158 SONCHY, OR CAPER TEA. 



apex of the leaf is also said to be pinched off after- 

 wards ; so that only the largest of the young suc- 

 culent leaves are fit for this tea. The preparation 

 of the leaves previously to roasting is similar to 

 that of the Souchong tea. They undergo the 

 process of Leang Ching. If the leaves are full of 

 juices they are not roasted until the second day, 

 and are exposed to the sun, if necessary. Teas 

 gathered during rain are considered unfit for 

 Sonchy. They are roasted and rolled three times 

 in the usual manner. 



The difference in the manipulation of this tea 

 takes place in the process of poey. I shall there- 

 fore now explain the manner in which I have seen 

 the process performed. After the first drying in 

 the poey long, which is understood to include the 

 turning and drying the leaves on both sides, the 

 roller divided the quantity dried into two parcels : 

 each parcel was then formed into a ball, which the 

 roller pressed and squeezed with all his strength 

 between his hands. The leaves were afterwards 

 separated and spread out again in the sieves, and 

 dried as before. In this manner they were dried 

 and rolled eight times. The leaves, however, were 

 not so long exposed to the fire during the several 

 dryings as is usual with other teas, for this reason : 

 the juices which now remain being of a viscous 

 nature assist in the adhesion of the leaves to each 

 other, which in this tea is desirable ; since the ulti- 

 mate object is to form them into lumps. As the 



