Obsessives: Tea

Published on Tuesday, September 11, 2007, by Meredith Arthur and Eric Slatkin / Edit Post

Obsessives: Tea

By Meredith Arthur and Eric Slatkin

Tea: It’s so much more than a small afternoon pleasure. Connoisseur James Norwood Pratt puts tea in context, as not only “one of the world’s greatest handmade works of art,” but an antiwar palliative. Along the way, he weighs in on Starbucks, tea bags, and water quality.

This is a regular series called Obsessives, in which CHOW explores the worlds of singularly focused food-industry figures. These are the people with the dirty hands, answering detailed questions about the work they do.

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  • There's no sound for this video.

  • I totally agree with him, we'd be happier and less quarrelsome if we all drank more lovely delicious relaxing cups of tea! Tea is my life!

  • This gentleman is so amazing. And I like green tea.

    http://www.list-company.com/company/list/i180300-r/Food-Beverages.shtml

  • This guy is just great. I was sipping some jasmine tea while watching.

  • Having worked for a tea importer in my mid 20's, I recall the same spirit at a tea sampling that began each morning in preparation for the trading market.

    I wish more tea drinkers understood the important diff btwn buying tea dust and whole tea leaves.

    This video was very informative.

  • Don't forget the Brown Betty teapot. Perfect for making more than a single cup in the office. The below website is an example, but you can purchase them at many places.

    http://www.brownbettyteapot.com/

  • I picked up some new ways to talk about tea from this interview. "Most affordable luxury"...and his comparison of tea learning to lovemaking...classic! Great job. I wrote a post about the video to my readers today.

  • I loved this obsessive! Really interesting - I agree with itsolivia - he does need his own PBS special.

    Really excellent addition to an excellent series.

  • This man is amazing. I love this one!! He needs his own PBS show. Great voice. Great man. And I don't even drink tea that much. But I want to right now.

  • enjoyed the clips. loved the story ! might check his book out.

  • James Norwood Pratt!!! What a gentleman in the world of tea! Being new to the tea industry, I got to meet Mr. Norwood Pratt earlier this year...what a pleasure! He is very knowledgable and wise. And it is true- i think tea needs the same respect wine gets; tea is beyond Lipton and Tetley teabags!