Best Books on Tea and Infusions | Find your new favorite!
Tea lovers ahoy! This is a comprehensive guide to the best books on teas and infusions for tea enthusiasts. I guide you through the best tea recipe books, the best tea reference books, and the best novels and short stories about the magical drink called tea. So pull up a comfy chair. Pour yourself a cup of your favorite tea and let’s find you now your new favorite books on tea.
How the best books have been chosen
All these wonderful books are about tea and infusions. I have chosen them because they have a slightly different style and purpose and are best in their genre, so you can cherry pick your favorites or devour them all one by one. All these tea books are still relevant even though one was published in 1906! Some of them have been my ultimate favorites and tea companions for a long time already. Some I have newly found and are now good friends of mine. All the tea books that I have listed are still available for purchase, I have linked them, just click the title of the book to find out more!
Short on time?
Pin it for later!
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a product or a service and decide to purchase it, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. All the products and services that I recommend are based on my own experience and are things I truly love and believe in. For more information, you can read my full disclaimer.
Best recipe books on tea and infusions
One of the easiest and most enjoyable types of tea books is the tea recipe book. These books have recipes for teas and herbal infusions and these are the jewels in the drink section of your kitchen library.
Wild Tea: Brew your own infusions from home-grown and foraged ingredients
By Nick Moyle and Richard Hood (2020), 176 pages
As a reference and recipe book, the Wild Tea is amazing. It is written with a delightful chatty style by two gentlemen, Nick and Rich. They are called The Two Thirsty Gardeners too! With these guys, you learn what plants to blend together to make amazing tea blends, how to do plant-based milk to mix with your brews, the basics for brewing and drying, and the rules for foraging. This is one of the best herbal tea books I know – and maybe you can hear it from my writing already…
What about the recipes then? How does Elderflower and Cucumber Iced Tea, or Blackberry Frappé sound? If you want to make yourself your own bubble tea – well you got the recipe for that one too! Get your copy of the Wild Tea here.
Infuse – Herbal teas to cleanse, nourish, and heal
By Paula Grainger & Karen Sullivan (2016), 144
The Infuse is technically not a tea book, but a book about infusions which in this case means basically herbal infusions. It is a perfect reference and recipe book, and it needs to be mentioned. With Paula Grainger‘s over 70 recipes you can master the infusions for any need: to cleanse, heal, nourish… you name it! There is a short section about wild herbs for the infusions too! The Infuse is visually pleasing and well-designed with color themes and perfectly chosen tea sets – traditional and not-so-traditional ones. The book is utterly user-friendly with the informative symbols on the recipes for “avoid when pregnant”, “avoid when breastfeeding” and “avoid when on a medication”. The copy that has been my friend for a while now is the Swedish translation “Örtteer”, which you can see in the photo.
The Infuse is for you who want to explore the different caffeine-free options in the world of infusions. Yup, the actual tea plant contains caffeine too! If you are looking for low-impact medicinal infusions to enhance and boost your daily life this is your go-to tea recipe book for years to come! Get your copy of the Infuse here.
| RELATED: Tea, tisane, herbal tea decoction: What’s the difference?
Best reference books on tea and infusions
These tea reference books are the golden treasure and the core of your tea library. They open up the world of tea for you, whisper the secrets of tea making, and explain the different types of teas and tea plants. Every book gives a short glance at the colorful history of tea and practical advice on making incredible teas.
Short on time?
Pin it for later!
Stuff Every Tea Lover Should Know
By Candace Rose Rardon (2020), 141 pages
Stuff Every Tea Lover Should Know is very easy to read. The book is nicely divided into informative chapters like “Terms every tea lover should know” and “How to store tea “. Candace Rose Rardon goes through all tea types and traditions across the globe. She has even a chapter about tea cocktails in this tiny in size but very comprehensive book. At the beginning of every chapter, there are intriguing quotes about tea, that I found very interesting and enjoyed very much. The book is very tiny, very compact, and filled with very comprehensive information.
For all tea novices who want to learn ALL about tea in small digestible sizes Stuff Every Tea Lover Should Know is your new best friend. It’s the best tea book at home and on the road; this tiny one fits nicely into a purse or a pocket! Get your copy of the Stuff that every tea lover should know here.
The Life of Tea: A Journey to the World’s Finest Teas
By Michael Freeman & Timothy d’Offay (2018), 256 pages
The Life of Tea tells its reader the journey of the tea from the earth to the cup. The focus is on the process of making and drying the tea. The history and tea cultures are also well present in this lovely illustrated tea book. The style of the book is closer to a reference book, but you can read it fluently like a novel too. Full-sized photos by Michael Freeman are stunning – and there are plenty in the Life of Tea book. The amazing photos of the cultivation, drying of the tea, and the process shots, make this book unique. The Life of Tea has a close-up of each type of tea and the cultivation places in the mountains of China, India, and Japan.
The Life of Tea is a great tea book for you who love the details and love to see and know where exactly the tea comes from and how it has been manufactured and treated before it ends in your teacup. If you enjoy high-quality photos of the tea drying process and the amazing mountain views, this is a good book for you. Get your copy of the Life of Tea here.
How to make tea: the science behind the leaf
By Brian Keating & Kim Long (2015), 160 pages
This is one of my new personal favorite tea books! How to Make Tea is a compact and well-structured educational book without being overwhelming. If you are a beginner in the tea world this is your book though it has plenty to offer for a more seasoned tea-drinker too.
Actually, I read the Finnish translation of the book first (see the photo below) before going through the original one in English too. I am glad to tell to my Finnish readers that the translation is as excellent as the original one!
How to Make Tea has simple and visually easy-to-follow illustrations by John Woodcock, and oh my the charts! The book has amazing charts packed with plenty of interesting information like tea names around the world, storing times for dried tea leaves, and a circle about the flavor profiles of the teas. Especially the chapter about making the tea is very comprehensive and clear to follow with the instructions and guiding illustrations. This book is an excellent choice for your first book of tea to increase your tea library. Get your copy of the How to Make Tea here.
| RELATED: Tea kettle vs teapot | How to choose and use them
Tea – History, terroirs, varieties (second edition)
By Camellia Sinensis Tea House (Kevin Gascoyne, Francois Marchand, Jasmin Desharnais & Hugo América) (2014), 270 pages
The Tea – History, terroirs, varieties has been part of my personal tea library already for a long time. It is my go-to book, which I have referenced in my other tea posts in this blog. So there is no wonder that I wanted to include this book in this post about Best Books on Tea to share with you too!
This book has very detailed information on different tea types, tea tastings, and tea families. The step-by-step photos and instructions for processing Japanese green teas are enlightening. Tea – History, terroirs, varieties includes a comprehensive chart for “tips for successful infusion” of all different varieties of tea, a chapter of the biochemical analysis of 35 teas including a chart about the concentration of caffeine in various infusions of tea too!
This is for you who are a bit nerdy and tea geek. If you enjoy the details and plenty (I really mean PLENTY) of information the Tea – History, terroirs, varieties is the best tea publication and the perfect geeky reference book for you too! Get your copy of the Tea – History, terroirs, varieties here.
| RELATED: Why does my tea taste bitter? | How to avoid tea bitterness
Homegrown Tea: An Illustrated Guide to Planting, Harvesting and Blending Teas and Tisaness
By Cassie Liversidge (2014), 270 pages
With the style of a comprehensive guide and reference book, the Homegrown Tea is a joy to read. Cassie Liversidge guides the reader through the tea plant and the infusions from leaves, seeds, and fruits to flowers and roots: this book structures the different infusion types and their utilization. From medical benefits, she’ll guide you to the growing tips and harvest and finally how to make a tea or infusion from it. Homegrown Tea is packed with useful information with a user-friendly “Quick Plant Reference Chart” and a “Plant index“, love them!
The Homegrown Tea is for you who wants to grow your own tea and you want to know exactly how to proceed with every individual type. This is a great gardening book addition to your garden library this year! Get your copy of the Homegrown Tea here.
| RELATED: How to Make Moroccan Mint Tea: Recipe, Serving and Culture
Best novels and short stories about tea and infusions
If the reference books feel too heavy switching to the novels and short stories might be your cup of tea (you noticed the pun?). These books are both entertaining and educational. You will find here your next favorite novel or the intriguing tea travel stories.
Short on time?
Pin it for later!
Infused – Adventures in tea
By Henrietta Lovell (2019), 239 pages
Infused is filled with lovely tea travel stories that Henrietta Lovell has collected through years and years about her true passion: tea. Though the book is a novel-style short story, Henrietta has portioned the information and facts about tea and tea culture around the book.
This novel feels like you can finish it in one sitting, it captures the reader perfectly. Infused is divided into small, easy-to-consume chapters of different countries. Stories are from divergent places like Kyoto (Japan), Sikkim (India), and Cornwall (England), where the author of the tea book has different tea adventure memories. Henrietta Lovell, known as Rare Tea Lady, describes her moments with tea starting in England with her first sip of Darjeeling. Infused is a New York Times Book of the Year winner and has won a Drink Book Award in 2020.
Infused is for you who love storytelling and traveling. If you are a fan of the food travel genre this tea travel book will be your cup of tea. I guarantee! The Rare Tea Lady describes the flavors so curiously that you just want to have one sip of the tea too. Get your copy of the Infused – Adventures in Tea here.
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane
By Lisa See (2017), 384 pages
The novel The Tea Girl Of Hummingbird Lane is an intriguing story about the everlasting connection between mothers and daughters. The mom Li-yan is living in a remote Chinese mountain village. Her daughter, Haley, whom she gave for adoption is raised in California. Alongside the story of longing and belonging, Lisa See unveils the story of Pu’er tea (the fermented tea leaves). She describes how pu’er has shaped the destiny of the characters’ family for centuries.
Lisa See was honored as National Woman of the Year by the Organisation of Chinese American Women in 2001. To be honest she has plenty of awards if you start listing. She is the author of several New York Times bestselling novels too. So no wonder there has been a buzz about her and her work for a while that made me curious. Lisa traveled to China, Xishuangbanna, for her novel, and she loves details. You can feel in the book, that she hasn’t been just sitting home and writing the novel. The writing is elegant and compelling. Her storytelling captures you. You just will not let the book go (remember to eat and sleep once in a while!).
The Tea Girl Of Hummingbird Lane is a great novel for a tea lover, who loves to read about tea but yearns for something lighter companion for the afternoon tea than a reference book. Get your copy of The Tea Girl Of Hummingbird Lane here.
The Book of Tea
By Kakuzo Okakura (1906), 117 pages
The Book of Tea is a timeless classic that masters sarcastic and ironic storytelling with the finest excellence. Kakuzo Okakura writes about the specialties of the Japanese tea culture. He unveils the secrets of the Japanese tea room, the tea master, flowers in the Japanese tea ceremony, and the differences between the East and Western worlds. The author Kakuzo Okakura (1862-1913) was remarkable already in his own time and an expert on Japanese and Chinese art. Japanese Kakuzo wrote this book in English. He worked his last years in the USA and addressed the Book of Tea to his Western readers.
For you who love inventive turns of phrases, sarcasm, and the beauty of the tea and tea ceremonies The Book of Tea is a perfect companion to your tea time. Get your copy of The Book of Tea here.
The digital version of The Book of Tea you can read here.
My cousin and I found this amazing loose leaf tea spot in downtown where we live. It’s called “A Spot Of Tea”. I love the name and they’ve got sooo many teas! I was overwhelmed but managed to pick out a green tea and a peach tea along with a few others. Thank you for sharing this info with us tea lovers.
Ooh! Sounds intriguing! Thank you for the suggestion I will put it in my reading list to check it out!
Wow had no idea there were so many books written on Tea. Loved it
Thanks for sharing Julie!
One of my best friends loves tea and books. A book about tea would be a great present for her this Christmas. I will save your book list. Thank you for sharing.
I’m so glad you liked the list, Olga. These are truly the best books on tea, in my opinion, I’m sure your friend will be very happy to have any of them you choose as a present!
I love trying new tea flavors. Can’t believe there’s so much to tea that entire books have been written about it. Tea has really evolved over the years.
And this post contains only a handful of all the tea books of the world! I encourage you to make your own tea, a whole new world will open up for you, I assure you!
As a bookworm and tea addict, this was a really fun post to read!
You’ll find many sisters alike here, Noha, welcome!
I need ALL of these books! Love foraging, growing herbs but never think to make my own tea!
Foraging herbs for tea is the best! I’m glad you found some new ideas Amanda!
My husband is a tea lover! But his tea is good old souther sweet tea. He needs to read your post
Thanks for sharing Terra, save the page for Christmas time and you got yourself an easy gift idea for your husband!