The Book of Herbal Teas: A Guide to Gathering, Brewing, and Drinking [Hardcover]

Sara Perry (Author), Christopher Irion (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1996

Soothing chamomile. Refreshing peppermint. Tangy rose hips. Prized since ancient times for their medicinal properties, herbal teasÑmellow, flavorful, and aromaticÑare enjoying a modern renaissance. The Book of Herbal Teas presents lovingly detailed profiles of 40 popular herbs and spices for making tea, complete with everything tea lovers need to know to grow, gather, blend, and brew them at home. Here, too, are tips on how to use their gentle healing powers to brighten a mood, ease a cold or flu, or bring deep, relaxing sleep. Suffused with a fascinating blend of history and lore and illustrated with lovely photographs, this charming and comprehensive volume offers a refreshing new take on enjoying favorite herbal teas to the fullest.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

For The Book of Herbal Teas, the title tells all. It does not, however, convey the calm and engaging tone of this modest yet comprehensive and refreshingly illustrated volume. The heart of the book is a compendium of everything worth knowing about the 40 most common herbs and other plants used to make tea. Along with botanical and medicinal information, Sara Perry provides a treasure trove of cultural and historical background for each plant. The book provides guidance for growing your own herbs in the garden or indoors, for buying fresh herbs, and for wildcrafting. After explaining decoctions and infusions, Perry also suggests how to use herbs for decorative, cosmetic, and culinary purposes. Paired with a bouquet of herbs or boxes of herbal tea, this book makes an appealing gift.

About the Author

Sara Perry is the author of The Complete Tea Book, Summertime Treats, Christmastime Treats, and Great Gingerbread, all from Chronicle Books. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Christopher Irion is a San Francisco-based photographer.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; 1ST edition (November 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811813371
• ISBN-13: 978-0811813372
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 7.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #634,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Encourages creativity, November 28, 2003

By 

merrymousies (Waterford, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Herbal Teas: A Guide to Gathering, Brewing, and Drinking (Hardcover)

This is a really neat book - it starts out with the history of tea and definitions of different "tea speak" like infusion versus decoction etc. Then it talks to growing/finding and harvesting your own herbs. Then it talks to how to prepare tea and then there are a few recipes. I was expecting more recipes but there are some nice lists that you can just figure out the ratios yourself. For example there's a list of two-herb blends (e.g. bergamot and sweet cecely, chamomile and apple mint etc) - the point of these lists is to give you the basics you need to get more adventurous and create more of your own blends. There are lists for three-herb blends too. The recipes are for more complicated things like making a chai, or making specific teas (there are about 6 recipes like that which are good). Then there are recipes for syrups etc too. The last 50 pages or so are all about the herbs themselves, telling you which parts to use and text on taste, special propoerties, how to grow & harvest that specific herb, and more. Its really a great book. As I mentioned I had expected a book of just recipes but this book is different (and ultimately better I think) in that it gives you the information and some of the baby steps to actually create your own tea blends. Its a lot of fun. Definitely recommend it for anyone who enjoys playing around with herbs, ghrows and herb garden or just loves teas.

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reading about herbal teas, a soothing adventure, December 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Book of Herbal Teas: A Guide to Gathering, Brewing, and Drinking (Hardcover)

Not only is this a lovely book to look at, it is a pleasure to read. Author Sara Perry combines her penchant for research, testing and detail with her calm, gracious writing style. A read through of her herbal tea book is a soothing adventure. Brew a fragrant cuppa and enjoy. Next year, enjoy tea made from the herbs and recipes Sara inspires us to create!

5.0 out of 5 stars great book, January 13, 2011

By 

B.W. - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Book of Herbal Teas: A Guide to Gathering, Brewing, and Drinking (Hardcover)

This book is great in every way. It is well laid out, the photos are well done and inviting and the book is also easy to follow and very helpful. I enjoy not only the recipes but also the information provided so that I can explore my own concoctions. A great book to look at enjoy and read, perhaps while drinking a cup of tea?