Customs of Drinking. — Tea is drunk clear in China and
Japan, and with a few drops of lemon in Kussia. In Tar-
tary and on the coast of South America, the used leaves are
passed around and eaten with relish. These contain about
twenty per cent of nitrogenous matter, so that the custom
can certainly be defended on the score of economy.
Natural History. — Tea is the dried leaves of a plant
belonging to the same family as our camellia. It is now
a shrub, but a wild variety, supposed by some to represent
the original stock, attains the size of a large tree. It is
one of the hardiest of subtropical plants, and will grow
over a wide area of country. The conditions best suited to
it are the slopes of mountains in tropical or subtropical
countries. These give it the warm, moist, equable climate
with good root drainage under which it thrives best.
It is grown from seed. As soon as the plants are four or
DRINKS 131
five inches high they are transplanted to the plantation. The
rows of plants are five feet apart, so that the pickers can walk
easily between them. If the situation is exposed, the plant
is kept low, that it may not be injured by the storm and
wind, but in sheltered positions it is allowed to reach a
height of six feet or more. When the slope of the ground
does not shelter it, it is usual to plant near by quick-growing
trees to break the force of the wind.
For three years it is allowed to grow undisturbed except
for needed pruning, and even then care is taken not to strip
it, for the leaves are the main organs of this as well as
other plants.
Preparation for the Market. — The leaves are picked three
times a year. Those gathered first, in April, are considered
the choicest, for they contain a larger proportion of juice in
relation to the solid, and are moreover much more pliable.
A large portion of this crop is kept in its habitat for the
use of the wealthy ; but some of it finds its way in small
quantities on the backs of horses or caravans to Eussia, and
of late years a little of it is sold in the markets of Great
Britain and the United States.
Women and children are employed in gathering the
leaves. It is worthy of note that the fresh leaves have
neither odor nor flavor. These leaves are then dried in the
sun and trodden out by barefoot men, in order to break
the fibres and dry them better. Then they are heaped up
and heated for some hours, or until they are reddish brown
in color. They are then rolled up by hand. This is to
start up fermentation, which, however, is soon checked
by exposing them to the heat of the sun, or else baking
them over a charcoal fire. In all this heating they are
carefully stirred to prevent scorching.
In this state they are bought by the merchants, who
in turn sort them so that leaves of the same size and acre
132 HANDBOOK OF DOMESTIC SCIENCE
shall be together. Stems and damaged leaves are removed.
Then they are thoroughly dried over a slow fire and are
shipped to Europe and America.
Page 64
Presented as published in 1900. 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
Customs of Drinking. — Tea is drunk clear in China and Japan, and with a few drops of lemon in Kussia. In Tartary and on the coast of South America, the used leaves are passed around and eaten with relish. These contain about twenty per cent of nitrogenous matter, so that the custom can certainly be defended on the score of economy.
Natural History. — Tea is the dried leaves of a plant belonging to the same family as our camellia. It is now a shrub, but a wild variety, supposed by some to represent the original stock, attains the size of a large tree. It is one of the hardiest of subtropical plants, and will grow over a wide area of country. The conditions best suited to it are the slopes of mountains in tropical or subtropical countries. These give it the warm, moist, equable climate with good root drainage under which it thrives best.
It is grown from seed. As soon as the plants are four or
five inches high they are transplanted to the plantation. The rows of plants are five feet apart, so that the pickers can walk easily between them. If the situation is exposed, the plant is kept low, that it may not be injured by the storm and wind, but in sheltered positions it is allowed to reach a height of six feet or more. When the slope of the ground does not shelter it, it is usual to plant near by quick-growing trees to break the force of the wind.
For three years it is allowed to grow undisturbed except for needed pruning, and even then care is taken not to strip it, for the leaves are the main organs of this as well as other plants.
Preparation for the Market. — The leaves are picked three times a year. Those gathered first, in April, are considered the choicest, for they contain a larger proportion of juice in relation to the solid, and are moreover much more pliable. A large portion of this crop is kept in its habitat for the use of the wealthy ; but some of it finds its way in small quantities on the backs of horses or caravans to Eussia, and of late years a little of it is sold in the markets of Great Britain and the United States.
Women and children are employed in gathering the leaves. It is worthy of note that the fresh leaves have neither odor nor flavor. These leaves are then dried in the sun and trodden out by barefoot men, in order to break the fibres and dry them better. Then they are heaped up and heated for some hours, or until they are reddish brown in color. They are then rolled up by hand. This is to start up fermentation, which, however, is soon checked by exposing them to the heat of the sun, or else baking them over a charcoal fire. In all this heating they are carefully stirred to prevent scorching.
In this state they are bought by the merchants, who in turn sort them so that leaves of the same size and age
shall be together. Stems and damaged leaves are removed. Then they are thoroughly dried over a slow fire and are shipped to Europe and America.