Analytical Sanitary Commission

90 An of the manufacture of tea consists in THE important part the rolling the leaves, so as to impart to them their characteristic ANALYTICAL SANITARY twisted shape. This is effected by subjecting the leaves to COMMISSION. pressure, and rolling by the hands in a particular manner. The first effect of the application of heat to the leaves in the kuo, is to render them soft and flaccid; when in this state, they RECORDS OF THE RESULTS OF are removed from the vessel, and submitted to the first rolling MICROSCOPICAL AND CHEMICAL ANALYSES - an operation which, after the renewed action of the kuo on each is three or four times with OF THE occasion, repeated, superior before the is considered to be SOLIDS AND FLUIDS teas, process complete. The following observations on the scenting of tea are ex." CONSUMED BY ALL CLASSES OF THE PUBLIC. from Mr. Ball’s " Account of the Cultivation and Manufacture of Tea in China":- " The Chinese seem universally to agree, in ancient as in T E A, modern times, that no factitious scent can be given to tea AND ITS which at all equals its natural fragrance; in short, they say, ADULTERATIONS. ’that only common tea requires scenting.’ Those persons who have had the opportunity of drinking some of the finest kinds of Souchong tea will perhaps agree with the Chinese in this is a and which THE tea-plant hardy, evergreen, leafy shrub, opinion. There are, however, many scented teas, which, so attains the of from three to six feet, and it height upwards; far from being inferior, are even costly, and much esteemed, to the natural (Ternstromiaceae belongs family Coltimniferce, both in China and in Europe. Of these the Cltu Lan, or of which includes the Camellias. It is Lindley,) generally Cowslip may be considered the best. in Hyson, propagated from seed, and the plant comes to maturity from " The tea about to be scented must be taken hot from the two to three years, yielding, in the course of the season, three, last roasting, (which immediately precedes the packing,) and in some four of leaves. and, cases, crops poured into a Hyson chest, so as to form a layer of two inches The first takes in the a gathering place very early spring, in height from the bottom; a handful or more of the fresh second in the beginning of May, a third about the middle of flowers (already separated from the stalks) is then strewed and a fourth in The leaves of the first June, August. gather- over the tea. In this manner the tea and flowers are placed ing are the most valuable, and from these, Pekoe tea, which in layers, until the chest is quite full. The mouth of the of the consists of the young leaf-buds, as well as black teas canister is then closed, and thus the tea remains for twenty- are Those of the last are highest quality, prepared. gathering four hours. The proper proportion is three catties of flowers and old inferior in flavour and large leaves, and, consequently, to one hundred catties of tea. The next day, the chest is value. emptied, when the tea and flowers are mixed together; they The leaves in size and form: the vary considerably youngest then undergo the process of Poey,* about three catties being leaves are and those next in narrow, convoluted, downy; age put into one sieve. The Poey Long is completely closed, and and size have their with vena- edges delicately serrated, the the tea and flowers are thus roasted about from one to two tion in those of medium and sizes I scarcely perceptible; large hours, or rather, until the flowers become crisp. The flowers the venation is well a series of characteristic marked, loops are then sifted out, and the tea packed. If the tea requires formed each of the and the serrations being along margin leaf, any further scenting, fresh flowers must be used, and the pro- are and and at intervals. stronger deeper, placed greater cess repeated as before. The tea thus prepared is then mixed The varieties of black tea are which is the principal Bohea, with other tea, in the proportion of one part of scented tea commonest and coarsest description, Congou, Souchong, Caper to twenty of plain. The whole is then slightly heated in a and Padre Souchong, and Pekoe, which are of the highset kuo (c7tao), and when packed, constitutes the description of the last of the and quality, consisting very young unexpanded tea denominated in England Cowslip Hyson. Tea may be and when clothed with constitute leaves, which, down, scented at any time with this kind of tea, but it must be pre. Pekoe. flowery viously heated or roasted about two hours. The principal varieties of green tea are Twankay, Hyson- " The mode of scenting black tea differs from that of green, and skin, Young Hyson, Hyson, Imperial, Gunpowder, which, and so far as I understand, there are two or three methods of in with Pekoe in black. Im- green tea, corresponds flowery performing this process. The Souchong or Caper teas, the consist of the second and third perial, Hyson,and Young Hyson, Tet Siong, and other teas of the cowslip flavour, are also gatherings, while the light and inferior leaves, separated from scented with the Chu Lan flower, (Chloranthus inconspicuus.) a constitute a Hyson by winnowing machine, Hyson-skin, "After gathering, the flowers are separated from the stalks in considerable demand the Americans. variety amongst as before, when some people dry them in the sun; but the best’ There is but one of the from which the species tea-plant, mode is to dry them in a Poey Long, over a slow fire, taking whole of the and other varieties of are ob- above, many tea, care not to change the yellow. colour of the petals. When the differences tained, depending upon soil, climate, weather, dried they are put aside to cool, and are afterwards reduced to of the and mode of age leaves, preparation. powder. If this powder, the scent of which is very powerful, The from which black teas are are plants prepared grown be sprinkled over the leaves previously to the last or two last on the of hills and of while chiefly slopes ledges mountains;* roastings and rollings, in the process of Poey, the tea. will be the tea-shrubs are cultivated in manured soils. this green Upon highly scented; but this is an expensive mode, on account of circumstance many of the differences between the two varie- the additional quantity of flowers required, and therefore is ties depend. seldom practised. The usual mode is by sprinkling a small Other differences are occasioned the by processes adopted quantity of this powder over the tea during the last process of£ in the preparation and roasting of the leaves. Thus, while Poey, which takes place previous to packing, A small white black tea is first roasted in a shallow iron called a kuo, vessel, powder, frequently found in black teas of the caper flavour, and secondly in sieves, over a bright charcoal fire, green tea cannot have escaped the observation of the tea-dealers in does not undergo the second method of roasting, but only the England; this powder is that of the Chu Lan flover, whose first-that in the kuo. colour has been changed to white in the process of Poey. "There is another scented tea, of excellent flavour, which is * There is a range called the Bohea mountains, from which we presume Bohea tea takes its name. * The roasting of the leaves in a sieve over a charcoal fire. 91 made in small quantities, and occasionally sent to foreigners practised with the wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, the as presents. This is a Souchong tea, scented with the flower indigo of Bengal, and many other commodities; and from this of the Pac Sheem, (Gardenia florida.) circumstance get the name of chops, the Chinese term for a " There are two other scented teas, also of fine flavour, both seal or signet. Souchong teas, the one scented with the Quy-fa., or Kuey-hoa, "The greater part of the tea is brought to Canton by laud (Olea fragrans,) and the other with the Moo.Ly-Hoa, (Jas- carriage, or inland navigation, but chiefly by the first: it is minam Sambac.) Some people say that these three last teas conveyed by porters; the roads of China, in the southern pro- are mixed with the flowers, as the Hyson tea is mixed with vinces, not generally admitting of wheel carriages, and beasts the Chu Lan, and are scented in the same manner. But others of burden being very rare. A small quantity of black tea is say that two sieves are placed in the Poey Long, the lower brought by sea, but probably smuggled; for this cheaper one containing the flowers, and the upper one the tea. The mode of transportation is discouraged by government, which latter is the mode in which the Pac Sheem tea, to which I it deprives of the transit duties levied on inland carriage. The have previously alluded, is scented. These are all the flowers length of land-carriage from the principal districts where the with which I am acquainted, which are employed to scent green teas are grown, to Canton, is probably not less than tea, but in the Keun Fang Pu, and Quang Tong Chy, (or Can- 700 miles; nor that of the black tea, over a mountainous ton Geographical History,) many others are enumerated as country, less than 200 miles.

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