Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-11-29
THE ART OF TEA TASTING.
Methods of an Expert in the Cuisines

Methods of an Expert in the Business,
Chat with One of the Graft.
When the cargoss of tess arrive on this
side, millions on millions of pounds the tea
testers, or tasters, work begins 1t is ar
art, and remarkable skill is attained by
those who have the natural faculty for it,
and have developed that faculty by long sx.
periefee and careful training. There are &C
many elements or factors entering into the
process and shaping the conclusion of the
tea faster that il is impossible to describe
them, and perhaps the most proficient faster
of teas could not enumerate thenl--in fact
is not conscious OF them The expert in
wool cannot explain how he distinguishes be-
tween two grades OF wool which TO On ordi.
nary man are identical, but his touch Is
nnerrins and his Judgment accurate. Sc
the tea lasier works often as much by intul-
ton as by rus. lie las equiFpel himself to
operate in the realm Of nice distinctions, and
he is perfectly at home there He cannot be
cheated. How do ira tasters go TO works A
big round table of considerable sohdity,
which whirls easily on a pivoted center.
Temptinglv SIT about the edge of this re-
yolNing table one observes an array of tea
cnl~ n"rr or less aesthetic in mold and
adornment, according to the style Of the
establishment
lTeneiatlN, however. these important tea sets
are for >arNire not Tor show A generous
teakettle Is stuck somewhere in a convenient
corner. and it keeps up PHEASANT purring
over the patient gas jet. When the tea faster
Is III full arlnor the cups are manipulated
deftly; as much tea as viii balance a five-cent
piece Is put into each cup, and the same guam
tity Of water is poured over each sample of
tea. Then the acute sense OF the tea faster
sweeps the field 1t must not be supposed
that this continuous faster OF teas drinks
hoGsheadS Of the samples, or even that be
drinks at all. The tea faster does not neces-
saiily put cup to his lips Tea is tested to
some extent by the appearance of the leaf,
hut CHIEFLY 10y infusion, as just described II
Is the sense Of smell hat does the business.
SAID a tea faster:
Everything tastes a il smells. | have
heard II said that if mans noatr-ils could be
held perfectly tight, he could not determine
Ivy his palate which of two substances, a
piece of raw potato or onion, was placed in
his mouth. At any rate. can determine a
quality nr grade of tea as perfectly by smell
AZ by taste, and all the best tastsrs Judge by
the smell
Without infusion the faster can often
determine just how a sample of tea will
draw 10y the peculiar twist of the leaf and its
smell
Can you carry i'll your memory the differ,
ent grades or kinds of tea ~ as to identify
them if the same comes up again, after the
lapse Of some timer
To a considerable extent we can II there
Is anything peculiar about a kind or lot Of
tea, We remember il, and can pick it out at
once If it ever comics up again. OF course,
the standard classes OF teas are always recog-
nized at once by an expert.
rs tea tasting iniuriousln
No, not at all. There are snne men who
are somewhat affected by it so that they are
restless at night, after having gone through
with a cargo Of tea, Int it never affects me at
all. In fact, TIA tasting cannot he 80 harmful
as the constant tasting of sugars. etc. While
on this point it iS somewhat significant fact
to note that nearly all tea tasters drink Con
sou tea. Ii is the finest tea and least injuri-
Gus Another thing, the secret of giving
satisfaction in teas is the furnishing of an
srIirlr that is Of good strength and body.
That Is the kind of tea which suits our
people Boston Herald