The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-12-09
THE ART OF TEA TASTING.
Methods of an Expert In the business
Chat with One of the Craft.

Methods of an Expert In the business.
Chat with One of the Craft.
When the cargoes of teas arrive ON this
side, millions ON millions of pounds, the tea
testers, or tasters' work begins. II is an
art, and remarkable skin is attained by
those who have the natural faculty for it,
and have developed that faculty by long ex-
perience and careful training. There are so
many elements or factors entering into the
process and shaping the conclusion of the
tea faster that it is impossible to describe
them, and perhaps the most proficient faster
of teas could not enumerase them--in fact,
is not conscious of them The expert in
wool cannot explain how h. distinguishes be-
tween two grades Of wool which to an ordi-
nary man are identical, but his touch is
unerring and his Judgment accurate So
the tea faster works often rs much by intui'
ton as by rule. He has equipped himself to
operate in the realm of nice distinctions and
he is perfectly at home there. He cannot be
cheated. How do tea tasters 60 TO worki A
big round table of considerable solidity,
which whirls easily ON a pivoted center.
Temptingly set about the edge of this re
volving table one observes an array of tea
cups more or less aesthetic in mold and
adornment, according TO the style" of the
establishment.
Generally, however, these important tea sets
are for service not for show. A generous
teakettle is stuck somewhere in n convenient
corner, and it keeps up a pleasant purring
over the patient gas jet. When the tea faster
is in full urnor the cups are manipulated
deity; as much tea us will balance iive-cent
piece is put into each cup, and the same quasi
tity of water is poured over each sample OF
tea. Then the acute sense of the tea faster
sweeps the field. Ii must not be supposed
that this continuous faster of teas drinks
hogsheads of the samples, or even that he
drinks at ALL The tea faster does not neces
sarily put cup to his lips. Tea is tested Il
some extent by the appearance of the leaf
but chiefly by infusion, as just described. II
is the sense of smell that does the business
Said tea faster:
Everything tastes as it smells. have
heard it said that if mans nostrils could bt
held perfectly tight he could not determine
by his palate which Of two substances, q
piece of raw potato or onion, was placed ii
| his mouth. At any rate can determine {
quality or grade of tea as perfectly by smell
| as by taste, and all the best tasters judge by
| the SMELL
Without infusion the faster can Otter
determine just how sample Of tea vii
draw by the peculiar twist Of the leaf and it
| smell.
"Can you carry in your memory the differ
ent grades or kinds of tea so as TO identif,
them if the same comes up again, after tn
lapse Of some time"
ITO considerable extent we can. II ther
is anything peculiar about kind or lot Q
tea, we remember it, and can pick 1t out q
once if it ever comes up again. or course
the standard classes Of teas are always recoe
nized at once by an expert"
as tea tasting injuriousi"
"No, not at all. There are some men VIII
are somewhat affected by it so that they al
restless at night, after having gone throug
with a cargo of ten, but it never affects me Q
ALL In fact, tea tasting cannot be so harmfi
as the constant tasting of sugars, etc. Viii
on this point it is a somewhat significant fa'
to note that nearly all tea tasters drink Con
gou tea 1t is the finest tea and least inJur
Gus. Another thing, the secret OF giyin
satisfaction in teas is the furnishing OF q
article that is of good strength and bod
That is the kind of tea which suits OF
people. Boston Herald