Cha Pu

Cha Pu (Chinese: 茶谱; pinyin: chápǔ; literally: "Tea manual") is a short work written in 1440 by Zhu Quan (朱权),^[1] the 17th son of Ming dynasty founder Emperor Hongwu, and relates the methods of tea preparation and degustation. It is considered by some to be a milestone in Chinese tea culture.

Following his father Emperor Hongwu's ban on manufacturing of tea cake, Prince Ning advocated a simpler way of steeping loose tea, a radical departure from the involved tea cake preparation methods of Tang and Song dynasty, thus pioneered a new era in Chinese tea culture. The content also provides a small on discussions tea wares.

Content

The “Tea Manual” includes a preface and sixteen chapters:^[1][2]

• Preface

1. Selecting Tea (品茶)
2. Storing Tea (收茶)
3. Whisking Tea (點茶)
4. Scenting Tea Method (熏香茶法)
5. Tea Brazier (茶爐 )
6. Tea Stove (茶竈)
7. Tea Mill (茶磨)
8. Crushing Roller (茶碾)
9. Tea Sieve (茶羅)
10. Tea Stand (茶架)
11. Tea Spoon (茶匙)
12. Tea Whisk (茶筅)
13. Tea Cup (茶甌)
14. Tea Pitcher (茶瓶)
15. Water Heating Method (煎湯法 )
16. Selecting Water (品水)

Tea Wares of Ming Dynasty

Some of the tea wares can be derived from the tea wares of Tang Dynasty (The Classic of Tea by Lu Yu) and Song Dynasty (Old Man Shen-an)

See also

• The Classic of Tea (Tang Dynasty)
• Pictorial of Tea Ware (Song Dynasty)

References

Ming Dynasty Tea Arts and Culture (Chinese)

• Brief
• Chinese Wiki
• Tea Terms 2010 中英文茶術語
• Brief