42. TEA consists of the prepared leaves or leaf buds of a plant known as
the tea plant and is used as one of the three stimulating beverages.
This plant is grown in China, Japan, India, Ceylon, and the East Indies,
and to a small extent in South Carolina. There are two distinct
varieties of tea, and each one may be used for the preparation of either
green or black tea. The leaves of the tea plant, which are what is used
for making the beverage, are gathered four times a year from the time
the plants are 4 years old until they are 10 or 12 years old. Then the
plants are pulled up and new ones planted. Upon being gathered, the
leaves are put through a series of processes before they are ready for
use. During this treatment, various modifications of flavor are
developed and the leaves are changed in color to black or green,
depending on the process used.
43. It is surprising to most persons to learn that tea was known in
China for many years before people began to make a beverage of it. The
first record of its use as a beverage was probably in the 6th century,
when an infusion of tea leaves was given to a ruler of the Chinese
Empire to cure a headache. A century later, tea had come into common use
as a beverage in that country. As civilization advanced and new
countries were formed, tea was introduced as a beverage, and today there
is scarcely a locality in which it is not commonly used.
44. CLASSIFICATION OF TEA AS TO QUALITY.--The position of the leaf on
the tea plant determines the quality of the tea. The farther from the
top, the coarser are the leaves and the poorer is the quality. On the
other hand, the smaller the leaves and the nearer the top, the better is
the quality. In the very best qualities of tea, the buds of the plant
are included with the tiny top leaves.
45. Tea that is raised in China is graded in a particular way, and it
will be well to understand this grading. The top buds are used entirely
for a variety known as _flowery pekoe_, but this is seldom found in our
markets. The youngest leaves next to the buds are made into a tea called
_orange pekoe_; the next older leaves are used for _pekoe_; the third,
for _souchong first_; the fourth, for _souchong second_; the fifth, for
_congou_; and if there is another leaf, it is made into a tea known as
_bohea_. Sometimes the first three leaves are mixed, and when this is
done the tea is called _pekoe_. If they are mixed with the next two, the
tea is called _souchong pekoe_. The laws controlling the importation of
tea require that each shipment be tested before it passes the custom
house, to determine whether or not it contains what the label claims
for it.
46. VARIETIES OF TEA.--The teas that are put on the market are of two
general varieties, _black tea_ and _green tea_. Any quality of tea or
tea raised in any country may be made into these two kinds, for, as has
been mentioned, it is the method of preparation that is accountable for
the difference. A number of the common brands of tea are blends or
mixtures of green and black tea. These, which are often called _mixed
teas_, are preferred by many persons to the pure tea of either kind.
47. BLACK TEA is made by fermenting the tea leaves before they are
dried. This fermentation turns them black and produces a marked change
in their flavor. The process of preparation also renders some of the
tannin insoluble; that is, not so much of it can be dissolved when the
beverage is made. Some well-known brands of black tea are _China
congou_, or _English breakfast_, _Formosa_, _oolong_, and the various
_pekoes_. The English are especially fond of black tea, and the people
of the United States have followed their custom to the extent that it
has become a favorite in this country.
48. GREEN TEA is made by steaming the leaves and then drying them, a
process that retains the green color. With tea of this kind, all
fermentation of the leaves is carefully avoided. Some familiar kinds of
green tea are _hyson_, _Japan_, and _gunpowder_. The best of these are
the ones that come from Japan.