Documentary photographer Michael Freeman and tea expert Timothy d'Offay explore the terroir, taste and culture of the world's favorite drink. This journey to the world's finest teas, captured in extraordinary photography, brings alive the aroma, taste and texture of this drink in all its many nuances, and will give connoisseurs and casual readers alike a much deeper understanding of how great tea is created. It includes sections on botany, cultivation, processing methods and the impact tea has had, and continues to have, on culture. The Life of Tea also follows Michael and Timothy's travels in China, Japan, India and Sri Lanka, featuring the producers of some of the world's finest teas and the characteristics that make these teas so sought after. This book is the ultimate guide for tea enthusiasts, following the journey from plantation to pot.