A little while ago, I managed to come up with ten book and tea pairings – different types of tea I recommend for specific books! The full list is available as a PDF for friends on my newsletter, but I thought I’d share three pairings here today!
Mystery: Death in Kew Gardens by Jennifer Ashley paired with Da Hong Pao tea
I adore all the books in the Below Stairs series, starring the talented cook Kat Holloway. Kat is not only a great cook, her generous heart often brings her into mysteries where she frequently runs into her friend-and-maybe-something-more, Daniel MacAdam. In Death in Kew Gardens, Kat’s attempt to help a Chinese scholar results in a gift of precious tea. And when her new friend is accused of murder, Kat is determined to help him clear his name.
Tea is featured prominently in this novel and I can’t imagine what else to drink while reading this. Li Bai Chang, a scholar and Kat’s friend, is from the Wuyi region, famed for their quality of teas. There are many types of wonderful Wuyi teas, but one of the most famous is Da Hong Pao (literally, “Big Red Robe”). This is a smooth and flavourful tea and I like to think that this is what Kat was gifted.
Historical Fiction: Silence by Shusaku Endo paired with Kukicha
Silence is a deeply moving and emotionally difficult (but rewarding) work centred around the persecution of Japanese Christians in 17th century Japan. Father Rodrigues illegally enters the country to bring hope to the Christian community but finds his own faith increasingly tested as he sees the suffering that they undergo.
This book made a huge impact on me and is one of the key reasons why I chose to study in Japan. It’s hard to choose which Japanese tea to pair with Silence, but I’m opting for kukicha, a sweet, nutty tea made from the stems and twigs of the tea plant. It is not the highest grade of Japanese tea out there, but it’s a popular and commonly found tea that, I feel, is closer to the ordinary Japanese in the novel than the highest grade of matcha or gyokuro.
Nonfiction: Billion Dollar Whale by Tom Wright and Bradley Hope paired with Teh Tarik
Billion Dollar Whale is the true and shocking story about how one man conned a nation. Through the 1MDB Fund, Jho Low managed to funnel Crazy Rich Asian levels of money to him and his cronies. Although I was aware of the whole saga when it happened, I didn’t appreciate the extent of the con until I read this book.
Although Billion Dollar Whale takes place world-wide, as money is funnelled through different banks and into Hollywood, it all originates in Malaysia, which is why I’d recommend pairing this with teh tarik. Teh tarik is a local milk tea popular in Singapore and Malaysia. One characteristic of teh tarik is that it has to be “pulled” (which is “tarik” in Malay) before it’s served. It’s pretty amazing to see experts pour the milk tea from one cup to another without spilling a drop – definitely not for beginners to try unless you’re willing to risk getting tea all over you!
Read my full review.
Do you have any specific books that you’d like tea pairings for? Let me know and I’ll try my best to come up with a tea recommendation! And if you’d like the rest of my book & tea pairings, you can get the full PDF by signing up to my newsletter.
