A good weekend coming up...

Been trying to get a copy, but it's available nowhere so far. Where did you get yours from, Mal?

Phyll

Got it second hand from a chap in Huntington Beach in CA via Amazon.

I just sent you a link to your hotmail address...

Mal

Oh, cool. While you read it, please consider my question: Lu Yu says that salt is an essential part of the brewing process, but doesn't say how much. How much do you think? Enough to make it briny? Just a grain to soften the water?

Best,

Rick.

I will find out and report back...

In Part 3, The Brewing of the Tea, Lu Yu quotes "When the boiling of the water is in its first stage, you may add a measure of salt in accordance with the amount of water. You can tell when to stop by sampling it."

He refers to 3 stages, the second of which the water "...when at the edges it chatters like a bubbling spring and looks like pearls innumerable strung together, it has reached it's second stage."

Third stage is full rolling boil.

He doesn't explain clearly the reason for adding the salt - perhaps it is to condition the water, perhaps to enhance the taste in some fashion. In the paragraphs before this he discusses the issues of water taken from various sources and the tastes and health issues imparted by them. Perhaps he felt that adding some level of salt would nullify any impurities.

I suppose one could always experiment...