A new tea magazine: "Tea Lover's Handbook"

Last summer, I came across a new tea magazine, Tea Parties, that was published by the same folks who publish Woman's World and First for Women magazines. Well, I just found another new title by them at Barnes & Noble, Tea Lover's Handbook. And the cover says display until March 11, but B&N rebelled and had several copies on display on March 12, so I would suggest getting to a store ASAP if you'd like a copy!

I haven't even had time to read through the whole thing yet, but I could immediately tell that I would enjoy this issue. There are articles on different types of tea, and I think it's always a good idea to include that, especially for those new to the world of tea.

There's an article on Chinese Tea Culture, another topic I enjoy reading about.

But what really caught my eye? This piece on "The Use of Tea in Forming Political Alliances." I was intrigued to read, "During the Cold War era, tea played a significant role in diplomatic relations between countries. Nikita Krushchev, the leader of the Soviet Union, often opted for informal tea parties instead of stuffy meetings when interacting with foreign dignitaries, allowing for more unhindered conversations among world leaders." (The photo, by the way, is of Mao Zedong shaking hands with Richard Nixon, whom he is said to have gifted a small box of tea worth $200,000!)

Other articles in the magazine discuss the history of tea in the US and around the world, clipper ships, the British Empire, and more, so I think many of you would enjoy this issue too!