Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-08

oiaeA teas ts 1ounR Tyson in greonteas: that
corresponding to Orange Pekoe in biac is Gun
green; Souchong in black is Imperialh green,
ana Congou In black is Twankay in gresa
THE MANDARIN TEA.
The finest Of all Chinese teas are calledsNsn-
DARN" Being butslightly fred and rather damp
when prepared for use they will bear neither
transportation nor keeping. Flavoring is only
applied to teas OF middling or inferior quail
ties. For this purpose, when the tea il ready
Tor market, forty pounds Of fresh orange bios
SONS are mixed with each 100 pounds Of it, and
after twenty-four hours the flowers are re-
moved by sitting. The tea is now strongly i'm
pregnated with the scent of the blossoms, which
increases after 1t is packed in cases. Jssnines
are utilized In the same way. Teas thus favored
retain their odor for year or more.
The process through which Chinese and
japanese teas are put to prepare them for an
ocean voyage are very injurious to them. For
such transportation the leaves must be roasted
before shipment and thus the aroma IL largely
dissipated. The best teas are only to be had in
their highest excellence in tea-growing coun-
tries. where they can be procured before pass
ing through the heroic process which they have
10 undergo when they are to be packed in the
holds Of sea-going vessels. For home con-
sumption less elaborate methods of curing
suffice. and 1t is suggested that American teas
may eventually be sold in this country in the
shape of cakes Of dried leaves pressed into solid
shape, as is done with many other herbs. The
performed Immediately before use. as Is now
done with coffee. Very likely such tea will ulti-
mately be ground like coffee.
PREPARING BLACK TEA
In preparing black tea the leaves are first
withered by being exposed to the sun for an
hour. They are then rolled and twisted to get
rid OF part of the juice. Next they are made up
into small balls which are placed in shallow
bamboo trays and set in Q sunny place to fer
ment. During this process the leaves lose their
raw odor and acquire the desired flavor After
fermentation the leaves are exposed in thin
layer to the sun. which turns them from green
to black. Then they are placed in y tray over
a charcoal fire to dry. This is called "hring."
The final operation consists In passing the
leaves through sleeves of different meshes, after
which they are packed.
Such is the method used in Japan. In India
1t Ii simplifed, fewer persons being employed.
The Japanese sometimes prepare what they
call flat tea" the leaves not being rolled.
They are from plants which have been kept in
darkness for week or two before picking.
Keeping them from the light is said to develop
an exquisite aroma. Teas Of India are usually
three times as strong as Chinese and Japanese
teas, SO that they are chiefly used to give "body"
to the weaker teas by being mixed with them.
The manipulation OF the product In India, after
picking. is wholly done by machinery, whereas
1t is all hand work in China. In fact, the Chi
nese use their feet in rolling some Of the cheaper
grades. For green tea the leaves are first
steamed slightly, after which come the rolling
and drying.
ADULTEgATED TEAS.
Immense quantities of trashy and adulterated
teas are sold in the markets Of the United
States. One method of sophistication Is to in
troduce leaves Of other plants. This species of
cheat is readily detected by means of tho mi
croscope. The tea leaf possesses 20 marked
Character OF Its own, in respect to its veins and
serrated edges, that it cannot be mistaken.
What Is called ''lie tea in China il an imita-
ton usually containing fragments or dust Of
the genuine leaves, foreign leaves and mineral
matters, held together by a starch solution and
colored by facing" preparation. Tea is
sometimes falsified by the addition Of spent or
partly exhausted leaves-in other words, old
leaves dried for use second hand. This is fraud
difficult to prove, though weakness OF the
beverage may cause 1t to be suspected. Some
times teas are treated with catechu to increase
their apparent strength This can only be dis
covered by chemical tests.
The teas exported from China and Japan are
nearly always faced" with some mixture to
impart color or gloss to the leaves. The
preparations employed for this purpose con-
tain Prussian blue, tumeric, indigo and plum
bago. Damaged and imperfect leaves are
treated in this way to improve their appearance.
The substance most commonly used for black
teas Is plumbago-black lead. The teas con-
sumed by the Japanese and Chinese themselves
are never faced. There is no evidence that
these qussi-aduiterants are injurious to health.
Prussian blue is set down in the United States
dispensatory as a tonic and alternative, though
rarely used incidentally. The dose is five-hun-
dredths Of drachm. To take that amount in
the form OF tea facing one would have to con-
sumo pound OF tea.
Tea has been used by the Chinese from re-
mote antiquity. 1t was introduced into Japan
early in the ninth century. It is supposed to
have been first brought to Europe about 1877
by the Portuguese, who established at that
period q trade with the far east. In 1864 the
East India Company sent two pounds Of tea to
England as present to the king, which would
indicate that the article was considered rarity