Preparations for Market. The leaves are gathered
rapidly to prevent crushing and fermentation, and
are touched with the hands as little as possible. Since
the leaves are apt to set up a process of fermentation,
they are rarely conveyed in bulk.
Curing. The object of the curing is to get rid of the
moisture, and prevent decomposition, and also to
bring the virtue out of the tea. Curing also breaks
down the plant structure to some extent. The method
of curing differs with different localities. The Chinese
method is chiefly by hand and the Indian by machin-
ery.
The process of curing includes drying, rolling, and
152 DOMESTIC SCIENCE
firing. The leaves are dried by steam or charcoal
without smoke, heated evenly by movements with the
hand or by shaking the vessel. They are sometimes
dried in the sua and trodden out by barefooted men
in order to break the fibre and dry them quickly and
better. For export the leaves are more highly dried
to keep the flavor. Tea which comes by way of the
Pacific Ocean, where it is in the same latitude all the
way, is much better flavored than that which comes
by the Cape and Suez Canal. The method differs in
the black and in the green teas. The black teas are
dried before being fired, and the green teas are fired
at once, or seasoned before drying. The chlorophyll
or green coloring matter of plants is not changed, so
the leaves remain green.
For Black Teas. To ciu-e black teas, the leaves
are exposed to the air iintil dry, then tossed until soft,
and then left piled in heaps for a while before they
are fired. After firing they are rolled about on rattan
frames, and dried slowly over charcoal. When partly
dried they are rolled again, then dried and repeatedly
rolled. The color of black tea depends on the exposure
to atmospheric changes (fermentation).
For Green Teas. To cure green teas, the leaves
are steamed in a small boiler. The steam swells the
plant and heats the juice to evaporation. It liberates
the essential oil which is then rubbed in with the
hands; after the leaves are fired they are dried care-
fully and rolled in form for the market, by feet or
hands.
From the rubbing in of the oil by hand, the green
tea gets its special flavor. The color of green tea
depends on the rapidity of drying, while the gloss
TEA 153
depends on treating and manipulating with a little
Prussian blue, mixed with gypsum and indigo.
Artificial Flavoring. The high-class teas are not
treated in this way. The tea leaves are placed with
aromatic flowers of other plants. For example,
the Olea fragrance is used to make the scented Pekoe.
Odors thus imparted to the tea leaves are evanescent,
but delicate and agreeable, and give pleasant varie-
ties to the inferior teas. Scented teas are always
mixed with stronger, unscented teas.
Varieties of Teas. Varieties depend upon time of
collecting, stage of the development of the leaf,
method of curing, etc.
Pekoe. This is made from the smallest leaves, and
Flowery Pekoe has very tender tips with some of the
tea flowers. It has a very delicate flavor, but not a
full body, and is rarely used alone. For Orange
Pekoe two small leaves next to tl^e top are taken.
All Pekoe teas are very expensive.
Souchong. These are the leaves next to the Pekoe.
They are larger leaves without the ends of the
twigs.
Hyson. This is a variety from the earliest pickings
of the buds and half -open leaves in April. The leaves
are then closely rolled, and are greenish and delicate
in flavor, as they contain a large proportion of juice
to the sohd substance in the leaf. It is prepared
with care in order that it may be perfectly preserved.
The Commercial varieties are the Green and
Black Hyson, Imperial Gimpowder, Japan and Java.
Black Teas. Kaison Caper (plain and scented),
Baked Souchong (little leaf), and Oolong (the Chinese
word for black dragon), are black teas. The division
154 DOMESTIC SCIENCE
Page 61
Presented as published in 1911. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Preparations for Market. The leaves are gathered rapidly to prevent crushing and fermentation, and are touched with the hands as little as possible. Since the leaves are apt to set up a process of fermentation, they are rarely conveyed in bulk.
Curing. The object of the curing is to get rid of the moisture, and prevent decomposition, and also to bring the virtue out of the tea. Curing also breaks down the plant structure to some extent. The method of curing differs with different localities. The Chinese method is chiefly by hand and the Indian by machinery.
The process of curing includes drying, rolling, and
firing. The leaves are dried by steam or charcoal without smoke, heated evenly by movements with the hand or by shaking the vessel. They are sometimes dried in the sun and trodden out by barefooted men in order to break the fibre and dry them quickly and better. For export the leaves are more highly dried to keep the flavor. Tea which comes by way of the Pacific Ocean, where it is in the same latitude all the way, is much better flavored than that which comes by the Cape and Suez Canal. The method differs in the black and in the green teas. The black teas are dried before being fired, and the green teas are fired at once, or seasoned before drying. The chlorophyll or green coloring matter of plants is not changed, so the leaves remain green.
For Black Teas. To cure black teas, The leaves are exposed to the air until dry, then tossed until soft, and then left piled in heaps for a while before they are fired. After firing they are rolled about on rattan frames, and dried slowly over charcoal. When partly dried they are rolled again, then dried and repeatedly rolled. The color of black tea depends on the exposure to atmospheric changes (fermentation).
For Green Teas. To cure green teas, the leaves are steamed in a small boiler. The steam swells the plant and heats the juice to evaporation. It liberates the essential oil which is then rubbed in with the hands; after the leaves are fired they are dried carefully and rolled in form for the market, by feet or hands.
From the rubbing in of the oil by hand, the green tea gets its special flavor. The color of green tea depends on the rapidity of drying, while the gloss
TEA 153
depends on treating and manipulating with a little Prussian blue, mixed with gypsum and indigo.
Artificial Flavoring. The high-class teas are not treated in this way. The tea leaves are placed with aromatic flowers of other plants. For example, the Olea fragrance is used to make the scented Pekoe. Odors thus imparted to the tea leaves are evanescent, but delicate and agreeable, and give pleasant varieties to the inferior teas. Scented teas are always mixed with stronger, unscented teas.
Varieties of Teas. Varieties depend upon time of collecting, stage of the development of the leaf, method of curing, etc.
Pekoe. This is made from the smallest leaves, and Flowery Pekoe has very tender tips with some of the tea flowers. It has a very delicate flavor, but not a full body, and is rarely used alone. For Orange Pekoe two small leaves next to the top are taken. All Pekoe teas are very expensive.
Souchong. These are the leaves next to the Pekoe. They are larger leaves without the ends of the twigs.
Hyson. This is a variety from the earliest pickings of the buds and half -open leaves in April. The leaves are then closely rolled, and are greenish and delicate in flavor, as they contain a large proportion of juice to the solid substance in the leaf. It is prepared with care in order that it may be perfectly preserved.
The Commercial varieties are the Green and Black Hyson, Imperial Gimpowder, Japan and Java.
Black Teas. Kaison Caper (plain and scented), Baked Souchong (little leaf), and Oolong (the Chinese word for black dragon), are black teas. The division