The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-04-21
TEa.rAsTERs.
A Curious Profession I" In New York;
Skill Displayed by Experienced

A Curious ''Profession - In New York..
Skill Displayed by Experienced
Tasters.
There are, says DR.. Dana, probably
more thar a hundred firms engaged in
~tea-tasting in this city. In all their
Offices there are large tables with round
revolving tops. A circle Of teacups is
placed along the edge of these. The
tea-taster sits down before the display
of crockery, and tastes one cup after an
other, moving the table top around.
In the center of the table is a pair of
scales with a silver half dime in one of
the balances. One o. two large kettles
are kept constantly with boiling water
in them. When a sample of tea is to
be tasted. as much is weighed out as
will balance the half dime, This is
put in o teacup and the boiling water
poured on. The ~tea-taster then stirs
up the leaves. lifts them on his spoon,
and inhales the aroma. At the same
time he generally takes a sip of the in
fusion, holds it in his mouth for a short
time, and then spits it out. Enormous
brass cuspadores. holding two or three
gallons, receive the tea thus tasted and
the contents of the cups that have been
examined. On some occasions, when a
large amount of tea of a certain kind is
to be bought, many samples of this are
brought in from different houses. The
buyers and sellers sit around the revolv-
ing table with the samples made into
infusions in the cups before them.
These are tasted all around, the
body" fneness, "toastiness," etc.,
are learnedly discussed, and the poorer
specimens discarded. Then those that
are left are tasted again, and the num-
Der further reduced. So it goes on until
the article which unites the desired
quality and price is obtained.
The skill displayed at these draw
inys" is quite remarkable. A tea
faster will detect not only the quality
of a tea as regards age, strength, flavor,
| fineness, etc., but he can tell in which
| of the numerous districts in China the
tea was grown. The facts regarding
the different samples are sometimes put
on the bottom of the cups, where they
cannot be seen. The cups are then
mixedu up, and the infusions tasted again
and sorted out simply by their favors.
A great deal of tea may be tasted be-
fore these tea-drawings are finished. II
is hard to tell the amount that q tea
faster takes during the day, for it varies
a great deal with the activity of bust
ness. Few of the gentlemen whom I
asked could give anyidea. Sometimes,
however, as many as 400 or 500 cups are
tasted in the day. 1t is quite the Gus
tom to have to be tasting tea steadily
for the most of the day, or for hours at
the time. Probably an average of 200
cups a day throughout the year is q low
estimate. The poorer kinds of tea are
often not slipped at all, but the sense OF
smell is defended on. Of the better
qualities of tea, some is swallowed,
and some spit out. Indeed, when.
ever the tea is taken into the mouth q
little of it is swallowed. The tea gets
into the system, therefore, in three
ways; by inhalation, by absorption
through the oral mucous membrane, and
by the stomach. More tea is simply
taken into the mouth without swallow
ing than is inhaled alone: but all the
tea is inhaled, even if it is tasted also.
1t is only a small proportion. amount
ing to not more than two or three cups
a day, that is swallowed. A silver five
cent piece weighs l.4S grms. (gr. XVIII.
Estimating that an average of 200 cups
of tea are tasted per day, about one
half of a pound would represent the
whole amount used.
Japan tea has of late years become
by far the most popular variety, md
more of it is imported than of all other
kinds together. Green tea, on the other
hand, is much less extensively used than
tormerly.-New York Medical Record.