"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 guan skewer is cut from bamboo, two and a half feet long, for stringing tea cakes to roast."
"The finest ginseng grows in Shangdang, middling in Baekje and Silla, and inferior in Goguryeo. That grown in Zezhou, Yizhou, Youzhou, and Tanzhou is useless as medicine — let alon
"Write it out on silk, in four or six panels, and place them by your seat — then the Origin, the Implements, the Making, the Vessels, the Brewing, the Drinking, the History, the Pr
"In Shannan Circuit, Xiazhou is best, Xiangzhou and Jingzhou next, and Hengzhou lowest."
"Gathering in shade and roasting by night is not true making; tasting and sniffing is not true judging; rank-smelling vessels are not true utensils; greasy fuel and kitchen charcoa
"When roasting the tea, beware of roasting over a windy ash-fire, where leaping flames make the heat uneven. Hold it near the fire and turn it again and again, until bumps rise lik
"For one sheng of boiling water, use one fangcun-spoon of tea powder. If you like it thin, reduce it; if you crave strength, increase it."
"The bamboo-shoot-like buds, growing in rich rocky soil, reach four or five inches, like young ferns just unfolding; they are picked while the morning dew is still on them."
"The zeng steamer is made of wood or earthenware, narrowed at the waist and sealed with clay. A bamboo tray serves as the grate, tied with bamboo strips. When steaming begins, the