Leaf Tea: Infusions, cold brews, sodas, frappàs and more

Unravel the history, sample the flavors, and experience the amazing versatility of the world's favorite brew and all its health-giving properties.

Tea expert Timothy d’Offay starts with the very basics with a section on water and tea tools to make brewing easier. Then, as well as traditional ways of making tea, he explores new brewing methods such as “Flow Brew”, which involves brewing one tea through another to create an infusion, and “Ambient Tea”, a way of making tea pair better with food. There is a “Cold Brew” chapter as well as one for delicious sparkling teas, called “Kitchen Colas”, which you can make in the comfort of your own home with tea and a few other natural ingredients. “Fresh Fruit Tea Quarters” are another new innovation, combining tea and fresh fruit juice to create a refreshing soft drink. In Leaf Tea there will be recipes to make the most of matcha and the other stoneground teas now available so you can learn to make tasty “Somersault” drinks—frappes, milkshakes and ice creams. So turn on your kettle, tune into tea culture and drop those tea bags for some of the best leaf tea experiences you can have.

Timothy d’Offay became fascinated by tea culture and tea growing while living in Japan’s ancient capital Kyoto, over 20 years ago. Using Japan as a base, he soon started to explore the tea traditions of Taiwan, Korea, and Hong Kong. In 2000, these experiences led him to co-found East Teas at Borough Market in London, UK, with the tea expert Alex Fraser and in 2008 he set up Postcard Teas, a high-end tea importing business with a store in London's exclusive Mayfair. His work involves traveling extensively across Asia to source and import some of the world's finest tea leaves.