THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



725 



kuo, and rolled three or four times before 

 they are deemed of maximum quality. For 

 green teas, this completes the prepration of 

 the finest varieties. Inferior qualities are 

 subsequently flavored. 



Black teas require an additional process, 

 viz : to be heated in sieves over a hot 

 charcoal fire. This has the effect of more 

 perfectly driving off the acrid principle, and 

 rendering the leaves drier and more brittle. 



As thus prepared, the finest early 

 gathering are, when last from the kuo 

 and sieves, before getting cold, packed 

 for exportation. But the quantity of this 

 is very small. 



Scenting. — By far the larger quantity 

 of tea known in commerce has been aro- 

 matized or scented. A knowledge of this 

 process, and the materials used in it, was, 

 until very recently, kept secret from for- 

 eign nations. But it is now generally known 

 that the Chinese employ for this purpose 

 certain rare vegetable productions, which 

 have the effect of imparting desirable 

 flavours to tea, without in any w r ay affect- 

 ing its natural properties. And some of 

 the teas thus treated are known to be 

 among the most eagerly sought after. 



The only substances known to foreign- 

 ers, with which the Chinese flavour tea, 

 are the flowers of the following plants — 

 a species of chloranthus, call by the Chi- 

 nese Chu-Lan ; the Gardenia florida, or 

 Pac She. em ; the Olea fragrans, or Ruy-fa ; 

 and Jasmimum Sambac, or Mos-Sy-Hoa. 

 As already remarked, these plants are all 

 scarce, even in China, where they are 

 native ; their use, therefore, is in every 

 way calculated to enhance the value of 

 the tea in which they are used, notwith- 

 standing the Chinese themselves, as well 

 as all other persons who have had the op- 

 portunities of judging, agree in the opin- 

 ion that only common teas require scent- 

 ing, and that, however exquisitely this 

 process may be accomplished, the very 

 ultimatum of success is only, after all, a 

 faint imitation of the finest Souchong, the 

 natural flavour of which being far more 

 delicious than it is possible to communi- 

 cate to an inferior variety. 



When tea is about to be scented, it 

 is taken hot from the roasters and 

 put into a chest in a layer of two or three 

 inches deep ; upon this a handful of 

 freshly gathered Chu-Lan flowers are 

 strewn. Then another layer of tea, and 



so on until the chest is full. It is 

 then tightly closed and so kept for 

 twenty-four hours, on the expiration of 

 which time the chest is opened, and the 

 tea and flowers thoroughly mixed and sub- 

 mitted to the drying process in seives, 

 over a charcoal fire, until the flowers be- 

 come crisp, when the whole is removed 

 and the flowers sifted out. if the tea is 

 found to be sufficiently flavoured the pro- 

 cess is now closed ; if not, the operation 

 is again repeated. 



The tea thus prepared is mixed with 

 others, in the proportion of about one part 

 of the scented to twenty of the plain, 

 when the mixture is moderately treated in 

 the kuo, and immediately afterwards while 

 warm packed for use or exportation., and 

 is known as Cowslip Hyson. 



Black teas are also scented with Chu- 

 Lan flowers, but in a different and more 

 expensive manner, as it takes a larger 

 quantity of the flowers. The flowers are 

 first carefully roasted, so as not to burn 

 them, and then reduced to a fine powder. 

 This is sprinkled over the tea during the 

 process of the last roastings, previous to 

 packing. Some of this constitutes choice 

 varieties of Souchong or Caper teas, and 

 the Tet Siong. The Pac Sheem flowers 

 are used for senting a still more exquis- 

 itely fine Souchong, which is chiefly used 

 for diplomatic presents, and rarely found 

 in commerce. Ruy-fa and Mos-Sy-Hoa 

 are also exclusively used for scenting 

 bl,ack teas, of Souchong flavouis. 



Character of the Chief Varieties. — 

 Black Teas. — Pekoe. — This is the finest 

 and has most aroma. The leaves are slen- 

 der, of a dark silvery colour, covered with a 

 light silky dust ; ends speckled with gray, 

 black and white spots. Odour agreeably 

 aromatic ; infusion of golden-yellow col- 

 our; taste somewhat similar to the flavour 

 of fresh and hazel-nuts. 



Congou. — Leaves thin and short, of a 

 grayish-black colour; infusion clear, strong 

 and agreeable. 



Pouchong. — Leaves large, long, and 

 tightly rolled, mixed with a large quantit} r 

 of leaf-stocks ; odour sweet; infusion green. 



Souchong. — Leaves larger than Congou, 

 but not so large and long as Pouchong, 

 thin and rather broken ; infusion clear, 

 yellowish, and sweet. It is the strongest 

 of black teas. 



Bohea. — Leaves of all size, with fra£- 



