Chapter Two: On Production

Tea picking takes place between Qing Ming and Guyu. Outstanding tea buds in tea bushes are picked just before the sun rises and the fog dismisses. When the bamboo container is filled with tea leaves it is taken back from the mountain. A thin layer of tea is spread on the ground and some workers are ordered to pick up the main veins, take away the stems and old leaves, because to keep old leaves will make tea red and to keep the stems will easily scorch the tea leaves.  First heat up the caldron then put in four liang tea buds and fry them, while continuously stirring the leaves with the hands, as to remove grassy smell. When the tea buds are near the point of cooking, roll them gently in the caldron. Then take them out and lay them on the bamboo tray, cool them down with the help of fans. After ten caldrons of tea are fried in this way, fry all of the tea together once again.  Fry and cool them down up to five times.  The tea will be jade green and formed as the hooks on a silkworm’s back, this is regarded as good quality tea. If tea is not fanned cool after being taken out of the caldron, the color of tea will definitely change. Tea made in autumn is called “autumn dew white” while that made in early winter is called “winter spring”. They have both good names and sweet tastes, their production is not less delicate than that of spring tea. Tea would be inferior with yellow leaves, when it is picked untimely, processed improperly, steamed in tea baskets, fried insufficiently or produced overnight. Since tea is a refined product made of plants, tea processing and its fire level is far more intricate than a writer’s capability can express. Therefore Luyu said “The skill of identifying the quality of tea is passed on orally.”  With which I fully agree.