The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-11-05
TEA TASTERS.
A Novel Occupation Requiring
Nice Discrimination.
Tho Enect Continuous Tea-Tasting Has
Upon Ones Health-The Salary
An Experienced faster
Can Command.
m. Y. Commercial Advertiser.l


ness is the importation and wholesaling OF
tea. Since this commodity was first inn
ported by the East India Company in 1915
Il has steadily risen in the estimation OF
the world, until at present the trade gives
employment to hundreds of thousands OF
men, and exchanges yearly hundreds OF
millions of dollars. In 1875 the importa-
tion Of tea into England alone was 2OO,OOO,-
900 pounds, and at least one-half as much
reached our shores at San Francisco from
China, Java and Japan. There was
slight falling Off in the importations until
1880, when the trade revived again with all
its wonted life, and at present, notwith-
standing the complications between China
and France, the trade is more important
than 1t has ever been.
Engaged in this immense trade is a class
of men who are known as tea-tasters, and
who, in their way, control the market,
make one kind of tea popular, and in fact
exercise the same kind OF influence as
wine -tasters do in the wine trade. Each
firm employs at least one tea-taster, and
the salaries range from 5000 year to
even partnership in the business OF the
great importing houses. But these ex-
perts pay the penalty for their proficiency,
in having their systems undermined by
continuous tea-sipping. After perhaps
five wears of experience they become nery-
GUS, and are inflicted with insomnia, ana
are liable especially to zymotic diseases.
Entering the counting-room of any one
Of the wholesale dealers in teas one will
observe big round table standing in the
center of the room. 1t has revolving top
and is very often handsomely inlaid. This
is practically the counter upon which all
the buying and selling Of the house is done
On these tables, placed within short DIS
tance of the edge, are ranged dainty ten
Guns. A large silver kettle is simmering
over u spirit lamp near by and the steam
forces itself through the spout with mu-
steal Kissing that must be extremely pleas
ant to hear amid the dreary round of busi-
ness. On stand in the middle of the table
Is n tiny pair Of scales, on one OF the
saucers Of which is five cent silver piece
About this table the tea tasters assemble to
decide on the merits of any particular
growth or finally decide whether or not the
firm which they respectively represent de-
sires any Of the stock before them. sam
pie of the tea is taken, and weighed on the
scales. The sample weighs the same as
the silver piece. This small quantity OF
ten is then poured into the cup, and the
boiling water is allowed to flow over it un-
ill the cup is half-full Of the infusion. The
tea a-taster stirs the tea, and lifts the leaves
on peculiarly shaped silver-spoon to in
hale the aroma. Sometimes he takes SIP
of the infusion, and, after holding 1t in his
mouth for few seconds, he relieves him
self of il. Big brass cuspidores are PLACED
around the table, and into them go the tel
which has been tasted and the contents
the cups.
J II is by this means that sample OF tel
, is decided upon. The tasters inhale te;
aroma and pronounce upon the quality o
the importation, and gossip most learned,
, upon its fineness, tastiness, body and sim
ilar qualities, which go 10 make up tea pa
excellence. In cases where there has bee
n heavy Importation, samples Of each quail
itv are weighed and tried by the taster'
and then the quality and the price are de
cided upon. An expert toa-taster who
not familiar with the business transaction
of the firm which has imported lars
=, auantity Of tea can detect, not alone tn
!, age, the strength, flavor and hneness, bu
also is able TO tell almost without erro
= even the district In China where the tea
4 have been cultivated by cooley labor. Th
:. deyelopment Of the sense OF smell Is re
l. N a n
: tremely small quantity OF tea the hissor
!, of its growth. When a large invoice Is as
= sorted the facts concerning the variou
samples are placed ON the bottom OF th
= cups or saucers. They are then change
= about and the trade admitted
y make its purchases. The infusion
are tasted again by the buyers an
selections are made by the flavor alone.
A Tho result OF this system is that gre'
n quantities OF tea must DO consumed
- these peculiar transactions. In a con
"A paratively busy season ten faster sil
"a four or five hundred cups Of ten In
N single day. It Is difficult to make 0
N average for the year, but II can not
"a far from two hundred cups a day. 1t
"A only the better qualities Of the tea inf
Ia sion that are slipped and elected. tt
poorer teas are simply tested by Il
a aroma from the leaves after tho inf
M sion. The better classes OF the bla'
a. tens, such as the Canton, Foo-chow-fo
e. Hung -nuey, 0opack, Kaison and Oonni
mi are almost always tested by slipping al
re sometimes even by swallowing the inf
"a sion Of the leaf. The green teas, az Il
NV Shanghai, Ping-suey, Moyune, Imperi
be Moyune, and Canton, are oftentim
er tested by slipping, but most generally
ne their aroma alone. The teas which a
as held in the highest favor are Of Japa
~, ese growth, the Gunpowder and You
he Hyson. Although these are green tel
M the Chinese growths Of green teas O
or becoming unpopular, notwithstanding th
NJ ten years ago II had the command
he the market.
ms The effect OF this constant drinking
.er tea, although In almost inappreciat
oil small quantities, Is extremely injurio
10. Although little Is swallowed each time
mt sample is tested, the frequent repetitI
.er Of the doses Is what proves to be det
mental. The small particles OF the inco
pletely molstened leaf are absorbed
inhalation when the test Is ma
~, from the aroma Of the infus
~ ~ alone; there Is also an absorption throu
~. AZ the mucuous membrane Of the throat O
=