The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-10-08
SOMEREMARKS ABOUTTEA
WAYS THAT ARE DARK IN THE
PREPARATION OF THE LEAF.
Some Study of the Manners of tho
Hysons, aud a Glance at the Pekoe
Family.

China certain districts make specially
of either green or black teas. AL
Japanese teas are green. The distinction
between the two is arrived at in thi,
manner. There arc three gatherings
spring, summer and fall In the spring
the choice round buds are taken. These
are the superior teas, and the point OF
time is determined by the nine young
leaves which the unfolded bud discovers.
, At this stage the leaf is without fra
GRANGE and very bitter. It is important to
gather it after a succession of clear.
sunny days, when, il it is intended for
green tea, il is roasted rs soon rs pos
sible. The same care is used in the
summer and fall gatherings.
The roasting is done in copper YES
sci, and the leaves are kept constantly in
motion. In the interior, however, the
Chinese dry the leaves on their roofs in
the same manner as old women in this
country dry apples and herbs Three
roastings are usually given, aud after
each the tea is rolled into balls between
the palms to express the juices. The
end of the last roasting is determined by
the coming of that blush tinge seen on
tea which resembles the bloom on the
grape.
After the roasting the tea is put
through succession of sieves, and thus
becomes Young Hyson. Hyson, Imperial
and Gunpowder, according to the size
and shape of the leaves. Young Hyson,
it must be understood, is not the son of
old Hyson, who has gone into the bust
ness for himself. Hyson is trade mark of
firm which made reputation on cult
waited garden teas, and teas of that quality
keep the name. Young Hyson teas are
made up of the closely twisted leaf Of
the bud. Gunpowder is the small round
bud, and acquires its flavor through the
tendency caused by its weight to find the
bottom of the pan, where it becomes
little scorched. Teas thus treated retain
their tannin. 1t is this principle that
gives to green tea that strong astringent
quality which makes it either greatly
preferred or carefully avoided. And it
is this which makes it so susceptible to
adulteration. Travellers, who are not
always soothing in their statements, say
that green teas not infrequently have
served their purpose in China, but re-
roasted in copper, acquire for less dis
eliminating nations new color and flavor.
The leaves for black teas are very care
fully gathered, and small twigs of the
plant are mixed with them. When
gathered the leaves are left to wither in
the sun. The process is a species of fer
mentation, and the chemical change re-
suits in the formation of volatile oil
which gives the tea its flavor, and in a
loss of tannin which renders black tea
mllder and less stimulating to the nerves.
AT length red spots appear on the
leaves that have turned darker. At this
stage they are poured into wicker tubes
with sieves at the bottom. After roast
ing they are rolled into balls, and the
double process is repeated several times
until the leaf character Is lost. They
are then further dessicated over n char.
coal fire and packed hot, and shipped in
chops, chop being an invoice OF 600
packages of eighty pounds each.
Souchong and Congou are the princi-
pal grades of black tea imported and
correspond with the Hyson grades of
green tea. Congou is the tea usually
known under the title, English break
fasttea." But if an American should
ask an English tradesman for English
breakfast tea he would greatly astonish
that person. No such grade is known
In England. The hierarchy of teas
known in England is to be taken in this
order: "Orange Pekoe," "Flowery Pc
koe," "Pekoe," ''Pekeo Souchong, I"
''Souchong," and "Congou."
Orange Pekoe is usually drunk in nov
els, especially since the Russians have
come Sc prominently into fiction. 1t is
-the highest grade of Pekoe, which is a
Soak tea of delicate flavor, aud CORE
sponds with Gunpowder in green teas.
Pekoe means white hair The leaf is
gathered when yet covered with down,
and it becomes Orange Pekoe by pack
ing flowers in layers between the hot
teas and taking them out when the tea
has acquired the desired color and fla
yor. The Congou teas are usually fla
Vored with cowslips. Formosa, which
comes from the island of Formosa, is a
japanese black tea, of pleasant flavor,
that is rapidly making its way in this
country.
+ Japan teas, however, are green teas,
and the grade known as "Uncolored ia
pan" appears to give away the fact that
green teas are usually colored. Indian
teas, on the other hand, are all black
teas, the Government forbidding green
teas as too easily adulterated. Adulter.
ation is practised to secure two things
form and color. For this purpose the
coarser leaves and the later gatherings
ind, as alleged, the collections IRON tea
houses, are twisted iuto shapes resem-
bling the young tea leaf. Observant
travellers say this is done with the feet.
hg secured the form, a handful of
ian blue and gypsum thrown into
- an glazes the leaves with metallic
tint resembling the bloom above alluded
to. The process is, however, too sue
cessful, as the bloom diffuses itself even
ly. The test Of genuineness consequent
ly is differences of tint such as would
naturally occur in naturally dried leaves
Oolong teas are green teas roasted not
on copper but over charcoal fires, where
they get their flavor from the peculiar
wood used. Indian teas, as has been
gaid