The lower gorge water of the eastern slope
Zhang Dafu, an essayist of the Ming Dynasty, said: "Tea will come from water." Eight points of tea, ten points in water, tea is also very good. Eight points of water, ten points of tea, tea only eight points of ears. Poor people are not easy to make tea, especially rare water. This description is simple and straightforward, and the wonderful story of "tea originating in water" in history is the story of "Wang Anshi San difficult Su Bachelor" recorded in volume III of the vernacular novel "Warning World Circular" of The same Ming Dynasty Feng Menglong.
In the Cautionary Tale. Volume III has this wonderful description: Jing Gong (Wang Anshi) ordered two officials waiting for the hall to carry the water urn into the study. Jing Gongqin wiped with his sleeve, and the paper seal was opened. Simmer in the tea stove and cook it with silver water. First take a white bowl and throw a handful of Yang Envy tea inside. The soup is like a crab eye, rushing up and pouring in, and its brown color is half-seen. Jing Gong asked, "Where did you get this water?" Dongpo said, "Wuxia." Jing Gong said, "It's the Middle Gorge." Dongpo said, "Exactly." Jing Gong laughed and said, "I'm here to deceive the old man again!" This is the water of the lower gorge, how to pseudonym the middle gorge? Dongpo was horrified, saying that the natives said, "The Three Gorges are connected, generally like water", "The late students misheard, but they actually took the water of the gorge!" How can the old lady discern? Jing Gong said, "Readers... The water nature of this Qu Pond is derived from the "Supplementary Notes on the Water Classics". The water in the upper gorge is too urgent, and the lower gorge is too slow. However, the middle gorge is half as slow and urgent. Tai Hospital Gong is a Ming doctor, knowing that the old man is a disease of the middle, so he uses the water of the Middle Gorge to guide the scriptures. This water cooks Yang envy tea, between the strong taste of the upper gorge, the light taste of the lower gorge, and the thick and light of the middle gorge. Imami brown half-baked, so I know it is a gorge. ”
Let's examine why the water in the lower gorge of the eastern slope does not stimulate tea properties? Wang Anshi mentioned in the "Supplementary Notes on the Water Classic": "The water in the upper gorge is too urgent, and the lower gorge is too slow. But the middle gorge is half as slow and urgent.". The real reason for the inner is that the water quality of the three sections of the Three Gorges is different, as the water used for tea therapy should be rich in minerals and oxygen, and the water in the Middle Gorge is recommended by the doctors should also be considered in this regard, at the same time, it must be recognized that the ancient people took into account the principle of the five elements of the five elements. In our usual tea brewing practice, the choice of water is very important, usually mineral water is suitable for brewing tea, and stimulate tea, but the mineral content is too high but not necessarily good, on the contrary, pure water without minerals and distilled water is not suitable for tea, tea quality, tea aroma, taste and other tea stimulation is not helpful, which is why the ancients believed that "tea nature must originate in water".
Wang Anshi and Su Dongpo