Book Review: Infused, Adventures in Tea
I am thrilled to continue my series of book reviews on travel literature! As a former English major and someone who loves to travel in every sense of the word (arm-chair travel anyone?) I have always enjoyed this genre. In these unprecedented times one of the most accessible ways to explore different cultures, cuisines, philosophies and perspectives is to read. I hope through my series you too will be inspired to travel via donning on your bookworm glasses. Maybe one of these reads will help shape your next future trip. One area of travel literature that I have been enjoying in particular is related to food (and in this case drink). I find it is through taste and the kitchen that you can truly begin to explore a culture. What we eat and drink also connects us to each other and to communities, families and generations of stories.
In recent years I have become obsessed with tea – it all started on a drizzly afternoon in Shanghai, sitting inside the historic teahouse in the Yu Gardens. We were presented with high grade oolong and longjing tea and were served the Chinese goncha way, with yixing clay teapots, glass teaware and a large, hot thermos. Learn more about my enchanting afternoon here. Having grown up with teabags and also occasionally premium green tea sent by my grandmother in Japan, I never knew there was an entirely separate ritual for tea drinking in China. Essentially, it took one experience in China to get me hooked forever. Not only are loose leaf teas more exquisite in taste but the whole ritual of steeping tea in proper tea-ware, admiring the subtle aromas, taking in the colors and shifting flavors, is meditative and such a pleasure. I was amazed to learn over time that there are so many varieties of tea out there, each unique, with a special “terroir”, like wine, that changes by year, by location, weather of a given year and tea expert. The best teas are from small farms, often run by generations of tea masters and having the right intermediary from which to purchase the tea is essential.
Henrietta Lovell, known as the British “Tea Lady,” recently published an incredibly good book, “Infused: Adventures in Tea” and I am so excited to share it with you! Even if you are not a tea drinker by any means, this book makes for an entertaining and fascinating read. Lovell brings forth personal stories of how she got drawn to tea in the first place and relates her travels to various (sometimes remote) parts of the world sourcing her rare, delicious teas. Each chapter centers around one region of the world where tea has been grown and is woven together with Lovell’s own experiences of the tea farmers and the land in which these extraordinary teas are grown. These destinations include places like Japan, China, Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa and Malawi.
Each of these chapters is like a perfectly infused cup of tea. You will delight in the different characters you meet, including the spirited Henrietta herself, and fill your imagination with the flavors of some of these special teas. Even for someone like myself who has read several books on tea and knows which type of oolongs she particularly likes, this book introduced me to some of the most unique teas. I won’t spoil it for you but there are some tea varieties I have never heard of that truly live up to the name of Lovell’s company, the Rare Tea Company. Henrietta also sources exquisite spring teas for her company as well. In general tea leaves picked in the spring months are considered to be of the highest grade. Because the buds are filled with flavor and stored sugars, in addition to being in limited quantities, they are usually high in demand.
For those of you who are foodies, Henrietta also talks about her experiences consulting at some of the most renown restaurants and hotels in the world! These fine establishments include Claridges, Noma, Momofuku, Blue Hill At Stone Barns, Gordon Ramsey and others. Not only does Henrietta provide guidance on the correct ways to handle and brew quality tea but also how to pair tea with food. Why shouldn’t we pair teas the way it is done with wine? I totally agree. Even among particular types of teas it is amazing what varying flavor profiles exist. Quite naturally, this subtlety makes for a great beverage to pair with food. Based on her consulting experience Henrietta also includes fun recipes for tea cocktails, ice teas and cold infusions in the book!
One of the last chapters discusses why loose-leaf tea is better than bagged tea. Not only does it taste better but there is the entire tea trade to consider. Much of the large corporations that manufacture tea have one incentive – to make sure production is as cheap as possible. As a result, what is so often found in tea bags in the supermarket are just the leftover dredges of tea leaves (essentially the lowest grade tea dust). The best tea out there has also always been hand crafted and hand picked. However, nowadays mass production has mechanized much of tea farming. Tea farmers that make traditional, handicraft tea are then forced out of the trade or face steep competition on the international market.
What I admire about Henrietta is the fact that not only is she introducing a world of exquisite teas to the Western world but also educating the public on why purchasing quality tea is good for everyone. Rare Charity is a foundation Lovell has created to help tea farming communities in the world thrive in an increasingly competitive global tea market. Every purchase of tea from the Rare Tea Company also adds proceeds to the charity itself. An additional plus, the company only sources teas from organic farms that don’t use pesticides and aims to ensure packaging is biodegradable and recyclable.
Although I have yet to try Henrietta’s teas myself, I am itching to! The unusually special teas like South African Wild Rooibos, Malawi White Antler and White Tip Jasmine are ones I would especially love to try. Once I do, i’ll leave a little review! In the meantime, if you are a tea lover like me, check out my other posts on teas and tea drinking below (more to come)!
Experience drinking tea at a legendary teahouse in Shanghai.