The best quality tea must have creases like the leather boot of Tartar horsemen, curl like the dewlap of a mighty bullock, unfold like a mist rising out of a ravine, gleam like a lake touched by a zephyr, and be wet and soft like a fine earth newly swept by rain.

Summary

This quote describes the qualities that the author believes make up the best quality tea. It uses vivid and poetic imagery to express these qualities - the creases like a horseman's boot suggest strength and durability, the curl like a bullock's dewlap signifies richness and fullness, the unfolding mist portrays a sense of delicacy and grace, the gleaming lake evokes a pristine and pure appearance, and the wetness and softness of rain-swept earth indicate freshness and smoothness. Through these comparisons, the quote highlights the importance of various visual and tactile attributes in determining the excellence of tea.

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