Omaha daily bee., 1916-05-26
Facts About Tea

Commercial tea is made from the tender
leaves OF the tea plant, Thea sinenss,
which in its native state IL a tree from
fifteen to thirty feet in height but which,
under cultivation. Is restricted by prun-
ing to height OF from three to six feet
While there are. generally speaking.
three different kinds Of tea namely
green. black and oolong all Of them can
be made from any variety Of tea plant
although the several varieties are vari-
ously suited for making the different
kinds. Perhaps II will not be out Of place
here TO dlfferentiate between the three
kinds ~ tea
In the case OF green tea the leaves
when freshly picked. are subjected to an
intense heat, which destroys the oxidzins
properties Of the leaf and causes the
leaves 70 retain their natural greeniBh
color after they are rolled and dried
In the case Of black teas the leaves
are allowed 10 wither slowly This pro-
notes oxdization and fermentation
After they are rolled the leaves are again
allowed to oxldlze before final drying
oolong teas are only slightly oxidlzed or
fermented before drying, and therefore
range between the greens and tho blacks.
From the foregoing the reader will OBJ
Herve that green ten IL a natural product
II Is not, as Is erroneoualy believed, dried
on copper plates, or colored green by
dyes II is true that green teas were
once srtificlnlly colorod and faced with
Prushian blue. indigo. aoapstone etc, but
this was done to give the ten o Rreenlsh-
pray color which ig more pleasing 10
the eye, nnd 10 conceal inferiority, II rs
also true that black teas we're AZ one
time faced with plumbago and other Ike
aubstanceB ia conceal inferiority. but no
teas Of this character now enter the
United States. owing 10 the protection the
consumer now receives from the govern
ment BY enforcement Of the tea law en-
noted March 9 1901 Incidentally II may
Ne eaid that this law not only prohibits
the importation Of impure teah. but alHo
Guarantees 70 the eonBImer teas Of fair
quality and fitness Tor consumption
The reason why only the tender young
leaves arc used IN making commercial
tea. and why we have 70 be 20 careful IN
brewing our ten IL all disclosed when we
study the chemistry Of the tea plant
Chemically. tea contains three important
constituents; namely. caffeine, tannin,
ana the aromatic principle which chem
itta have accredited 10 volatile esgsn-
ilal oil Commercial tea contains on the
average about 2 per cent Of caffeine the
chief constituent 10 which tea owes It's
utility aa a stlmnlant Tea. owing 70 the
caffeine Il contains. produces a marked
inerease IN mental activity and greatly
aileylates the effect Of mental strain
Perhaps no words can express the effects
OF tea better than these lines by LOU,
a learned chinese scholar who lived about
A. D. SIS. IT tempers tho spirits and
hsrmonizes the mind dispels iassItude
and relieves fatigue awhkens thought
and prevents drowslneSs lghtens and re-
freahep the body and clears the perceptive
faculties" TO any one OF us who has
experienced tho effects Of a cup Of good
tea. after day OF mental work. this de-
scription Of its effects by this famous
Chinese scholar secms very appropriate
indeed.
The aromatic quality OF tea givea II tho