Elements of the theory and practice of cookery

Tea consists of the dried leaves of an evergreen shrub native to China. In what other countries is it culti- vated ? Tea-plants, left to themselves, would grow tall, but in a tea-garden they are trimmed to keep them bushy. Only young leaves and buds are picked for market, the smallest making the finest grades of tea, such as Pekoe and Souchong. Tea leaves have to be wilted, rolled, "fired" — that is, dried by artificial heat, 1 Color does not show the strength of an infusion, the finest teas giving a light color even after long steeping ; it is tannin that makes tea dark. BEVERAGES: TEA, COFFEE, COCOA 311 to develop their flavor and stimulating properties — and graded by sifting before they are ready for market. Freshly picked leaves carried rapidly through these processes keep their natural color, and are sold as green tea ; black tea is produced from leaves left in heaps on the ground, to darken and develop a different flavor before being rolled. India teas are cleaner than other black teas, being prepared by machinery instead of by hand ; but they are said to contain more tannin. Green tea contains more tannin than black tea does, and so is more likely to cause nervousness. Among green teas are Gun- powder, Hyson, Pekoe, and all Japan teas ; among black, Formosa and Oolong. 493. Value of tea. — While not nutritious, tea is a useful food adjunct, because it prevents tissue from wearing out. For this reason it is excellent for elderly people, but bad for children, whose health depends on the constant renewal of all parts of their bodies. Nor is its stimulating effect good for young nerves. You will be wise not to drink tea until you are grown up, and then in moderate quantities only. Much of the benefit thought to be derived from tea is doubtless caused by its heat and the action of swallowing it ; a cup of hot water would be equally effective. Section 2. Coffee 494. A study of coffee. — Compare roasted with un- roasted coffee beans, observing differences in color, 312 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COOKERY odor, and taste. Brown a few unroasted beans on a pan or shovel over the fire, and compare them with the roasted ones. What changes does roasting produce in coffee? Experiment. — Boil together for ten minutes one rounded table- spoonful of coffee and one cupful of water ; compare taste with that of coffee made by either of the methods given below. In what respect is long-boiled coffee like boiled tea? 495. Coffee — on the plantation and in the market. — The coffee ^' bean," or berry, is the seed of the red cherrylike fruit of this tropical evergreen, each fruit usually containing two berries. When the fruit begins to shrivel, it is shaken to the ground and dried until the seeds can be easily separated from the pulp. The saeds are run between wooden rollers to crack off the husk enclosing them, after which they are roasted in a revolving cylinder, great care being taken to have the degree of heat that will best develop their characteristic flavor and odor, or aroma.