"For the fire, charcoal is best, and sturdy firewood next. Charcoal that has been used for roasting, stained with fat and rankness, as well as resinous wood and rotten utensils, mu
"On rainy days do not pick; on clear days with clouds do not pick; only on perfectly clear days pick."
"The pestle and mortar, also called dui, are best when they have long been in constant use."
"Those planted without firm rooting rarely flourish. The method is like growing melons: after three years the leaves may be gathered."
"In Qianzhong, teas of Enzhou, Bozhou, Feizhou, and Yizhou are only occasionally obtained, yet their flavor is excellent."
"When Emperor Hui of Jin, fleeing in the dust, returned to Luoyang, the eunuch presented tea in an earthen bowl to the Son of Heaven."
"As a beverage, tea began with Shennong, the Divine Farmer, and became known through the Duke of Zhou of Lu."
"Ladle it with a gourd into the bowls, so that the foam is evenly divided. The foam — the froth — is the flower of the soup."
"From picking to sealing there are seven processes; from barbarian boots to frosted lotus there are eight grades."
"The bei drying-pit is dug two feet deep, two and a half feet wide, and one zhang long. Above it a low wall two feet high is built and plastered with clay."