The Plymouth Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1878-1901, 1879-02-27

How the Tea-Leafis Prepared IN China,
and Colored 10 Crafty Ignorant
Prejudice.
New York Evening Post.


Prejudice.
New York Evening Post.
Next to bread there are few
articles whose consumption is more
general than that OF tea; hence it's
purity is a matter OF deep interest to
millions OF people. There Is scarce
ly household, however humbl., that
does not use tea once a day, and it
may be feebly asked: What is home
without teapot? To determine
whether the public Is fairly treated
by the producers and importers OF tea.
the Erenin0 Post has obtained
analyses Of a number OF samples
bought at retail groceries, the results
OF which are given herewith,
The difference in the taste and bou-
quet OF teas usually sold in this
country is almost wholly due to the
methods used in preparing the leaves
for the consumer. A brief sketch OF
the methods OF tea making will show
how this Is done.
BLACK TEA PROPER,
this Is, souchong, pekoe, congou, ETC.,
or what We English call breakfast
tea. Is generally picked from plants
in the mountainous regions OF China,
where the shrub. growing among
rocks and ledges, has a struggle for
existence. and acquires O more hardy
character than 1t does ON the we'll
fertilized level lands and cultivated
valleys. These teas are made black
by the process OF fermentation that
they are put through before being
cured. AS before stated, the same
leaves could be made into green
colored tea IL differently treated.
though their flavor would not resem-
BILE tho ordinary green teas. When
the leaves have been allowed TO fer
ment in heaps for about twelve
hours, they are tossed about by hand,
undergoing a constant rolling and
winnowing. and are then roasted
over slow fire. They are again
tossed about and rolled, exposed to
the air for time. and finally diied
over a charcoal fire. The different
grades are then obtained by sitting
and carefully hand picking. Almost
the same process Is used for oolong
teas. which, though apparently black
are really green teas; the important
difference in the preparation Of the
oolong is that there is no feTmenta-
ton OF the leaves. Hence there is nc
chemical action to change their color
permanently, and. though black
when bought, it quickly resumes its
green color when STEPPED.
GREEN TEA
the gunpowder, imperial. young
hyson, hyson and twonkay tea is an
imposition from the start. Honestly
IL could never reach a higher claim
to be called green than oolong itself
bat such q demand exists for arti
ficially- colored tea that the colorine
process is applied while curing In
China, and the practice has now be.
como so general that it is probable
that nothing will ever cause its dis
continuance. Yet this cSlorine mat.
ter not only adds nothing Intrinsic
ally to the tea except weight, but il
contains one OF the deadliest poisons
known. Fer the sake OF pretty
outside. therefore, the world conten
tedly consents to drink annually
thousands OF pounds Of Prussiar
blue. OF which prussic acid Is one ol
the constituents.
Green tea Is thus made: At the
usual picking times, the dealers &c
into the tea country from the coast
buy the tea from the producers FOL
several miles around and proceed t
make what is called
"cHoP" OF TEA.
All the leaves received are treated
alike. They are heated in copper
pans, and from this practice arise.
the old woman's story that the green
color is impaired by the copper
This green Is given by a mixture o.
Prussian blue and China clay and
some yellow organic coloring matter
sometimes turmeric, or yellow ex.
tract OF willow bark. Each leaf
which has been carefully rolled into
a compact. unbroken pellet OF small
size In the curing. is picked out by
the long nails OF the Chinese labor.
ers. This is then graded as extra
gunpowder. The same sized leaves
which have not rolled into so shapely
balls as the highest grade OF gun.
powder are picked out for the second
and third grades. Imperial contains
three grades also. varying from a
large but perfectly rounded whole
leaf to the broken and half rolled
leaves. Then comes young hyson
which is not large, but Is about mid
way between gunpowder and i'm