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Institute for Cancer Prevention, American Health Foundation, Valhalla, New York
Global Advances in Tea Science. N. K. Jain, ed. New Delhi: Aravali Books International, 882 pp, 1999.
As the title of this book implies, its content extends over 882 pages on topics relevant to factors having to do with varied aspects of tea, worldwide an important beverage. In the USA, hot tea is consumed by about 36% of men and 64% of women, more in the northeast than in other parts of the USA. On the other hand, ice tea is consumed equally by both men and women, and most of it is drunk in the South.
Tea was discovered about 4,000 years BC in China, which during processing turned out to be green tea. Subsequently, tea was discovered in Assam Province of Northern India, and this product was manufactured to yield black tea.
There are 84 authors and co-authors. The initial chapter deals with the science and technology of the tea industry in various producing countries in Asia, in Africa, in Australia, in Southern Russia and in Argentina. Another series of chapters comment on technology transfer. The economic aspects of the world tea industry are covered in nine chapters, including four dealing with human health. An important area discusses tea production as regards the agricultural aspects and botany of tea, as well as the technology associated with tea in various countries.
A series of individual chapters comment on tea chemistry, especially tea aroma, chemicals and flavor. Tea processing of green, oolong and black tea and the non-beverage applications of tea products are reviewed. Production of organic teas are described. It is true that the tea plant and tea leaves are mostly resistant to insects and, thus, do not usually require many pesticides. Yet there are regulations in various countries about pesticide application and the resulting content maximum of the tea to be marketed with such contaminants.
The book contains beautiful colored illustrations of tea plantations and the cultivating areas, of tea production factories, or the tea auctions involved in marketing tea. There are photographs featuring various tea products as well as tea beverages.
There is a comprehensive subject index of 20 pages, permitting the rapid location of chapters or topics of interest. Anyone concerned with tea in its many aspects, from the tea plant in the world to tea as a beverage and its health effects, can find it in this important monograph. Specialists in food and nutrition will find this a valuable resource. After all, nutrition means to inquire not only about foods to be consumed as solids, but also beverages that are drunk.
Incidentally, one chapter in the monograph on tea in Japan was provided by Dr. Y. Hara, who recently published a small book of 252 pages (M. Dekker, 2001) dealing with tea, with emphasis on health benefits and applications.
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