Tea classics
as a drink was first consumed in China and the earliest extant mention of tea in literature is the Classic of Poetry, although the ideogram used in these texts can also designate a variety of plants, such as sowthistle and thrush.
Chinese literature contains a significant number of ancient treatises on tea. Together, there exist approximately one hundred monographs or treatises on tea published from the Tang dynasty through the end of the Ming dynasty. Writers of non-Chinese backgrounds have also emulated the style of the Chinese tea classics.
The more famous books on tea are listed below.
Chinese
Tang dynasty
- The Classic of Tea by Lu Yu, 780.
- Report on Water for Brewing Tea by Zhang Youxin, 814.
- Records of Tea Picking by Wen Tingyun, 860.
Song dynasty
- The Record of Tea by Cai Xiang, 1049.
- Report on Tasting of East Brook Tea by Song Zian, 1064. by Global Tea Hut.
- Treatise on Tea by Emperor Song Huizong, 1107.
- Xuan He Bei Yuan [Gong Cha Lu|Record of Xuan He Era Tribute Tea in The North Farm] by Xiong Fan.
- Essential Record of Tea Tasting by Huang Ru, 1075.
- Pictorial of Tea Ware by The Old Man Shenan.
Ming dynasty
- Zhu Quan : Cha Pu, 1440. by Global Tea Hut. by John Thompson.
- Gu Yuanqing : Classification of Tea, 1541. by Global Tea Hut.
- Lu Shusheng : A Report on Tea House, 1570.
- Tu Long : Kao Pan Yu Shi, or Desultory Remarks on Furnishing the Abode of the Retired Scholar, ca 1590.
- Gao Lian : Eight Discourses on the Art of Living/ Tea, 1591.
- Hu Wenhuan : Tea Collection, 1593.
- Chen Shi : Research on Tea, 1593.
- Chen Jiru : Tea Talks, 1595.
- Zhang Yuan : Tea Notes, 1595. by The Leaf.
- Zhang Qiande : The Book of Tea, 1598.
- Xiong Mingyu : Report on Lu Jie Tea,, ca 1608.
- Feng Shike : Tea Record, 1609.
- Wen Zhenheng : Treatise on Superfluous Things/ Incense and Tea, 1621. by Martin Tai. by Global Tea Hut.
- Wen Long : Tea Notes, 1630. by Global Tea Hut.
- Zhou Gaoqi : Treatise On Yixing Teapots, 1640.
- Zhou Gaoqi: Report on Tongshan Jie Tea, 1640.
Qing dynasty
- Lu Tingcan : The Sequel to Classic of Tea.
- Qianlong Emperor : Imperial Record of Jade Spring Hill, First Spring under Heaven, 1784.
Japanese
- Myōan Eisai : Treatise on Tea Drinking for Health, 1193.
- Sen no Rikyū : Southern Record.
English
- Okakura Kakuzō : The Book of Tea, 1906.
- A Nice Cup of Tea essay by George Orwell, 1946.
Translations
Modern Chinese
- 陆羽《茶经》 －解读与点校, 程启坤 杨招棣 姚国坤. 上海 上海文艺出版社 2003
- 茶经
- 遵生八笺——白话全译, 重庆大学出版社
Czech
- Lu Jü : Kniha o čaji. Translated by Olga Lomová. Spolek milců čaje a , Praha, 2002,.
- Karel Valter : Vše o čaji pro čajomily, Granit s.r.o., Praha, 2000
English
- The Classic of Tea Lu, Yu; Intro & Translation By Francis Ross Carpenter, Illustrated by Hitz, Demi;Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Co. 1974
- The Classic of Tea: Origins & Rituals Lu, Yu; Yu, Lu; Carpenter, Francis Ross; New York, U.S.A.: Ecco Press. 1995 reprint of 1974 edition. This is a complete translation.
French
- Vianney, Soeur Jean-Marie: Le Classique Du The Par Lu Yu, Morel - 1977
Hungarian
- Lu Jü: Teáskönyv – A teázás szent könyve a nyolcadik századi Kínából. Terebess Kiadó, Budapest 2005,
- Teáskönyv. Fapadoskonyv.hu, Budapest, 2010.
Italian
- Lu Yu: IL CANONE DEL TÈ, Traduzione di Marco Ceresa, Leonardo. November 1990.
- Marco Ceresa, Ph.D. Dissertation:I trattati sul tè di epoca Tang Far Eastern Studies, Istituto Universitario Orientale of Naples.1992
Russian
- Лу Юй: Канон чая; перевод с древнекитайского, введение и комментарии Александра Габуева и Юлии Дрейзис. Москва: Гуманитарий, 2007. — 123 с.