Tea Blog

The avalanche of tea books seems never-ending, with many of them highlighted on this blog by my fellow writer Bill Lengeman (his latest:

recent and upcoming tea books roundup
).

At some point, my mind starts to overheat, the gears begin to grind, and I call out, “Enough!”

The next question that comes to mind is: Are there too many tea books? As usual, the answer is—it depends.

“Too many” usually means more than is necessary to meet a specific need.

In my early days of writing about tea, the

Harney & Sons Guide to Tea

was essential reading.

But having too many books at once can quickly become overwhelming and repetitive.

This introductory guide covers the basics well, making it ideal for beginners. Another book simply titled Tea also provided a helpful overview—along with plenty of beautiful photography to satisfy the visually curious.

Over time, many tea drinkers begin to focus on specific types or regions.

In my case, I’ve gradually shifted toward exploring Asian teas (now about 20% of my tea drinking), which led me to expand my reading in that direction.

When I had the opportunity to review a book focused on Chinese tea, I gladly accepted. That’s how The China Tea Book joined my collection—offering both in-depth information and stunning visuals.

It quickly became the perfect companion for an afternoon oolong session.

Along the way, I’ve encountered many other tea books—some fiction, some educational, and some a mix of both. Some were delightful, while others didn’t hold my attention.

Still, the question remains: are there too many tea books?

From a global perspective, probably not. But for my personal library, I’ve become much more selective.

Many books tend to repeat widely available information, while others seem to exist more as passion projects than meaningful contributions to tea knowledge.

Which brings up another question: are there too many inaccurate or superficial books about tea?

The answer is…

Well, that’s a topic for another article!

See more of A.C. Cargill’s articles

here
.

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