The Story of Tea, the latest entry in the Planet Food series, explores the origins of tea and surrounding customs that have evolved over the centuries. Various youthful hosts visit countries including Britain, Sri Lanka, Japan, Malaysia, China, and Bangladesh, looking at the cultivation and culture of tea. The documentary assumes a lighthearted tone, with the correspondents sometimes making light of what they're covering, as when one of them says “it's only tea, folks” in a dismissive manner when noting the $300-an-ounce price of pu-erh, a rare, sublime variety that is fermented and aged. In another sequence, a woman visits a plantation, gaily tossing leaves into the air with smiling workers who otherwise labor long hours at the back-breaking task of harvesting. Other reporters sip along with English connoisseurs and investigate the elaborate rituals that are part of Japanese and Chinese tea ceremonies. Although often flip in tone, this is still a solid primer for those unfamiliar with the various types of tea and how it is drunk around the world. Recommended. Aud: P. (F. Gardner)
Planet Food: The Story of Tea
(2014) 60 min. DVD: $24.95. Globe Trekker (avail. from most distributors). PPR. ISBN: 1-937103-25-5. Volume 30, Issue 1
Planet Food: The Story of Tea
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