T Ching Contributing Writer

James Norwood Pratt published his first book on tea in 1982 and is widely acknowledged as an instigator and prophet of America’s present tea renaissance. With numerous columns, articles and interviews in overseas tea periodicals and books which have been translated into French, German, Czech and Chinese, he is perhaps the world’s most widely read author on the subject today.

He was made Honorary Director of America’s first traditional Chinese tea house, was instrumental in creating APTI (precursor of the current Specialty Tea Institute), has been editor-in-chief of two tea magazines, and leads tea tours to China and India. In 2005 he was chosen International Juror in India’s first-ever tea competition. His entertaining talks and tea classes reach growing audiences each year and James Norwood Pratt’s “New Tea Lover’s Treasury” — his now classic “bible of tea” — remains the most comprehensive compendium on tea in English. Besides his “International Tea Dictionary” for the tea trade, his works in progress include “All About Black Tea: For those who’ve given tea a thought but not a try.” T Ching has previewed selected excerpts.

Posts by James Norwood Pratt

Blast From the Past: The Era of the Clipper Ship (1/19/2018)
Back Seven: Meet Rajah Banerjee (9/26/2014)
Darjeeling Teas (12/18/2013)
Anna the Duchess of Bedford and the Japanese tea ceremony (Part 4 of 4) (12/8/2009)
Anna the Duchess of Bedford and the Japanese tea ceremony (Part 3 of 4) (12/1/2009)
Anna the Duchess of Bedford and the Japanese tea ceremony (Part 2 of 4) (11/24/2009)
Anna the Duchess of Bedford and the Japanese tea ceremony (Part 1 of 4) (11/17/2009)
The oolong tea ritual: Part 3 of 3 (11/10/2009)
The oolong tea ritual: Part 2 of 3 (11/3/2009)
The oolong tea ritual (Part 1 of 3) (10/27/2009)
The Green Tea ritual (Part 2 of 2) (10/20/2009)
The Green Tea Ritual (Part 1 of 2) (10/13/2009)
The Black Tea Ritual (Part 2 of 2) (10/6/2009)
The Black Tea Ritual (Part 1 of 2) (9/29/2009)
How to decaffeinate tea (9/22/2009)
Steeping Time (9/15/2009)
Amount of Dry Leaf (9/8/2009)
A Word on Kettles (9/1/2009)
Water Temperature (8/25/2009)
Water (8/18/2009)
A Dissertation on Making Tea (8/11/2009)
Barks, Tonics, Decoctions, Infusions, and Tisanes (8/4/2009)
O’Clock, Proprietary, and Royal Teas (7/28/2009)
More on Earl Grey and Other Famous Names (7/21/2009)
Earl Grey and Other Famous Names (7/14/2009)
English and Other Breakfast Teas (7/7/2009)
Teas of the Americas, Australia, and Elsewhere (6/30/2009)
Teas of Vietnam and Southeast Asia (6/16/2009)
Teas of Africa (6/9/2009)
Teas of Indonesia (6/2/2009)
Maturata, Uda-Pusselawa, Haputalle, and Badulla (5/26/2009)
Uva (5/19/2009)
Nuwara Eliya (5/12/2009)
Dimbulla (5/5/2009)
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) (4/28/2009)
India’s Other Teas (4/21/2009)
Nilgiri (4/14/2009)
Darjeeling – Part 3 (4/7/2009)
Darjeeling – Part 2 (3/31/2009)
Assam (3/17/2009)
Teas of India – A Word on Those Initials in Tea Names (3/10/2009)
Teas of India (3/3/2009)
Formosa Oolong (2/24/2009)
Jade and Amber Oolong (2/17/2009)
Teas of Taiwan (2/10/2009)
Bancha, Kukicha, Hojicha and Genmaicha (2/3/2009)
Sencha (1/27/2009)
Gyokuro (1/20/2009)
Teas of Japan (1/13/2009)
Scented Teas – Part 2 (1/6/2009)
Scented Teas – Part 1 (12/30/2008)
Pu-Er (12/23/2008)
Yunnan – Among the Grandest of the World’s Black Teas (12/16/2008)
Keemun – Splendor of Flavor and Perfume (12/9/2008)
China Black (12/2/2008)
Shuixian and Fenghuang Dancong (11/25/2008)
Tieh Kuan Yin (Ti Quan Yin) (11/18/2008)
take time to read! two book reviews (11/11/2008)
Bohea (Wuyi) (10/28/2008)
Oolong (Wu-lung) (10/21/2008)
Bai-cha (10/14/2008)
Green Tea: Maojian and Yunwu (10/7/2008)
Green Tea: Huangshan Mao Feng and Guapian (9/30/2008)
Green Tea: Biluochun (9/23/2008)
Green Tea: Dragon Well (Longjing or Lung Ching) (9/16/2008)
Green Tea (Lu-Cha): Eyebrow and Gunpowder (9/9/2008)
Teas of China – Introduction (9/2/2008)
The Treasury (8/26/2008)
The Way Things Are Now (8/19/2008)
The Good News – Part 2 (8/12/2008)
The Good News – Part 1 (8/5/2008)
Teas of the World Today (7/29/2008)
The Ruin of China – Part 2 (7/22/2008)
The Ruin of China – Part 1 (7/15/2008)
Sir Tea – Part 2 (7/8/2008)
Sir Tea – Part 1 (7/1/2008)
Black Tea Takes Over – Part 2 (6/24/2008)
Black Tea Takes Over – Part 1 (6/17/2008)
Serendipity – Part 2 (6/10/2008)
Serendipity – Part 1 (6/3/2008)
The Advent of Machinery – Part 2 (5/27/2008)
The Advent of Machinery – Part 1 (5/20/2008)
A Tea Martyr (5/13/2008)
The Assam Company – Part 2 (5/6/2008)
The Assam Company – Part 1 (4/29/2008)
The Adventures of Robert Fortune, Esq. – Part 2 (4/22/2008)
The Adventures of Robert Fortune, Esq. – Part 1 (4/15/2008)
The Struggles of Charles Bruce (4/8/2008)
John Company Conquers India – Part 2 (4/1/2008)
John Company Conquers India – Part 1 (3/25/2008)
The Secret’s Out: The Discovery of Tea in India – Part 2 (3/18/2008)
The Secret’s Out: The Discovery of Tea in India – Part 1 (3/11/2008)
The Great Tea Race – Part 4 (3/4/2008)
The Great Tea Race – Part 3 (2/26/2008)
The Great Tea Race – Part 2 (2/19/2008)
The Great Tea Race – Part 1 (2/12/2008)
The Era of the Clipper Ship – Part 2 (2/5/2008)
The Era of the Clipper Ship – Part 1 (1/29/2008)
The Trade in England – Part 3 (1/22/2008)
The Trade in England – Part 2 (1/15/2008)
The Trade in England – Part 1 (1/8/2008)
Foreign Mud – Part 4 (1/1/2008)
Foreign Mud – Part 3 (12/25/2007)
Foreign Mud – Part 2 (12/18/2007)
Foreign Mud – Part 1 (12/11/2007)
The China Trade: Foreign Devils and Pidgin English – Part 4 (11/27/2007)
The China Trade: Foreign Devils and Pidgin English – Part 3 (11/20/2007)
The China Trade: Foreign Devils and Pidgin English – Part 2 (11/13/2007)
The China Trade: Foreign Devils and Pidgin English – Part 1 (11/6/2007)
An Empire Brewed From Tea Leaves – Part 3 (10/30/2007)
Meet Rajah Banerjee (10/25/2007)
An Empire Brewed From Tea Leaves – Part 2 (10/23/2007)
An Empire Brewed From Tea Leaves – Part 1 (10/16/2007)
“…We Have Renounced Tea…” (10/9/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Colonial America – Part 3 (10/2/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Colonial Tea Parties – Part 2 (9/25/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Colonial Tea Parties – Part 1 (9/18/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Taxation Without Representation – Part 2 (9/11/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Taxation Without Representation – Part 1 (9/4/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Colonial America – Part 2 (8/28/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Colonial America – Part 1 (8/21/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Bootleg Tea – Part 3 (8/14/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Bootleg Tea – Part 2 (8/7/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Bootleg Tea – Part 1 (8/1/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Porcelain Ballast – Part 4 (7/24/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Porcelain Ballast – Part 3 (7/17/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Porcelain Ballast – Part 2 (7/10/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Porcelain Ballast – Part 1 (7/3/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: The Lexicographer – Part 2 (6/26/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: The Lexicographer – Part 1 (6/19/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Coffeehouse and Tea Garden – Part Four (6/12/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Coffeehouse and Tea Garden – Part Three (5/29/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Coffeehouse and Tea Garden – Part Two (5/22/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Coffeehouse and Tea Garden – Part One (5/15/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Holland is First – Part Two (5/8/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Holland is First – Part One (5/1/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Tea Reaches England At Last – Part Three (4/24/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Tea Reaches England At Last – Part Two (4/17/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Tea Reaches England At Last – Part One (4/10/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: John Company – Part Three (4/3/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: John Company – Part Two (3/27/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: John Company – Part One (3/20/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Mandarin and Muscovite – Part 3 (3/13/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Mandarin and Muscovite – Part 2 (3/6/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Mandarin and Muscovite – Part 1 (2/27/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: The Reception in Europe – Part 2 (2/20/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: The Reception in Europe – Part 1 (2/13/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Rumors of Tea – Part 2 (2/6/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Rumors of Tea – Part 1 (1/30/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Border Tea – Part 2 (1/23/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: Border Tea – Part 1 (1/16/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: In Japan – Part 8 (1/9/2007)
Tuesdays With Norwood: In Japan – Part 7 (12/26/2006)
Tuesdays With Norwood: In Japan – Part 6 (12/19/2006)
Tuesdays With Norwood: In Japan – Part 5 (12/12/2006)
Tuesdays With Norwood: In Japan – Part 4 (12/5/2006)
Tuesdays With Norwood: In Japan – Part 3 (11/28/2006)
Tuesdays With Norwood: In Japan – Part 2 (11/21/2006)
Tuesdays With Norwood: In Japan – Part 1 (11/14/2006)
In the Beginning: Tang, Song and Mongol – Part 3 (10/24/2006)
In the Beginning: Tang, Song and Mongol – Part 2 (10/16/2006)
In the Beginning: Tang, Song and Mongol – Part 1 (10/4/2006)
In the beginning: Tea as Buddhist Communion (9/26/2006)
In the Beginning: Lu YÃ¼ and the Ch’a Ching (9/20/2006)
In the Beginning (9/12/2006)
All About Black Tea: Auctioning – an excerpt (8/18/2006)