"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."
"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."
"Some praise tea that is glossy, black, and even — that is the lowest judgment. Some praise what is wrinkled, yellow, and uneven — that is a middling judgment. But to call everythi
"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."
"But in towns and noble households, if one of the twenty-four vessels is missing, the tea ceremony is spoiled."
"For tea bowls, those of Yuezhou are best, Dingzhou and Wuzhou next; of the Yuezhou type, Yue is finest, then Shouzhou and Hongzhou."
"Tea is gathered in the second, third, and fourth months."
"The stove should have no chimney; the cauldron should have a lipped rim."