommends a lower water temperature than commonly used for brewing black tea. Moreover, she notes that different green teas require different brewing methods. She also offers advice on teapot selection. Gustafson catalogs some of the best teas available, and she is not so snobbish as to completely shun the oft-despised tea bag. A few thoughtful recipes using tea as a flavoring close out the book. Mark Knoblauch

Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Description

With its own aromas and delights, as well as a host of health benefits, including enhancing immune system function and lessening damage from free radicals, green tea continues to grow more popular in American diets. Yet because it is brewed differently, and many varieties of green tea are available, there is more to know about making a good cup of green tea than how to boil water.

The Green Tea User’s Manual leaves no leaf unturned, introducing 16 of the most popular types of green tea, including Dragon Well, Sencha, Jasmine, and the Japanese tea Gen Mai Cha. It describes the three stages of bubbles to look for when boiling water and the various vessels in which to brew, from pots to small covered cups known as guywans. Lovely line drawings, original recipes, anecdotes, lore, and related green tea tips help to make this irresistible little book a perfect gift for anyone with a penchant for tea.

Green Tea: 50 Hot Drinks, Cool Quenchers, and Sweet and Savory Treats

This gorgeous, four-color gift book showcases just why green tea is so popular in American culture today. The opening chapter covers the basic health benefits of drinking green tea, its history, and how to select, store, and brew it. With beautiful color photos throughout, and 50 delicious recipes for hot and cold teas, smoothies and cocktails, and even savory and sweet foods, this is the perfect gift for anyone who enjoys green tea.

About the Author

Mary Lou Heiss is co-owner of Culinary Specialties CooksShopHere, a specialty food store in Northhampton, Massachusetts. She frequently travels to Asia to research and purchase tea for her store, and lectures on Asian/world cuisines, tea, tea gardens, and other aspects of tea culture.