Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XV.djvu/629

 TEA 601 object, when the particles of coloring matter are easily seen ; if it is desired to make a further examination as to the materials used, the leaves must be treated with water, and the washings subjected to chemical tests, or be burned, and an analysis made of the ash. The adulteration by mixing a finer tea with a portion of an inferior grade is common ; be- sides this the Chinese prepare what is called "lie tea" for this express use, consisting of the dust which accumulates in the manufac- ture of tea, and the dust of other leaves, rice husks, &c., made up by the aid of gum into little pellets and colored to resemble tea. Some years ago the annual importation of this stuff into England was half a million pounds annu- ally, all of which was used to mix with teas. he adulteration is readily detected by soaking portion of tea and examining it with a lens ; true leaf may be unrolled and spread out, r hile the factitious article will separate into component fragments. Another adultera- m is with exhausted tea leaves ; at the Chi- 3se tea houses, which are open day and night, > tea is usually made in a cup, covered with a icer, and then poured into another cup ; large stand about the saloons into which the sgs are emptied ; these are carefully made >ver and find their way into commerce. The jtection of these when colored is not difficult, it when they are rerolled without coloring, chemical analysis must be made ; it is gen- erally only necessary to test for the amount of tannic acid, which in genuine teas ranges from 20 to 40 per cent., while in ex- hausted teas it is from 7 to less than 1 per cent., and sometimes completely extracted. The adulteration with other leaves is prac- tised in China, and was formerly to a large extent in Eng- land ; willow leaves and those of camellia sasanqua are much used in China, while in England those of the sloe or wild plum, the hawthorn, elder, plane tree, poplar, and others have been employed. Theseadul- terations and others with false leaves may be readily detected by soaking out and un- rolling them ; those of the true tea being well known as to their shape, the character of the margin, and especially the serration (the looping together of the principal veins just within the margin being very characteristic), Tea Leaf. they may be readily picked out from any for- eign admixture by the aid of a hand glass. Tea has been analyzed by different chemists, whose. results show much discrepancy, doubt- less due to the variable character of the prod- uct. The average composition is, in 100 parts : carbohydrates (gum and sugar), 21 ; fatty mat- ters, 4; albuminoids, 15 ; tannin, 26-23 ; vege- table fibre, 20 ; theine, 2 or 3 ; mineral sub- stances, 5 ; water, 5 ; and an aromatic oil, less than 1. The most important constituent is theine, or, as.it is identical with the active principle in coffee, caffeine, a crystallizable substance, soluble in water and having a bitter taste (see CAFFEINE) ; acting as a feeble base, it is classed among the alkaloids, with the formula CieHio^Os + HaO. Some give the proportion as high as 6 per cent, in the finer green teas, but the average is 2 to 3 per cent. The constituent next in importance is the aromatic oil, as upon this depends the aroma and a large share of the flavor of the tea. The tannin gives the tea its astringency; in the proper making or infusing of tea the object is to extract as much of the theine and aromatic oil and as little of the tannin as possible ; when tea is infused too long, or is boiled, the amount of tannin in the infusion is perceived by its marked astringency ; more or less of the other constituents are taken up by the water, and give what is called "body" to the tea, The wealthy Chinese make their tea in the cup. The proper quantity of leaves is placed in the cup, boiling water poured over them, and the cup covered for a time with the saucer; to prevent the leaves from rising to the surface, a perforated bit of silver, or silver filigree work, is placed over them. The poorer Chinese make their tea in a tea pot. In Japan some teas are reduced to a fine powder, which is in- fused in the cup and stirred before taking, that both the infusion and powder may be swal- lowed ; it is also the custom in Tartary to take the leaves with the liquid. In other countries it is customary to make some addition to the tea : in England and America, sugar and milk or cream ; in Russia, lemon juice ; and on the continent of Europe it is very common to add a little brandy or other spirit. . The quality of the tea (the infusion) is greatly affected by the manner of making it. Those who think that color indicates strength boil the tea, either putting the leaves directly into boiling water, or placing them in cold water and setting the pot upon the fire until the water boils ; some practise prolonged infusion, with the same re- sult, a dark-colored liquid, in which the proper flavor is concealed by the amount of tannin extracted; and some add a fragment of soda to increase the color. Connoisseurs in tea usu- ally make it on the table, a caddy containing several kinds of tea and an urn of boiling water being at hand ; a portion of boiling water is poured into the tea pot, and when that is thor- oughly warmed the water is distributed among the tea cups ; then the leaves of one sort (or a