Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-08-22
REMARKS ON TEA.
Ways that are Dark in the Prepara-
ton Of the Leaf.

New York Evening Sun.
There is but one tea plant. The
Chinese, of whose skill in manipula-
ton Bret Harte's William Nye can
speak with authority, gather green
and black teas from the same shrub.
The thea bohea and thea yirida of the
botanist have no actual separate ex-
istence. Differences of climate and
differences of soil improve or deterio-
rate the tea plant, but different teas,
as VIC find them in the markets, are
entirely the result of manipulation.
The two grand divisions of the tea
trade are green and black teas, but in
China certain districts make speci-
atty Of either green or black teas.
All Japanese are green. The distinc-
ton between the two is arrived at in
this manner. There are three gather
ings-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
fragrance and very bitter. 1t is i'm
portant to gather it after a succession
OF clear, sunny days, when, if it is in
tended for green tea, it is roasted as
soon as possible. The same care is
used in the summer and fall gather
ings.
The roasting is done in copper
vessel, and 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 roa,tings are usually
given, and after each the tea is rolled
into balls between the palms to ex-
press 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 a succession of sieves, and
thus becomes Young Hyson, Hyson,
Imperial and Gunpower, 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 business for himself.
Hyson is the trade mark of q firm
which made reputation on cultivated
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 fla
vor 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.
It is this principle that gives to green
tea that strong astringent quality
which makes it either greatly pre-
ferred 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, r-roastod in copper, acquire f)r
less scrim'nating nations new color
and flavor.
The leaves for black teas are very
carefully 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 fermentation and the chem
ical change results in the formation OF
a volatile oil which gives the tea its
flavor, and in loss of tannin which
renders black tea milder 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. Al
ter roasting they are rolled into balls,
and the double process is repeated
several times until the leaf character
is lost. They are then further desi-
Gated over a charcoal fire aud packed
hot and shipped in chops, a chop
being an invoice OF 600 packages of
eighty pounds each.
Souchong and congou are the prin-
cipal grades Of black tea imported,
and correspond with the Hyson gra!es
of green tea. Congou is tho tea usus
ally known under the title 4" English
breakfast tea" 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 pekoe," "pekoe," "pekoe
souchong," souchong," and "con-
gou."
Orange pekoe is usually drunk in
novels, especially since the Russians
have come so prominently into fiction.
1t is the highest grade of pekoe, which
is black tea OF delicate flavor, and
corresponds with gunpowder in green
teas. Pekoe means white hair. The
leaf is gathered when yet covered
with down, and it becomes orange
pekoe by packing flowers in layers be-
tween the hot teas and taking them
out when the tea has acquired the de-
sired color and flavor. The congou
teas were usually favored with cow
slips. Formosa, which comes from
the island of Formosa, is a Japanese
black tea, of pleasant flavor, that is
rapidly making its way in this coun-