I first made the acquaintance of Per Oscar Brekell after several tea friends met him on a tea tour to Japan. I just had to order it when I heard that he was publishing a bilingual book called The Book of Japanese Tea. Stay tuned at the end of the review for a quick guide to getting a copy of your own!
This is slim volume is packed with information. Oscar starts by defining Japanese tea and explaining the volatile compounds that cause us to experience aromas in tea. I’m seeing this discussed in tea books more and more lately and I am very glad to see it. When I first got into tea, I don’t think anyone in the west even knew of the existence of these compounds or their roles.
He then dives into the different types of Japanese teas. There is a handy flow chart that shows how the teas are classified and how they relate to each other. The insights into aracha processing are very useful. Most tea books that I’ve read did not mention much more than the steaming of the leaves. Blending and tea evaluation are also given their due.
The part of this book that really grabbed my attention was the lineage of selected Japanese cultivars. It is color-coded for taste and flavor characteristics. Nerdy tea charts make me so happy! This is definitely not information that I have seen elsewhere, other than the writing of fellow tea blogger Ricardo at My Japanese Green Tea.
While I have some knowledge of Japan’s growing regions, the section on geography was really eye-opening. Oscar shows a clear differentiation between tea grown in mountainous areas versus tea grown in flatter regions. The maps enabled me to visualize a place that I have never been to. The book finishes with a guide to brewing Japanese teas. I especially enjoyed the cold brewing directions and discussion of the RTD tea beverages.
This book has something for everyone. I will definitely be adding this to my tea reference library, especially for the sections on cultivars and geography.
You can find this book on Amazon Japan here.
Have you ever read The Book of Japanese Tea? Let me know about it in the comments below!
How to Order
When you first get to Amazon Japan, scroll down to the bottom and click on the globe icon. Change the language to English. You should then be able to check out as you usually would. You will need to sign up for a new account, even if you have a regular Amazon.com account. The book itself was about $14 after the exchange rate and shipping was just under $9. I could not believe how quickly it arrived at my home here in NJ. I’ve waited much longer for domestic packages from Amazon!