When John Harney founded his family tea business in 1983 in the sleepy northwest corner of Connecticut, many of the country’s most renowned restaurants still served commercial tea bags, and chefs had yet to discover tea’s culinary charms. Slowly but surely, public consensus turned toward John’s philosophy—that fine teas, in all their diversity, are as compelling as wine.

“Now restaurants have tea sommeliers,” says Paul Harney, John’s youngest son, who creates tea-and-food pairings, custom tea blends, and even the occasional tea cocktails for restaurants. His inspiration? The artisanal tea leaves his brother Michael, the company’s official tea taster, hunts down on his world travels across China, Taiwan, India, Africa, and Japan during spring tea harvest. “There’s such variety these days,” he says, noting that the Harneys carry more than 200 teas in their catalog and shop.

At home, the Harneys take their love of tea into the kitchen, where it adds exotic intrigue to marinades, spice crusts, batters—you name it. John and Joanna Pruess, a chef and longtime friend, partnered to write a book combining John’s exhaustive knowledge of tea with a creative collection of recipes flavored with tea.

The recipes in “Steeped in Tradition” are from Eat Tea: Savory and Sweet Dishes Flavored with the World’s Most Versatile Ingredient, by Joanna Pruess with John Harney (The Lyons Press, 2001; $20).