Liquid Jade: The Story of Tea from East to West

Book: Liquid Jade: The Story of Tea from East to West
Price: $16.47 (From Amazon.com)

This book is quite likely the most well researched and cited book on the subject of Tea that I have read thus far. This book compares in quality to The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide. The difference between the two is that The Story of Tea is more centered around different tea production regions and different teas, where Liquid Jade is centered around the history of tea production and it's appearance in history. In a broad stroke it starts with the discovery of tea in China and it's migration to Europe. This is a rather unique view on the western aspect of tea, something that is somewhat overlooked nowadays. The book is a little light on the topic of tea in Japan, but that is not really the focus of the book.

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: If you own one book on tea, read The Story of Tea. If you own two, get Liquid Jade. Liquid Jade is very well researched and cited. It is an excellent source of information regarding historical tidbits about tea. The last section of the book is a bit too political on the topics of Organic, Fair Trade, and Indian labor practices. An excellent read nonetheless.