The Colorado statesman., 1914-03-28

ueuldIeiy dsSdiicu
by the fragrant odor of the stimulat-
ing beverage. A table in the center of
the room is filled with white china tea
cups, spoons, scales and various and
divers cans of tea. In one corner of
the room is big kettle of polished
brass in which water is kept boiling
constantly with the aid of an electric
apparatus. Rows of shelves line the
wall, filled with hundreds of labeled
cans, queer wicker baskets and pack
ages covered with brilliant crimson
paper and odd hieroglyphics.
Wont you join my little tea par
ty?" asks the hospitable Mr. Mitchell,
whose official title. by the way, is
supervising tea examiner.
First of all he takes from shelf a
Jar of tea which he calls the stand
ard" This is a sample of tea fixed by
a board of tea experts, consisting of
seven men, named by the secretary of
the treasury once a year. This sam
pie, together with eleven others, rep
resenting in all twelve different kinds
of teas, is determined upon because of
its purity, quality, freedom from in
furious ingredients and because of its
general fitness for consumption, and
is used as a standard for the follow
ing twelve months of all teas imported
into the United States. 1t is neces-
sary to establish new standard each
sample causes 1t to lose it's flavor and
deteriorate generally. An effort is
made, however to have the new one
compare as nearly as possible with
the one previously in use.
Arranging row of cups on the ta-
BILE, Mr.. Mitchell places in each one
the weight of silver half dime in tea,
taken from different sample cans sub
mitted to him, and also from the
STANDARD" one. He pastes label on
the bottom of each cup, the cups are
mixed, and then he commences what
is called testing in the blind" He
does not know until the test is over
which is the cup containing the stand
ard tea.
OF course, he has to brew the tea
first, and his recipe for an ideal, prop
erly prepared cup should be of general
interest to housewives.
"One teaspoonful of tea to cup is
the proper amount to use," said Mr.
Mitchell. "The teapot must be
cleansed carefully with boiling water
the tea placed in same and boiling
water poured over it. And here is
the most important point in tea max
ing-the tea must be allowed to steer
three minutes only. In that time al
the stimulating properties have left
the tea leaves and the drink is 6
healthful one. After three minutes
however, tannin, which is injurious
comes from 1t, for nature has SO ar
ranged it that the stimulating prop
critics of tea are more soluble in wa
ter than the injurious ones"
After the tea is prepared Mr.. Mitch
ell begins to spray his palate" which
is tea testers parlance. He fills {
spoon with tea and sucks it away bach
into his throat, for here, near the pal
ate, is his keenest sense of taste
huge brass cuspidor receives the liquid
after he has tasted it, for he does moi
swallow any OF 1t.
After the different cups of tea have
sufficiently tickled the palate of Mr.
Mitchell he arranges them from left
to right in the order of their quality
and those cups which, after the labels
at the bottom are examined, are at
the left of the cup containing the
standard are accepted and passed
favorably upon and those at the right
are rejected. This is called the "cup
quality test and is made to deter
mine the flavor, fragrance and body
of the tea. The infusion in the mouth
must not feel "wishy-washy." The
other tests employed are of equal if
not greater Importance than this one.