"Wang Meng of Jin loved tea, and pressed it on every visitor; the officials dreaded it, and whenever they meant to call they would say, 'Today we must suffer the water-calamity.'"
"Tea has nine difficulties: the making, the judging, the vessels, the fire, the water, the roasting, the grinding, the brewing, and the drinking."
"Beyond this, the water is old and cannot be drunk."
"The fu cauldron is made of raw iron. Its inner mold is clay, so the inside is smooth and easy to scour; its outer mold is sand, so the outside is rough and endures the flame."
"Tea is gathered in the second, third, and fourth months."
"The ying — also called lan, long, or ju — is woven of bamboo. It holds five sheng, or one, two, three dou; the tea picker carries it on the back when gathering leaves."
"It has five names: cha, jia, she, ming, and chuan."
"In Zhexi Circuit, Huzhou is best, Changzhou next, and Xuanzhou, Hangzhou, Muzhou, and Shezhou lower."
"Shennong's Classic of Food says: 'Long use of cha and ming makes a person strong and gladens the spirit.'"
"Tea is frugal by nature; it should not be used too lavishly, for overuse dims its flavor."