Repost: Recommended Tea Books

This is shared by a friend on Zhihu, original link: https://www.zhihu.com/question/30341078/answer/679068099

1. Collection of Ancient Chinese Tea Books

Edited by Zhu Zizhen, Shen Dongmei, and Zeng Qin. A nearly 1000-page thick book that collects all tea books from successive dynasties, divided into four periods: Tang and Five Dynasties, Song and Yuan, Ming, and Qing. It provides full transcriptions with detailed proofreading and annotations. It integrates nearly 120 kinds, serving as a comprehensive inheritance and sorting of ancient tea science heritage. You may not finish reading it, but as a tea enthusiast or learner, it is essential as a reference book.

2. Commentary on the Classic of Tea

Edited by contemporary tea sage Wu Juenong. Do you find Lu Yu's "Classic of Tea" too obscure and difficult to understand? You can skip reading the "Classic of Tea," but you cannot miss the "Commentary on the Classic of Tea." It is the result of a dialogue between two tea sages separated by a thousand years. Mr. Wu began writing in 1979, and after many twists and turns, spent much more time than expected comparing versions and studying the text. The initial content focused more on annotations of the "Classic of Tea," and later some new commentary was added, producing the first draft. However, some content in this draft went beyond the scope of commentary, so it was streamlined to highlight the commentary, resulting in a second draft. Finally, after further revisions and supplements, the third draft was published. During the revision of the third draft, new issues kept emerging that needed resolution. From conception to final draft, with multiple revisions, the content's thoroughness and writing spirit are evident. Those modern authors who can churn out a tea book in a few days should feel ashamed.

3. Chinese Tea Classic

Edited by Professor Chen Zongmao, with contributions from renowned experts in tea science and medicine, this is another cultural and classic encyclopedia of the tea industry following Lu Yu's "Classic of Tea" from the Tang Dynasty. It is also a massive volume, very thick; tea people, take your time reading it. Though not exhaustive, it covers almost everything about tea. It can also serve as a reference book.

4. General History of Tea

Compiled by Chen Chuan, a tea scientist, tea industry educator, tea processing expert, and one of the founders of modern higher education in tea science in China. "General History of Tea" aggregates major events in the tea industry from ancient and modern times, both domestic and international, aiming to serve as a "Tea Etymology Dictionary." Therefore, it exhausts available materials on tea history from ancient to modern times (up to the 1950s), but mainly quotes original texts for readers' reference and verification.

5. The Book of Tea

Written by American William Ukers, this book, along with Lu Yu's "Classic of Tea" from China and the Japanese monk Eisai's "Drinking Tea for Health" from the Kenkyu era, is known as one of the world's three great tea classics. The book elaborates on all aspects of tea in six sections: historical, technical, scientific, commercial, social, and artistic. It is an encyclopedia of tea.

6. The Book of Tea

During his travels in Britain and America in the early 20th century, Okakura Kakuzo realized that Westerners held absurd ideas and misunderstandings about the East. Consequently, he wrote in English "The Ideals of the East" (1903), "The Awakening of Japan" (1904), and "The Book of Tea" (1906), which are collectively known as Okakura's "English Trilogy." "The Book of Tea" had the greatest impact, with translations in French, German, Spanish, Swedish, and others, and was even selected for American middle school textbooks. While bringing Okakura worldwide fame, it also composed a profound "high mountain and flowing water" melody themed on the "Way of Tea" for the Western world. The "Way of Tea" is the essence of traditional Japanese aesthetics, and the writing is elegant and enduring, imbued with a literary atmosphere, leading readers to glimpse the world of Japanese classical aesthetics. Compared to the previous hefty volumes, this book is "small and exquisite," easy to carry, and can be read in a few hours. However, to truly understand and appreciate the text requires depth.

7. Tea Processing Science

Compiled by Anhui Agricultural College, for tea majors, as a textbook for higher agricultural education. You might be surprised and think, "Oh no, do I have to go back to school?" To understand tea, learn tea well, and truly know tea, "Tea Processing Science" is a must-read. With this book, when you go to drink tea, you won't be easily fooled. Young tea brewers, if you study this, others will definitely look at you with new respect.

8. The Wisdom of Drinking Tea

The previous books are more for deep study and hobbyists, but this one, "The Wisdom of Drinking Tea" by Teacher Zhao Yingli, is indeed practical for tea drinkers. It teaches you how to drink tea well, provides basic understanding for quick entry, and is an excellent foundational book. Tea Encyclopedia has recommended it to many tea friends.

9. Ordinary Tea, Extraordinary Way

When reading beautiful essays about tea, you must have heard of Teacher Lin Qingxuan. This collection of tea culture essays, "Ordinary Tea, Extraordinary Way," is a presentation of Zen and tea, a gentle narration of tea in daily life, explaining profound ideas in simple terms, quite illuminating for the mind. Oh, by the way, many popular tea quotes online also come from this book.

10. Every Day a Good Day

Fifteen kinds of happiness brought by the Way of Tea. This is the tea practice diary of Japanese tea master Morishita Noriko, describing in detail the beauty and Zen of the tea ceremony—the aesthetics of brewing tea, serving tea, bowl brewing, passing cups, and cleaning the pot. It shares the life wisdom the tea master has realized through the tea ceremony: "Reasons are not important; what matters is to follow the practice. That is the Way of Tea." "Do it immediately, don't think. The hands naturally know; listen to the hands' feelings." "No need to think; the fingertips naturally reflect the inner emotions; the hands follow the heart." It has been popular in Japan for over 20 years and is recognized as the "spiritual bible of the tea ceremony." For us who love tea, practice tea, spread tea, and cultivate through tea, it offers much to learn from in terms of attitude.