The record-union., 1895-12-09
TALK ABOUT TEA.
Some Examples of How Not to
Brew 1t.
Water That He's Been Boiling Long
Time Not Fit to Make
Tea With.
TALK ABOUT TEA.

I'VE had an experience at our house
one day." said a young woman just re-
turning from her country Sojourn to an
| interested friend. TT taught me a les
son at the expense of the family COM
| fort. You see it was one of these re-
markable days in housekeeping when
everything seems to go wrong. The
cook had obtained leave of absence, but
| day but that the precious coachman
We knew, was an unusually good COOK,
and failing him, we could call on Pris-
elias French nurse; you know Pris-
ella was visiting us with her little
boy. Well, what should happen at mid
| Cay but that the precious coSchman
should be taken sick, the man about
the place disappear in some mysterious
way, and the preparation of the family
fare devolve upon the French nurse.
was in the hammock reading when she
came to ask if / could make the tea,
that the mistress would have to have
| tea-alluding to my mother, who was
sick, and hadn't been advised of our
domestic mishaps. Tear / asked, look
ing up. Why, can't you make tea?'
!" No, ma'am,' she answered, they
never drink tea N Paris.
Il had never made tea myself, but L
concluded that it was an easy enough
matter, and l went to the kitchen. 1t
was after l had got the tea caddy in
my hanu that doubt entered my head
as to the quantity to portion out. [
couldn't recollect ever hearing how
much tea should be allowed for each
cup; SO, in order to be sure of enough,
| put into the teapot heaping cupful
for each person.
"'You didn't! exclaimed her friend.
Yes, did /, who have always prided
myself upon knowing things, and in
| this land of cooking schools and COM
nonsense talks and all that Such a
time as we had with that tea. 1t swelled
and swelled and all the water boiled
out, and finally Annette, when my back
was turned, set the teapot in the oven
and let it bake. Nobody had any tea
! that evening, and l was well laughed
| at for my pains.
When this little incident was repeat
ed to tea merchant he commented
| upon it to the effect that there were few
persons who really understood how to
make a cup of tea People will insist
| upon boiling tea, he said. They have
an idea that they can't get the strength
cut of the leaves unless it is boiled.
! Now, the value of a tea leaf consists IN
| the sap, which is dried in the leaf when
the tea is cured. Everyone knows the
structure of any ordinary leaf, and a
| tea leaf is the same, composed of little
woody fibres and sinewS. Boiling water
poured on tea leaves will extract all the
| flavor and strength that is worth nav
ing. When the pot is put to simmer or
| boil, the woody structure of the leaf is
made to yield up its properties, embit-
teIing the taste. The tannin which
ic IF
the chief components in the manufact-
ure of ink, and ink would scarcely be
desirable as beverage.
| The Ceylon teas are becoming pop
ular in England, and are gaining favor
in this country" the tea expert contin-
| ued, launched on his favorite theme.
| These. Ceylon teas are similar to the
English breakfast tea, only much more
| aromatic, pungent and of heavier quail
ity. There will be over 1900 packages
| of the China teas sold to-day at the
| Auction rooms and only eighty-five of
the Ceylons, but few years ago there
were no Ceylons at all. British capital,
| energy and influence in India are doing
the work, and owing to the strong re-
| semblance these teas bear to the Eng
lish breakfast they are fast becoming
fayorites."
| The auction room where on each We'd
nesday at noon transactions in tea are
| conducted is an odd spectacle to the
uninitiated The $50 brokers and job
bers assembled there might be mistaken
for pupils learning a lesson from the
| auctioneer, who calls off lots and num-
| bers in unending succession. Each
broker is provided with catalogue and
| pencil and checks off the various
brands as fast as they are mentioned.
All around the walls are packages of
tea wrapped in their coverings of mat
ting, duly marked and labeled. Two
SOBER faced clerks jot down the pro-
ceedings in big volumes, and yet an
other functionary stands on the roS-
trum with the auctioneer to aid him in
his task Around the chamber are gal
| lerles, in which interested spectators
may find accommodation. Bids are
made by significant gestures or glances
as some purchaser looks up for mo-
ment from his closely studied cata-
logue, but only the keenest observation
on the part of the onlooker reveals
these occult signs, and for the most
part the auctioneer has the talk all to
himself and knocks down lot after lot
to his customers without their saying a
Word in regard to the transaction.
The importance of tea as a CONNER
cial factor is not realized until one goes
down into those narrow business streets
of lower New York 1t is pleasing
picture that greets the eye any morning
in one of those big tea houses. Dainty
white cups of eggshell china are set like
SO many censers on round table OF pol
ished wood, and from these smoking in
icense ascends, filling the apartment
with a fragrance pure, wholesome and
altogether delightful. These cups are
constantly filed for the convenience OF
the tea tester.
"There is enough tea in that little cup
60 tflf
tea is usually made" says the tea ex-
pert, pouring a measure of boiling water
or the closely curled leaves and watch
ing them expand. Two other cups are
treated in the same way, and the visitor
is challenged to detect the different
brands.
The darkest amber is the Ceylon,'' he
explains. This is the Formosa," and
while the listener is thinking of the
island which Japan so recently wrested
by force of arms from it's native al
legiance, more tiny cups are filled with
a yet more bewildering variety of teas
and the Ceylon grade deepens in color
into almost a wine-red.
THE English are tea-drinking ma
ton" the tea merchant is saying ''The
business men in London go out from
their offices In the afternoon to get a
cup of tea, just as the Americans &c
out to take a drink of alcoholic stirnu-
liant The people of the United States
consume just five times as much coffee
as tea. The people of hot countries
habitually drink coffee, and the people
Of colder countries take to tea"
This tea that comes directly from
China wrapped in long narrow pack
ages of tinsel paper, is it of superior
merit?"
Not generally 1t is unusually
lcng-leaved tea, and leaves allowed te
remain on the tree long enough to grow
So long become tough and lose some OF
their aromatic flavor. People in genera
rarely taste the finest quality of tea The