Japan

Ceylon and other teas is far from being exhaustive. It includes only the most important, and most generally accepted, trade titles and distinctions. Accuracy is rendered the more difficult by the lack of system in applying and retaining titles. The widest range in qualities is found in China teas—they vary from very choice types which are too expensive to make importation profitable, to large quantities of grades so poor and so badly Min. manipulated that their importation into dE Pointe È DIR = © this country is not permitted. Ba OEE LEN Ce Vor Teas as retailed consist usually of several varieties or grades “blended” to produce the most pleasing results—a small quantity of an expensive highly fragrant tea being added to a plainer, lower grade to improve its flavor; an over-strong high grade. being toned down by a lighter variety—and so on indefinitely. CHINA GREEN TEAS. The highest commercial types of China Green Teas are J/oyune and Teenkai. Others of importance are Hoochow, Fychow and Pingsuey. All China Green Teas are graded as Fancy, Choice, Finest, Fine, Medium or Standard—as Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. These are also sub-divided into:— GUNPOWDER, consisting of the youngest and smallest leaves, and roundish in appearance. In four grades—extra, first, second and third; the smallest and most curled, being the choicest. IMPERIAL, like “Gunpowder,” but larger. In three grades—first, second and third. Youne Hyson. In five grades—extra, first, second, third and “Cargo.” The best grades have long, well-twisted leaf, varying in size. Hyson, larger than Young Hyson and more loosely twisted. In three grades— first, second and third. The average consumer regards “Gunpowder,” “Hyson,” etc., as distinct qualities or varieties of green tea. Correctly speaking, they are the titles for particular sizes and shapes only—vou may have.a Gunpowder size of the poorest or of the choicest. — OOLONG TEAS. Oolongs are frequently cla ified as Black Teas, but they really constitute a separate type, for they are not as ‘thoroughly fermented before firing as the general run of Black Teas and therefore hold part of the flavor and a little of the color of Gr een Tea. There are three recognized varieties, Poochow, Formosa and Canton, but practically all of the supply imported is of the first two. Formosa Oolong, in the choice grades. has evenly curled dark leaf with a mixture: of Pekoe tips. It is very aromatic in flavor. 5 Foochow Oolong is especially black in leaf, and ale liquor of the finer qualities is rich and mellow. > Oolongs are commercially graded as Fancy, Ohoicest, Choice, Finest, Fine, Superior, + Fair amd Common.: a CHINA BLACK TEAS. The bulk of the China Black Teas imported into the United States is known as. Congou. There are numerous grades, the highest of excellent cup quality, and their blending results in a great many varieties of all styles and values—among them numerous qualities of English Breakfast, Black Tea and Mixed Tea. The principal commercial cla ifications are into Choice-New-Crop, Choicest, Choice, Finest,. Fine, Superior, Good, Fair, Common; by numbers, 1, 2, 3, etc.; as Pekoe, Souchong, etc. The leaf of the better qualities is greyish black and well twisted and the liquor is rich in color and pungently pleasant in flavor. Prominent among the fancy teas are: Flowery Pekoe: small, evenly-folded, olive-colored, generally scented. Orange Pekoe: small, black leaf with yellowish ends, generally scented. Pekoe: small, with whitish tips, generally scented. Pouchong (also used as a general term for all China paper package tea): rather rough, dull black leaf, generally scented. SCENTED TEAS. The Scented Black Teas come almost exclusively from China and Formosa. They are generally perfumed—in most cases after manufacture—by contact with the flowers of other plants, usually with the Chulan blo om, which has an odor similar to jasmine. The two leading varieties are Foochow and Canton, sub-divided into Scented Caper, Scented Flowery Pekoe, Scented Pekoe, Scented Pouchong, etc. Scented teas are chiefly used for blending—sometimes with high grade leaf to further enhance its value and sometimes with cheaper kinds to disguise their harshne . The best blends are frequently listed by the titles of the Scented Teas employed. JAPAN TEAS. The best varieties of Japan tea show a medium-sized or small leaf and a bright,. clear, fragrant liquor—the latter in the Green Teas generally of a lighter color than. the China Green. On importation they are graded as: Pan Fired: medium size, generally green, evenly curled. Basket Fired: long, dark, well twisted. Dust or Fannings. “Nibs” is irregularly twisted, larger leaf, sifted from the higher grades. For commercial purposes, Japan teas are graded as Extra Choicest, Choicest, Choice, Fine, Good, Medium and Common. They are marketed both as “Japan Teas” No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, etc., and by conventional titles for size and style. CEYLON TEAS. The ordinary grades of Ceylon Tea are largely marketed in this country as “Ceylon Tea” of First quality, Second quality, etc. A fuller division is into the following principal varieties, each subject to subdivision into several grades: Broken Orange Pekoe, or “Flowery Pekoe,” the very finest variety: small young leaves and a large proportion of Golden Tips. This grade is not generally marketed here because the U. S. Laws prohibit the entry of any tea containing more than a certain percentage of Broken Leaf that will pa through a certain designated sieve. As Broken Orange Pekoe is always small im leaf and contains a considerable proportion of still smaller tea, it must be very care fully screened if it is to pa the test, and the lo and difficulty thus involved prevent all but the very largest importers from attempting it. The intent of the act when pa ed was to guard the public against inferior and unclean grades, but it has also resulted in keeping out some very choice types. Orange Pekoe: similar to Broken Orange Pekoe, but the leaves larger and with. a smaller proportion of Tips. The liquor is clear and fragrant. Pekoe: leaf slender, whitish and satiny; liquor, dark-reddish, bright and fragrant. Pekoe-Souchong and Souchong—constituting the bulk of the Ceylon teas of general consumption, blended frequently with Pekoe: leaf larger and coarser than the preceding varieties, but giving a rich and pleasant liquor. It is the black varieties which have won popularity for Ceylon teas, but some Green Ceylon is also prepared under titles corresponding to those of China Green. Ceylon teas are further divided by shippers into “low” and “high” grown—those from low ground and those from higher altitudes. The latter are much superior. INDIA TEAS. The greater part of the India product is of Black Tea, the best qualities coming generally from the districts of Darjeeling and A am. The leaf is ordinarily a grey black and is in the best grades Golden-Tipped. The liquor is strong and pungent. The chief commercial cla ifications are Broken Orange Pekoe or Flowery Orange Pekoe, Orange Pekoe, Broken Pekoe, Pekoe, Pekoe-Souchong, Souchong, etc., or “India tea” of First quality, Second quality, etc. The general style and appearance of China teas are followed, but there is a difference in detail—the leaf is generally longer and narrower and better curled and cured. JAVA TEAS. A small quantity of Java teas is annually imported, both direct and via Holland. They are primarily known under local cla ifications, but they are prepared as Pekoes, Souchongs, Oolongs, etc. In liquor they have good strength, flavor and color. THE INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES. Attempts covering nearly a century to create a tea-growing industry in this country have not met with any degree of commercial succe . Some of the tea obtained has been excellent in quality, but none has been able to compete with the Asiatic crop. TEA TERMS. It will be noted that the titles originally applied exclusively to the China product have extended to nearly all teas, irrespective of their place of growth or manufacture. A majority are corruptions of local Chinese terms, as for example:— “Oolong,” from ou-loung, “black dragon,” referring to the black leaves mixed with the greenish-yellow. “Hyson,” from hetsien, “spring time,” the season of the first and second pickings. “Young Hyson,” from yii-tsien, “before the rains,” or “young spring time.” “Pekoe,” from pak-ho, “white hair”—referring to the down on the young leaves. “Souchong,” from siaou-chung, “small sprouts.” “Congou,” from kung-fu, “labor.” “Gunpowder” tea is an Anglo-Saxon name, originally suggested by its small round form. It is called choo-cha, or “Pearl tea,” by the Chinese. Coolies unloading COPYRIGHT, UNDERWOOD & UNDERWOOD, N. Y. Tea at Hankow, the great Tea Market of Interior China Retailing Tea. The demand for tea has so greatly increased during the last few years that retailers find it profitable to give it special attention. Only good dependable varieties should be stocked, and when a satisfactory line is established and selling well, it is usually the wisest policy to avoid making any changes, as the average tea-drinker becomes used to one particular flavor and prefers it to anything new. In purchasing, the first and most important test is that of flavor when brewed. Next comes the appearance of the leaf in bulk and individually. Generally speaking, the best qualities are small and more or le tightly curled—with variations as noted in the descriptions of different types. Young tea is easily chewed to a pulp, and fresh Black Tea is smooth and elastic when pre ed in the fingers. For the flavor test, the requirements are a scale of the style ordinarily used by druggists (cost about $5) and a dozen small china cups of equal size. The old rule for sampling was to weigh the equivalent of a silver 5-cent piece into each cup, pour boiling water over and taste when sufficiently cool. As the silver 5-cent piece has gone out of use, the easiest method for the average person is to weigh the equivalent of a dime and put half of the quantity into the testing cup. It would be usele to attempt to impart any detailed rules by which to discriminate, as only experience and constant application—with a fine palate as an initial qualification—can produce a really proficient tea-taster... „Succe in catering to consumers requires a knowledge of individual tastes —there is a tea to suit everyone, if you know what each one’s. preference is. As a general thing, one can count on a good sale of Oolongs, Mixed and English Breakfast, when the neighborhood has no particular race characteristics. Ceylon and India and Oolongs are most popular where English and Trish people are especially numerous. Blending, Storage, Etc. The highest branch of the tea-merchant’s calling is found in the blending of teas —the mixing of different styles and strength to produce special results—but for the retailer without good experience to attempt it, is rather risky. To produce an especi- ‘ally pleasing blend is not an easy matter, and to repeat it is still more difficult—and it is.very undesirable to establish a demand for a particular flavor if you are unable ‚to continue supplying it. The art is fascinating—and profitable if succe fully conducted—but first experiments should be on a very small and conscientiously recorded scale, and they should be accompanied by a close study of the literature of the busine , for there are many points—the comparative keeping qualities of different varieties, for example—in addition to flavor and aroma, which must be very care fully considered. ae Tea, whether in bulk or package, should always be kept in a moderately cool, dry place, away from all other articles of distinctive smell. Not only cheese and similar strong smelling articles, but even the aroma of oranges, lemons, etc., will affect it. Dampne will spoil it utterly by starting secondary fermentation, and exposure to. the air, if in bulk, will cause it to lose flavor, strength and aroma.; Tea naturally keeps fresh best in tight-fitting canisters and in sealed tin or lead packages, but it deteriorates with age no matter how packed. A retailer who is jealous of his reputation should sell no tea of any kind—package or otherwise—that is more, than six to nine months old. CHINESE COOLIES The load of the ON THEIR WAY TO TACHIEN-LU, WITH BRICK TEA FOR TIBET coolie on the left weighs 298 lbs., that of the man on the right 317 Ibs. Tea Analysis and Its Use as a Beverage. The most important components of the tea-leaf of commerce are (1) Theine, the chief stimulating principle, usually placed by analysis at from 2% to 344%; (2) the oil and resinous ingredients, which furnish the flavor and aroma of the liquid, and (3) the tannin and gummy substances, which give it “body” and strength. There is, in addition, a small quantity of e ential oil, which slightly increases the stimulating properties. Chemical analysis shows also a large percentage—40% to 60%—of protein, cellulose, fibre, etc.—but nearly all of this is found in the residue, the “tea-leaves,” left after making the liquid. The greater part of the tannin, which averages from 12% to 18%, meets the same fate if the tea is fresh made. To enjoy the best qualities of any variety—and also the best physiological effect— tea drinkers should bear in mind that, (1) the water used must be both fresh and boiling; (2) the pot in which the infusion is made must be kept hot, but not boiling, for from three to five minutes after pouring in; and (3) the tea must not stand longer than three to five minutes before drinking. If the water used is not fresh—i. e., if it has been standing long or been previously boiled—the tea will be flat in flavor. If it is not actually boiling at the time of pouring on the leaves, the result will be a rough, raw taste. A china or earthen pot is better than a metal one. A pot warmed before putting in the dry leaves, is better than a cold one. The fresh-brewed liquid (after a three to five minutes infusion) contains nearly the total amount of the theine (which corresponds to the caffeine in coffee) and only enough tannin, etc., to give it palatable strength. If it is allowed to stand on the leaves longer than five minutes, its flavor will be injured by the exce of tannin developed; if longer than seven minutes, the tannin will not only detract from the flavor, but also tend to render the beverage a detriment to digestion. The brewed tea can, however, be saved for later use, either hot or cold, if poured off the leaves into a china or earthen ve el. The quantity of leaves required to make good tea depends both on individual tastes and on different varieties. India and Ceylon are generally stronger than China and Japan. The result is also frequently affected by the water supply—the water in some localities makes much better tea than is po ible in others. Some authorities a ert that the quality of the water should be considered as a factor when making a blend— that water containing an exce ive amount of lime or other mineral matter, requires the stronger, coarser varieties of leaf, and that the delicate types produce their fine flavor and aroma only when the water is “soft.” This is disputed by other experts, who a ert that the “best tea” is the best everywhere, though it will display its qualities to better advantage under favorable conditions. To make good Iced Tea use from one-quarter to one-third more of the leaf than for tea to be served hot. Prepare the beverage just as carefully, and do not allow it to stand on the leaves for longer than five to seven minutes. Pour the liquid off into another ve el and allow it to cool gradually. It should always be made two or three hours before serving, to give it time to cool gradually. To chill hot tea by setting in the refrigerator or putting ice in it, is to spoil its flavor. When ready to serve, add ice, lemon, sugar, etc., according to taste. [s. 634]