Delaware gazette and state journal., 1897-06-10

with the Indian product. Times have
and now il is the Indian and
Ceylon teas that monopolize most OF
the trade, and Chinn. as far as England
ia concerned, has been cast aside. Ii
is very remarkable thing thar.
although we drink 80 much tea In this
country, we do not understand the art
of making it in the lsast. A famous
Chinaman VINO was over here was
asked by his hostess IL he took milk
and sugar. "ies," he replied, 'lots
of both" .
"oh," remarked the lady, ~
thought you drank it without either
in China. Without q smile he re-
marked, II take both here to disguise
the flavor Of the tea.
Speaking TO a member Of large
China house, who was the tea taeter
for his firm, we ventured to ask him
the proper way to prepare our tea.
well, he replied, "the kettle should
Just reach its first boil, the pot should
be warmed, the leaves put in, and the
boiling water poured upon than. They
should stand from five TO ak minutes
to draw"
So long as that2" we remarked, 10
of hour glass beside us when we arc
tasting, and ws never let the infusion
stand for less than five minutes, and
it is strange tea IL it requires more
than six. After that every minute the
tea remains in the pot tho liquid is
spelling and absorbing certain
amount of poison. Stewed tea is bad
for the digestion and nerves, and
everything else. " l
Then he proceeded to tell US how he
bad served several years. apprentice
ship in tea tasting, how i'll II had
made him at first, and what self denial
had been called upon in giving up
smoking aud peppery foods to train
the tongue to such acute constituencies
that the faster could tell to fraction
of farIhing the value of the tea he
took info his mouth. Needless TO say
they taste without sugar or milk, and
that they do not swallow tho liquid.
To be good tea tHster is to be assured
of an excellent income, for everything
depends in tea growing lands upon the
taster. 1t is he who decides what to
grow. and it is he who fixes the value
when grown. Consequently a tea
faster has the entire wealth or ruin, so
to speak, of his firm in his hands.
Most of tho best China tea goes to
America or Russia. and we lately had
the pleasure Of drinking some excellent
tea in the last named country, which
goes by the name OF brick or .'cararan
tea. =" 1t is bound into large condensed
packets, so as TO be carried across the
desert as easily as possible, and tho
Russians, appreciating the value OF
good tea, drink it au naturel, says The
Queen.
A restaurant in the land of the Gear
presents curious sight to stranger.
At any hour OF the day one may see men
and women sitting round little tables
inbibing what at first sight appears
TO be hot toddy. Both are smoking
generally the women only cigarettes
and the men cigars, but we have seen
Russian ladies smoking cigars on more
than one occasion. The steaming liquid
before them, served in tumElers, ia Of
a very pale straw color, with a slice OF
lemon floating on the surface, and an
invariable spoon standing in the glass.
1t is neither brandy NOR whisky they
ara slipping; it is the great Russian
beverage, tea and from the tirHt thing
in tho morning TO the last thing at
night the Russian is ererlastingly en-
ioying his tea. 1t is made en- the
famous samovar-not IN it-as by some
| people supposed. The samovar is an
enormous urn Of brass copper or silver,
inside which is n small fire round
which the water boils, and on the top
where we should put lid, the teapot
| rests to be warmed or stands 10 draw
when the tea is made. Therefore, it
is always boiling hot, and the Russians
are 30 careful not TO drink stepped tea,
| that as soon as one pot has drawn and
is emptied fresh one is brewed, SO
that the liquid should not be composed
of theme and tannin
Perhaps the greatest tea drinkers OF
| all are the Moors, because to them il
| is everything. Mohammedans do nut
| drink sDirits-whiGh is more than ran
he said Of the Russians --aud therefore
the Mohammedan sips his tea us his
one and great consolation. At first wa
thought 1t horrible. for Moorish tea ID
an acquired taste. Tho pomp with
which it is made is amazing TO a
European mind. Every one squats on
the floor; the head of the house sits
down beside tho teapot, with great
pomp the servant, VINO seems invariably
TO be called Mohammed or Ahsoau,
brings in the boiling ura, and5 after
the master has rinsHd the pot, nut in
the tea, filed the pot with water,
waited certain number of minutes
and skinned oil the frothy substance
that has risen to the surface. he packs
the precious teapot AZ full as ever it
will go with freshly ground mint. Nor
is this all; no takes as much sugar. as
the stranger imagnes would fiji the
entire pot, and, handful after handful,
pokes it in TO this mint favored con
cuction, let's it stand some minutes,
ana then pours cut little of the
weak. but highly favored tea and
drinks it himself, to assure his guests
that it is not poisoned. Then solemnly
cups are filled for the visitors, and
with the greatest pomp and wonderful
salaams they are handed round. To
the men first, of course, as women,
even foreign women, count for nothing
IN Morocco.
Three cups 0f tea is the regulation
supply, and it is an offence to leave
any Moor's house until one has solemply
managed these three cups. nioyed with
many Rows and gracious salutations,
and generally accompanied by extra.
ordinary cakes, which the Moors love,
but which the Europeans taste-well,
we have only TO explain they are fried
10 rancid butter, considered by the
Mohammetians deiicacy-to under
stand that to the English palate they
are at least disappointing
| Yes, tea is universal beyerape and