Infused: Adventures in Tea

I was not (note the past tense) a tea drinker, but I am a recovering foodie. It is fun reading about her hanging out with some of the uber celebrity chefs: Dan Barber, Gabriela Camara (EVERYTHING served at Contramar is a revelation), David Chang, and listen to this one - Noma chef flew her to Japan to do tea pairing when he moved Noma there for 6 weeks.Seriously.Even if you are not into food, you will appreciate her writing. Henrietta Lovell writes with such sensitivity and love. Her prose is beautiful. Her description of teas, the places they come from, the people who grow them, I got to be there and experience that world through her eyes and words, and what a beautiful world it is.It's interesting that I did try some of teas she mentioned in the past, like Silver Needle. Never noticed the sweetness until this book and therefore brewing it "the right way". In the book, every time she introduces a tea, she tells you what the right temperature and appropriate steeping time is. What a difference it makes.My mom is actually super into tea (we are Taiwanese) but somehow it never rubbed off on me growing up. Over the years, I get hand-me-down tea wares, as well as tea. Never bother to use them, nor drink them. But NOW, OMG. I have something to talk to her about when I call home. Everyone is happy.And oh, next time I am in London, so going to Claridges for tea.

This book is a must have for tea lovers. I have never enjoyed bagged tea and have thought that the tea they brew tastes more like the bag than the tea. Ms. Lovell confirms all my thoughts about tea and I learned a great deal as well. I have been brewing leaf tea for many years now and this book will help me to be even better at it. She is an expert that shares all of her knowledge and a great deal of joy. I hope to meet her someday, we have very similar tastebuds. I made her White Silver Tip Martini the day I started this book; It combines flavors that I love. Be sure to check out her website for tea and this book, I wish that I had, she is practically giving the book away with the purchase of six of her teas. I will be ordering from Rare Tea from now on, though I don't plan to give up on some others that I love. The main takeaway is to brew a cup at a time, it is not as weird or difficult as it may sound. The tea is unbeatable and it balances the tannins, so for me this means no more upset stomach. Read this book if you love good food and great tea.

Many aspects of this book appeal-the dust cover is exquisite and quite the invitation to the jewels inside. The multiple stories of the people in the tea industry, the vivid descriptions of the tea farms and the heartfelt intention of Henrietta, herself, to be a part of the drive to sustain the farmers is heartening.And then we have the tea descriptions-wow. One cannot walk through this book without gaining a sense of adventure, education and passion for something we most probably take for granted and have so little knowledge of.The book offers a blend of chemistry and science with art and the senses. The hard copy provides photographs of farms around the world. The audio book allows one to hear her melodic voice as she shares stories of the people and places.

I used this book to take an adventure in tea from my own chair. Also I used the information for brewing tea. Very helpful!

I picked this book up on a whim from the new release shelf at my public library. That impulse was life changing, as it led me to teas far superior to the ones I formerly enjoyed. An eye opener! I purchased a copy for my nightstand. I love to return to it when making the difficult decision of what tea to try next.

Este es un maravilloso viaje por el mundo del té que nos enseña a apreciarlo y prepararlo así como a apoyar los cultivadores y a valorar sus esfuerzos para producir tés de calidad

If we take the time to consider the tea we drink, there are stories inside our cups . In this wonderful book, Henrietta Lovell artfully shares the best stories from hers.

Love all the details around the people and communities who protect the craft of growing and producing the highest quality teas.

This is a glorious memoir from Henrietta Lovell aka The Tea Lady- who has experienced many adventures whilst journeying the world searching for the best teas and happiness. Halfway through, she writes "I'd forgive you for reading about tea and not being moved." However, I WAS moved by so many of her descriptions & stories and I found myself agreeing wholeheartedly with her mission. "Proper tea to make the heart glad, so that all is not lost when all seems lost".

This book is steeped in fascinating facts about what seems like an ordinary but is actually an extraordinary drink that powers us through our days. Henrietta is founder of The Rare Tea Company and her travels have taken her all over the world on great adventures in her quest to bring us ‘good and proper tea’. I am a Rare Tea customer and loved reading the stories but there’s also lots of fun stuff about her work with bucket-list hotels and restaurants like Chateau Marmont and NOMA. Brew a pot if your favourite tea, sit down and look forward to a great read.

Brilliant book - adventure, biography and fascinating insights into tea. From the best around when it comes to high quality tea, the book shares Henrietta’s expertise, love and passion for tea along with her own story. It’s personal & moving and I would defy anyone to read it and not feel compelled to have their own adventures and try some of her beautiful teas.

Even if you think you’re not interested in tea this book is a gift of a read. It’s written beautifully with great humanity and humour. I found myself rationing it a chapter at a time, each one a treat ... transported along on the adventure ... a joyful escape from our current confinement!

What a lovely read. Reads like you are there with Henrietta and you will want to make some of her lovely tea, if you can put the book down. Absolutely loved it.