Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-08-13

The american Grocer calls on figures
to show that the people Of the United
States, as nation, are learning to drink
less tea and more coffee as the years are
gliding by. The GROCER computes the |
present annual average consumption, per
capita, of tea at 1.16 pounds, and of
coffee at 9.46 pounds. In 1881 the figures
were; tea, liza pounds; coffee, 1923
pounds; and the use of ten seems to
have been steadily diminishing and the
use of coffee steadily increasing since
that time. Why is this? The Groce,'s
answer is;
Because the coffee trade has taken pains
to secure the distribution OF the bean in a
| roasted rather than u green state, and this
added TO the competition OF rival dealers
| and the portable coffee mill has resulted in
enabling consumers to make more uni
| form infusion than when the beans were
roasted at home in skillet or frying pan. In
| the south, where five years ago scarcely any
| roasted coffee was sold, 1t is fast displacing
| the raw bean.
This reason will, of course, be more
appreciated in rural than in urban dis.
tricts. Domestic coffee roasting has long
ago become forgotten art in nearly all
homes in the larger towns. More recent
is the memory of roasting rye, wheat,
bran and other substitutes for coffee
when the price of the real article climbed
out of the reach of poor people during
the civil war.
In the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, ''where China Ond India
} tens are consumed and no Japan of any
! account" the Grocer finds contrary
: condition of things. There the per
capita consumption of tea has increased
| from 4.66 pounds in 1880 to 4.s2 pounds
1 in 1884, while that of coffee has remained
nearly stationary, the per capita exhibit
: being, 1880, 0.96 pounds; 1881, 0 90
: pounds; 1882, c.s9 pounds; 1888, 0.9C
S pounds; 1884, O.91 pounds. From
I which it appears that the average English
g man, or English woman, consumes about
G three times as much ten and only one
d tenth as much coffee as the average
S American. We fancy that the disparity
II is really greater than this, for, while the
" male American drinks coffee literally, il
is is the English womanwho consumes th'
o most of the tea the favorite beverage
2 of her lord being either beer OF hale o.
s. 'arf n 'arf v
If Incidentally, and with n tipge of pit!
N for what ii evidently regards ms their ba'
IS taste, the Grocer remarks that it ha
rs always been mystery why the American
es people tcling SO tenacious)y to the harsl
lg favored Japan in preference to the deli
: cate and deliciously aromatic teas Q
ut China or some blend with the rich an
I'd full favored product of India"
ne We think the reason for this is two-fold
a. First, because the average American pre-
I'd fers the "harsh favor" of Japan tea, pei
us haps from robustness of taste akin I
I'd that which induces him to take NOR
or kindly to such ditties rs "Climbin' up til
er golden stnir" and Don't leave you
i'll mother, Tom" rather than TO the il
IS, elfable, and to him incomprehensibl'
y, musical gymnastics of Italian operi
eir Good Japan tea is to the Chinese yarieti'
'g what the glorious grassy butter of sprir
es- is to the product of the winter dairy, Al
or the so-called 'tharsh" flavor is just Il
ed feature that its consumers relish.
os- The other reason, whether well found,
or not we confess we do not know, is
;, wide spread belief that Japan tea com
nearer to the natural article than do Il
Chinese brands The half-chests in viii,
= it is packed often bear the potent wo
- ~ ''uncolored," and though this label mi
Z, be ''all CANNON" the general appearan
~ of Japan teas is that of leaves dried
the sun or nj least by the application
' moderate heat, instead of being roast
- to blackness on the one hand
-, artiicially frightened to an umntu
greatness on the other.
I