"Tea is a fine and noble tree of the South. It may stand one or two feet tall, or reach many dozens of feet. In the mountain gorges of Bashan, there are trees so thick that two men
"In Huainan Circuit, Guangzhou is best, Yiyang and Shuzhou next, Shouzhou lower, and Qizhou and Huangzhou lowest."
A close reading of Chapter VII · The History
"The finest powder is fine as rice-grains; the inferior is coarse as water-chestnuts."
"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."