Zach Mangan didn’t expect to encounter a camera crew when he showed up for his first day of work at a Japanese tea shop in Manhattan years ago. But there they were, eager to film an interview with the cafe’s manager for a Japanese TV show.
But when they saw Mangan, the plan changed, and he became their focal subject. The crew was interested in the idea of capturing a non-Japanese perspective, and Mangan could be the one to provide it. The cafe manager was nervous about letting Mangan take the interview, since he had not even begun training yet, but Mangan was confident he could handle it. He had done his research to prepare for the new job, and he had memorized details of the whole menu. The film crew shot a thorough interview with Mangan in one clean take.
This anecdote is among Mangan’s favorites as he reflects on his personal history in the tea industry, and he has included it in his new book, Stories of Japanese Tea: The Regions, the Growers, and the Craft. The book was released yesterday from Princeton Architectural Press.
Mangan is the founder of Kettl, a company selling and serving Japanese teas since the 2010s, with offices in Brooklyn, New York and Fukuoka, Japan. He co-owns Kettl with his wife, Minami. It’s a priority for the Mangans to highlight the relationships between Kettl and its tea producers, which was one of the major inspirations for the book, Stories of Japanese Tea.
“We’re super lucky to be able to feature [the producers’] products here in the States, but I want people to see … that our company is founded on these relationships,” said Mangan. “Our success is their success. The more success Kettl sees, the more opportunities there are for those growers.”
Storytelling is a big part of Kettl’s identity, whether in print or other media. Holding transparency in esteem, Mangan thinks customers should have access to information about where their tea comes from, and who grows it. He sees Kettl not just as a mechanism for selling products, but as a conductor of stories from the tea fields.
Kettl has hosted roundtables on Zoom and Instagram Live sessions to form a bridge between its producers in Japan and its customers in the United States. At Kettl’s cafe in Brooklyn, customers can take in the smells and sounds of tea leaves being roasted as houjicha or ground into matcha on site. It’s more meaningful to experience those processes firsthand than just to hear about them as abstract concepts, Mangan said.
But those who aren’t able to get to Japan or Brooklyn can at least get a taste of the tea world by reading Stories of Japanese Tea.
The book’s chapters cover a range of topics, including the history of tea in Japan, seasonality and tea’s health benefits. Some of the chapters take an in-depth look at a particular product, such as sencha, matcha or gyokuro, with interviews and insight from expert growers who specialize in that type of tea. Photos and design are also key elements of the book.
Mangan hopes the new book will serve as a resource to satisfy the curiosity he has seen from customers and other tea industry professionals. The book can also appeal to readers who are relatively unfamiliar with tea but interested in travel to Japan or other adjacent topics.
Readers can also expect to get a clear picture of what tea means to Mangan and others in Kettl’s collaborative community. For them, tea is much more than a mere commodity.
“[Japanese tea] is almost not a drink. It’s like a life force. When I drink it, I feel completely satiated,” Mangan said. “It’s nourishment for me.”Stories of Japanese Tea is available now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books-A-Million.
To learn more about Kettl, visit Kettl.co.
Cat Kerr has supported local cafes in Orlando, Fla., as a public relations manager and barista since 2018. She is a full-time communications professional with a background in news writing and a student of Japanese language and culture. She’s also an occasional contributor to World Tea News and Bar & Restaurant.
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