“Before it became a drink, tea was a medicine,” writes Okakura Kakuzō in
The Book of Tea.
Included in the collection
The Little Books of Wisdom
,
by José J. de Olañeta editor (although there is now an illustrated edition by Isidro Ferrer in the Libros del Zorro Rojo publishing house).
The little book (as it is, its size fits in the palm of your hand) is one of the most beautiful essays on the world of this drink, halfway between a philosophy manual and an awakening to theistic religion.
“Theism is a cult based on the adoration of the beautiful amid the sordid facts of daily existence.
“It instills purity and harmony, the mystery of mutual charity, the romanticism of the social order.”
Without a doubt, this delicious book is one of the best tributes that have been made not only to the drink, its culture and history, but also to those who consume it.
“Tea is a work of art” and as such, you could say, there is really no single recipe to make a perfect one.
“The Taoists claimed that it was an important ingredient in the elixir of immortality, and the Buddhists consumed it in abundance to stay awake during the long hours of meditation,” the author points out, adding that “the philosophy of tea expresses, with its beauty, elegance and simplicity, a whole conception of man and nature.”
More information
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Beauty, elegance and simplicity.
Three fundamental ingredients to carry out the famous tea ceremony: “one of the most refined, sophisticated and distinctive disciplines of Japanese culture.
What began as a simple hobby (back in the 13th to 16th centuries), transformed into a popular pastime, an intimate spectacle, a meeting of connoisseurs of works of art and a religious path during early modernity (17th to 19th centuries). ", narrates researcher Ariel Stilerman in his book
The Hundred Poems of the Art of Tea
,
edited by Clásicos Satori.
“Over the centuries, tea has been the source of inspiration for several poets and, also, an essential social skill among the distinguished classes, until it became a path of reflection, meditation and self-knowledge and a way of preserving the legacy.” culture of traditional Japan,” the writer emphasizes.
Cover of the poetic essay 'The Book of Tea' (1906), by Kakuzō Okakura, illustrated by the National Illustration Prize winner Isidro Ferrer (Editorial Libros del Zorro Rojo).
The book is one of those
rare birds
that is perfect for those who like to have unique and beautiful copies in their home.
It is a compilation of the poems that are inscribed on the sliding doors of one of the rooms of the
Konnichi-an
temple in Kyoto (Japan).
Most of these verses are attributed to the tea ceremony guru, Sen no Rikyū
.
Read all of them in succession, they could be the best manual to learn how to make it and pay tribute to it:
“In the case of thick tea / the water must be very hot / and the tea / without bubbles / or lumps”
“In all cases, /how to make tea / is learned / by preparing over and over again / a cup of thick tea”
“When making a cup of tea / abandon weakness, / do it with strength;
/ but vulgarity / you must avoid it”
Woman performing tea ceremony, Kikukawa Eizan, c.
1820. Illustration included in 'The Hundred Poems of the Art of Tea', provided by the Satori publishing house. Gary Kirchenbauer / Cleveland Mu (Cleveland Museum of Art)
You could go around the world chasing a cup of tea.
At least, that's what Louise Cheadle and Nick Kilby, authors of The Book of Tea,
claim .
Cultivation, preparation, consumption, stories, recipes and much more,
edited by Blume.
The hardcover copy is really that: a trip around the world looking for the tradition and culture of this product.
“We drink to socialize with people, to calm ourselves, to provide us with energy, to calm a crisis and to hold a meeting,” say the authors.
In this book you will find curious things like that tea bags were a New York invention back in 1908;
that yerba mate, its rutabaga and the way of drinking it is much more than a habit, it is a religion, a hallmark;
that in Taiwan you drink with bubbles;
in Tibet they offer it beaten with yak butter and that in Siberia solid blocks of tea were used as currency until the 19th century, for example.
In Asian cuisines, tea is used in countless dishes as a flavoring and in herbalists the leaves are sold as remedies for
pains.
Perhaps to understand this, to know what each one is for, you should read the little book
Toning Drinks and Teas
.
Traditional and Modern Remedies
to Feel Great
(Blume) by Rachel de Thample.
In it you will discover that jasmine tea is perfect for relaxing the blood vessels around the eyes and muscles;
that Pu-erh is the best option to relieve the digestive system or that olive leaf tea is antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
Cover of 'Toning drinks and teas.
Traditional and modern remedies to feel great', by Rachel de Thample (Editorial Blume).
We could not close a selection of books on tea culture without mentioning the fashionable drink of the 21st century: kombucha
(
from 'Kombu', seaweed, and 'cha', tea).
Knowing about its history, curiosities and ways to prepare it, requires getting the book
Kombucha Revolution
.
Everything you need to know to make it at home,
by Sébastien Bureau and David Côté (Amat editorial).
In large format and soft cover and, to date, the most complete book on this fermented drink.
Sara Cucala is a writer,
filmmaker
and journalist specialized in gastronomy.
The creator of one of the first gastronomy and travel blogs, she has written numerous books, coordinated the culinary content of TVE's afternoon magazine and directed several films and documentaries.
She is founder and co-owner of the food bookstore and cooking school A Punto.
You can follow EL PAÍS Gastro
on
and
X.