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The Tea Drinker's Handbook

by Christine Barbaste, Francois-Xavier Delmas, and Mathias Minet

Description
In a skinny-no-whip-mocha-latte world, The Tea Drinker's Handbook is a refreshing return to America's roots in tea-drinking. Though tea is one of the most-consumed beverages in the world, second only to water, it is far from mundane. For both the lifelong tea drinker and the recent convert, The Tea Drinker's Handbook is an indispensable reference for anyone interested in all things tea. The founders of Le Palais des Thés, a retail chain known for the high quality of its selection of teas, have traveled for over twenty years to plantations all over the world in search of the rarest teas, and the result is this handsome and enlightening book.

This is the first guide written under the Le Palais des Thés brand. In addition to ten shops in France, there are stores in Brussels, Oslo, Tokyo, and Beverly Hills, and their products are sold at Bergdorf Goodman. In this impressive and comprehensive guide, we rediscover tea, its cultivation, and all of its richness and complexity. In addition to being an informative resource, this book is also a true tasting guide for tea lovers. The authors open our eyes (and introduce our palates) to tea-tasting, as they list the top fifty teas of the world--complete with tasting sheets--and include comments and advice for each. And with 200 illustrations, The Tea Drinker's Handbook informs and instructs with both fascinating text and alluring images.

About the Author
François-Xavier Delmas is founder of Le Palais des Thés. His in-depth knowledge of tea-producing regions and his exceptional tasting skills make him one of the leading experts in his field. Mathias Minet is a taster. He joined Le Palais des Thés ten years ago and co-directs the business with Delmas. In 1999, he and Delmas founded L'École du Thé, a school for would-be tasters. Christine Barbaste is the author of Thé à Paris in the series Paris est à nous (Editions Parigramme).