Chapter VI · The Drinking: Words and things — As a beverage, tea began with Shennong, the Divine Farmer…
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The passage
“As a beverage, tea began with Shennong, the Divine Farmer, and became known through the Duke of Zhou of Lu.”
Words and things
The words around “As a beverage, tea began with Shennong, the Divine Farmer…” 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.