Tea Blog

Avert your eyes, if you must, and skip ahead to the next paragraph, but I’m going to begin this installment of the tea book column with a book about coffee. Gasp.

The book in question is Coffee Gives Me Superpowers: An Illustrated Book about the Most Awesome Beverage on Earth by Ryoko Iwata. I mention it not to debate its claim that coffee is the most awesome beverage on Earth (a point on which tea drinkers may have strong opinions), but because its format is intriguing. Filled with infographics, quizzes, and entertaining facts, it’s easy to imagine a similar book devoted entirely to tea.

Speaking of books aimed at cultivating future tea enthusiasts, younger readers may enjoy Sofia the First: Sofia’s Cup of Tea. Inspired by the popular Disney character, this teacup-shaped children’s book introduces a tea-themed story in a playful format.

Along similar lines is Hello Kitty: Tea Party Set, which combines a short board book with puzzle pieces that allow readers to help Hello Kitty prepare for a tea party. It’s another example of how tea themes continue to find their way into children’s books and activities.

Tea also serves as inspiration for adult fiction. One example is The Traveling Tea Shop by Belinda Jones, a novel centered on the adventures surrounding a tea-themed television program and the people involved in bringing it to life.

For readers more interested in the culinary side of tea, there’s Steeped: Recipes to Infuse Your Day with Tea by Annelies Zijderveld. This addition to the growing category of tea-inspired cookbooks explores creative ways to incorporate tea into food and beverages.

As the publisher notes in this description of the tea-infused cookbook Steeped, tea has increasingly found its way into modern cuisine, appearing in everything from baked goods to frozen desserts and sophisticated restaurant creations.

Whether you prefer tea history, tea-inspired fiction, children’s stories, or culinary experimentation, it seems there is now a tea-related book for nearly every kind of reader.

See more of William I. Lengeman’s articles in this archive of tea books, history, and commentary.

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