Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1910-08-06
The Judging of Tea.


teas for themselvesa How many can
judge by the dry leaf or the cup the
difference between India, China, Java !
or Ceylon tea2
While the good reputation of count
less tea houses and wholesale grocers
from whom the retailer buys his tea
stocks does not make this knowledge
absolutely necessary either for his own
protection or that of his customers still
it is a valuable addition to the infor-
nation which goes to make up selling
ability and tends to make him a more
successful retail merchant, says Chicago
Retailers Journal.
Tea, usually is judged first by the
eye, next by the feel, then by the smell
and finally by the taste, the final and
critical test being by the palate.
1t is not generally realized by the
uninitiated that the tea leaf is a large
one and if allowed to grow to its full
size will often be six, eight or even
nine inches long. In India and Ceylon
gardens, where there are frequent pluck
ings, the young leaves only are plucked
and the large, coarse ones left to nour-
ish the shrub. Even under fairly close
plucking however leaves of three or
four inches long are frequently brought
into the factory and the whole of the
} plucking is dealt with together.
The young shoots or tips are graded
out with all the smallest tea and with
the most even Pekoes and broken Pc
! koes. When samples are lightened up
= by little bright golden tips this is an
evidence that the tea is young. Tip,
however, is not always a sign of quality
! as soft, poor tea grown in low districts
: produces plenty of tippy orange Pekoe
= and golden orange Pekoe, which may
: be absolute rubbish in the cup. Tip
a is to be found in orange Pekoe, broken
orange PekOe, Pekoe fannings and Pc
r koe dust.
/. In judging tea by the eye one should
J. appreciate and value tips and should
look for a closely twisted, even we'll
made leaf and avoid stalks, sticks and
!. open brown leaf. Color should be well
Il looked after and soft gray or black
p leaf and tips of golden color chosen.
ii Autumn favored teas, as Indians are
called which arrive from the end Of
" December to March, usually have the
le young leaves of a red or brown color
r. A light, open, spongy leaf should be
m avoided. A well-twisted, evenly made
- heavy leaf is always an advantage as
teas should be spooned into the pot and
the greater the weight that goes IN
> with each spoon the better the brew.
'o In testing tea by the sense Of smell
~ one should not either from the nos
ne OF mouth, breathe into a sample, bu
le, should rather inhale gently and try q
a detect the flavor, richness and fresl.
IN ness. OVer-fred and highly-burnt tea
~ suit very few districts and are usual
IA objectionable Every foreign 1aVO
IN should be avoided. The habit of smell
~ ing samples Of the kind intended 10 b
~ bought should be cultivated as the sens
Of smell is keen and will often detee
nl Objectionable features where other test
3D. viii not.
he ln testing tea by the taste Il Is 10
as p0rtant that AN equal amount Of iaTe
,ht and small leaf be used and that Obi
nd should catch the water as ~ gets
es boiling Iully. The brew should be q
nd lowed 10 stand for five OF SIX minute
hi. and while the liquor Is cooling the SINE
of The infused leaves carefully note
''p Tho color of the infused lear is, as
on rule, a never failing test of qualit
'ef. An oven bright Light livery color sAou
of be looked Tor, as fhe lighter tAe y
otb fused leaf, iho better The quality
nd "a rule The darker - ~ tAe poorer q
iAe quality
md Flavor, strength and pungepey
nm erip are che poinif NJ look fof AZ go
iea Strength ln ihe eup eepelal
depth of color of fhe liquor hui ile
" alao another element NJ le fouE
.a,. ihai - p riehpesf apo lopplptss
~, favor Nhlfh comes Oli nfI hiih i
M addition of miih hpa sugar