The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-17
THE CONSOLING CUP OF TEA
Few But CelestiaIs Know How to
Prepare 1t Properly.
A Better Article May he Had in
America When the Transatlantic
Railway Is Completed - Efforts
Made 10 Produce Fine Lenyes.

One OF the results which will follow the
completion of the Transatlantic Railway,
now in course OF construction, will be
that people in Europe, and possibly in this
country, will get better tea than they can
at present obtain. The sea air however,
is an enemy to all delicately fired leaves.
and tea, to be perfection, requires to be
lightly fired
Bot comparatively few foreigners, even
in China, drink anything but the Excess
sively fired teas; for having been used to
them from infancy, they do not appre-
ciate the lightly fired kinds. and often
are not even aware OF their existence
while the Chinese, believing foreigners
like the exported varieties, supply them
with IL. Good tea should he OF a light
brown; the water, to pour on the leaves.
should be boiling. but only inst boiling:
and the tea should not be allowed to dfaw
Tor hall an hour or more, as the tannin
is thus drawn ont of the leaves fresh
infusion, some time after the first draw
ing, is better, the Chinese making a fresh
brew for each visitor that calls
An excellent plan Of the Chinese with
regard to tea, is that Of sometimes using
large cups containing almost as much as
a large breakfast coffee cup. Leaves suffi-
Client for cup of tea, are thrown into the
bottom of this, and the boiling water pour
ed on The cup is provided with a lid
utes that 1t is drawing, and the tea is
handed hot and freshly made TO each one
the lid also serves to saucer "A few sips
of il at a time, and cool it when drink
ing, while at the bottom of the cup. coy
cred by the delicate. almost amber-col-
ored fluid, lie the leaves, uncurled by the
heat OF the water.
Though the Chimes drink green tea. they
object to the mixture of Prussian blue
and gypsum. which is cheerfully swal-
lowed by other folks as a necessary in
grcdient of that article. We. In America
do not receive the natural green tea for
the reason that If properly fired, 1t would
ferment on the ocean voyage. and if tired
sufficiently to resist this ii would he
wholly unfit to drink.
Different kinds of flowers are used ia
scent tea. such as roses, tuberoses, or
ange blossoms jasmine, gardeniaS, aza-
leas, as well us the olca fragrans only
the petals being used for the purpose.
Some choice brands of tea are grown on
small plots of grounds and command al
most a fabulous price. Some of the most
famous of these are situated near mon
asteries. owned by the priests and attend
ed to by their inferior followers.
Many attempts have been made In dtf-
fercnt parts of the world to grow the tea
plant as it ilourishes in the East, but
with Indifferent success. The Spanish
authorities tried to raise it i'm the Philip
pines; the Dutch in Snmaira, Java. and
Rorneo, the English in the Straits Set
tioment. and the French in Cochin chi
na. 1t has been found from these expe-
rimonls that the only favorable local.
ties are mountainous regions, whore there
IL moisture, good soil. ana not an excess
ot warmth. The Dutch have turned this
discovery to account. and now cOnfine
their efforts to the high mountainous dis
tricts with which their colonial possess
ions abound. Fairly good tea has been
produced under these conditions but the
quality has been very Inferior to the fine
growths Of Formosa and Foochow.