"When the water first boils — with bubbles like fish eyes and a faint sound — that is the first boil. When bubbles rise along the rim like a linked string of spring pearls, that is
"In Huainan Circuit, Guangzhou is best, Yiyang and Shuzhou next, Shouzhou lower, and Qizhou and Huangzhou lowest."
"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."
"In the Search for the Supernatural: Xia Houkai died of illness; his kinsman Gou Nu, who could see spirits, watched him come to fetch his horse and afflict his wife. Wearing a flat
"The pestle and mortar, also called dui, are best when they have long been in constant use."
"When it first boils, with fish-eye bubbles and a faint sound, that is the first boil; when the rim seethes like linked pearls, the second; when it surges like waves, the third. Be
"Zuo Si's poem The Doting Daughters reads: 'Their hearts race for the tea, they puff and blow upon the tripod.'"
"The stove should have no chimney; the cauldron should have a lipped rim."
"If one takes qini in place of ginseng, none of the six ailments will be cured. Understand how ginseng may mislead, and the pitfalls of tea become clear."
"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