Chapter V · The Brewing: Words and things — The finest powder is fine as rice-grains; the inferior is…
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The passage
“The finest powder is fine as rice-grains; the inferior is coarse as water-chestnuts.”
Words and things
The words around “The finest powder is fine as rice-grains; the inferior is…” are a small map of Tang tea culture: names of plants, tools, places, and processes often carry a whole classification system.
When a term has no exact modern equivalent, do not force it. Compare it with the closest tool or tea type you know, then note what changes.
A vocabulary notebook is one of the simplest ways to read the Classic of Tea closely.
Reading note
Read the passage once for the image, once for the judgment, and once for the practice it implies.
Practice
- Name one thing the passage asks you to notice.
- Compare it with a tea you know.
- Keep the question open.