TESTING, BLENDING AND PREPARING. 



invariably make the infusion with rain or spring water 

 heated to a high degree, the ebullition lasting only a few 

 minutes and poured on the leaves just as soon as the 

 bubbles appear on top of the water. 



* * * * 



The Japanese, to whom tea is as valuable as it is to 

 the Chinese, first reduce the leaves to a fine powder by 

 grinding them in a small hand-mill made for the purpose, 

 and then mix it with hot water to the consistency of a 

 thin pulp, in which form it is sipped, not drank, par- 

 ticularly by the aristocracy and richer people, being made 

 and served to visitors in the following manner : The tea- 

 table, with the powdered tea enclosed in a box, is set 

 before the company and the cups filled with boiling water 

 as much of the powder as would cover the point of a 

 knife put into each cup, which is then stirred and mixed 

 with a curious denticulated instrument until the, liquor 

 foams, in which state it is served to the company, and 

 sipped while warm. Customarily they strain the liquid 

 before drinking, but frequently the tea and pulverized 

 leaves are drank together in the same manner that the 

 Turks and other Orientals use coffee. 



* * * * 



In Cashmere a beverage called " Cha Tulch " is pre- 

 pared from tea by boiling the leaves in a tin-lined copper 

 pot to a strong, dark decoction, and while boiling briskly 

 phule (red potash), anise-seed and a little salt is added, 

 after which it is poured into a kettle and finally served 

 in porcelain tea-cups. It is also prepared there in a 

 vessel termed a Chajos kettle and tea-pot combined 

 and poured direct into the cups, but is used only after 

 meals, more particularly after the morning repast. The 

 morning meal, consisting of this decoction and some 



