Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-03-28
How Tea is Made in Japan.

Most of the civilized world like a
cup of good tea, and it is certainly not
kind to say anything which may have a
tendency to mar such innocent enjoy
ment; but we must, in justice to the
case; make some allusion to the secrets
of tea making. Could any person of
nice taste witness the method of prepar-
ing this popular herb as it came before
my observation, l think he would abjure
the non-inebriating beverage at once.
And yet, strange to say, | continue to
take my two-cups per day with nerve
that is indeed surprising. My expert
ence is derived from a visit to Aspinwall
& Corne's tea factory, at this place, but
Vhether the same statements may be
made concerning other establishments, l
can not say. 1t is, however, probable
that they can. The tea factory was a
long, low, gloomy building, with smoke
Drowned rafters, and a ventilator at the
peak of the roof. In one part Of the
building are rows Of sheet-iron pans set
in masonry, and each heated by bed of
Goals underneath. These pans were in num-
Der from fifty to one hundred. They were
raised from the floor about waist high,
and a number of coolies were bent over
them stirring the tea to assist in drying
it. The entire process was under the
care Of a Chinaman, at whose signal the
pans were emptied and filed with fresh
material. The coolies scoop it up in
baskets and carry it to the building,
where it is emptied into a large bin.
Their lively manner reminded me Of a
similar scene which | witnessed at
Nagasaki, where | saw a hundred boys
and girls and men and women engaged
in the work, and singing as they stirred
the pans Each one has a tin cup for
his own use, and keeps tea brewing con-
tinually, for the japanese drink tea all
the time, and prefer it az they do their
baths, boiling hot. A japanese fresh
from his bath seems cooked as red as a
lobster. But to return. Empty chests
and half chests having previously y been
prepared and lined with lead, they are
filled with the tea, and the coolies then
Jump on the boxes and tread them down
to make good packing. They are halt
naked and fearfully dirty, and knowing
as l do the cutaneOus eruptions which
prevail here, and the parasitic Affections
Of the people generally, | might
reasonably shrink from tea. Yes, ye
drinkers, at least two-thirds of these
coolies had sore feet bound up with
soiled rags, and one had an unconcealed
ulcer on his leg. When the tea has
been tramped sufficiently, another coohe
steps on a lead cover, a third one
shoulders it, and fourth pastes ON a
paper covered with cabalistic characters
The box is then carried to a place where
the cover is nailed on, and it is matted
and bound with bamboo, and is then
ready for shipment. In due time it will
arrive at New York and be consumed
by those who are destined to eat theil
peck Of dirt in some shape or other.
The tea crop is partially dried before
leaving the hands of the grower, and
| then is finished in the manner above
stated. There is no use of poisonous
coloring, nor even of copper pans, botf
of which are said to be employed il
China, but trampling with the bare fee
of a coolie is hardly better than th'
Chinese method. 1t is evident that tht
manufacture of tea l. but imperfect.
understood in Japaa. This is tn,
reason why the fnei. qualities, such a
Gunpowder, Imperial, and Hyson ar
not produced here.