RULES FOR SUCCESSFUL TEA BLENDING.
The great art of successful Tea blending consists in the combining of quality, strength, pungency with some particular liquor and distinct flavor so as to please the greatest number of consumers for whom the blend is intended, and at the same time to arrange the component parts in such a manner that this result may be attained at the smallest possible cost to the dealer. In order to accomplish this object three important points are necessary: (1.) The dealer must study to understand the tastes and preferences of his customers for whom the blend is to be prepared. (2.) He must learn to know which varieties and grades of Tea that will combine best to please this taste, and (3.) He must learn to know how far the component parts of each blend can be varied when required without seriously affecting its uniformity, so that he may be the better enabled to take advantage of the cheapness of any special grade of Tea in the market.
In the blending of China Congous it will be found most desirable to avoid the mixing of Teas of a heavy, strong or coarse description, such as “Red-Leaf” Teas of the Padrae and Saryune sorts with those of a highly flavored and delicate character, such as Monings and Chingwos, as to blend Teas of such markedly different characters will be found beneficial to neither. This rule also applies to Formosa Oolongs and the Congou sorts, as the briskness of the lower and livelier Tea is marred by the softness of the more delicate and flavory Tea in the combination, while the body of the former will be spoiled by the delicacy of the latter.
The importance of retaining all blends regular and uniform—when once they have been adopted and proven satisfactory—cannot be overestimated, as what Tea dealer can expect continued success if his blends consist one week or month of fine, flavory Teas, the next of heavy, dull-liquored Teas, and the third of a sharp, pungent or astringent character? Each new combination may possess good qualities of its own, all its component parts be skillfully and judiciously arranged and the mixing performed with the greatest care, but unless one or more good blends is decided on and then closely adhered to complaints will be made by the customers if they do not go elsewhere. To obtain this necessary uniformity is sometimes very difficult for the dealer, as no two invoices of Tea will be found exactly alike in all respects; and although Teas may be selected of about the same grade and quality, even chosen from those grown in the same district and blended in exactly the same proportions as in the combination they are intended to replace, the divergence may still be so great as to cause dissatisfaction among the customers. This variation may best be avoided by not changing more than one of the Teas composing the blend at the same time, so that when a number of Teas are used in a blend the alteration of any one of them—providing that particular one is fairly matched—will make but a comparatively small difference in the combination. If the changes in the various Teas forming the blend are thus made gradually, few, if any, of the customers will detect the slight alteration in the blend.
Scoops or other measures must not be relied on in the proper blending of Teas; scales and weights must be invariably used if the dealer wants to be precise and successful in the business. For if it is worth his time and trouble to test a number and variety of Teas in order that he may select the most suitable for the purpose, and then study how to arrange them in the best and most advantageous proportions, it certainly is worth the little extra time and trouble of not marring the qualities of his combinations by an injudicious and hap-hazard muddling of the quantities of the various parts composing the blends. This advantage of weighing the Teas for blending is not excelled even by the advantages gained by the careful and judicious selection of the Teas for blending purposes.
All Teas after being blended should be allowed to stand in the caddie or bin, tightly closed, for from a week to ten days before dispensing, in order that the different Teas composing the blends may have sufficient time to assimilate and to exchange or impart their opposite flavors to each other. For should they not be allowed to thus stand, and the Tea be used just as soon as the blend is prepared, first one and then another of its component parts will predominate in too great a proportion, by which the time and trouble that has been taken in arranging the blend will have been to a large extent wasted and thrown away; while if the mixture be allowed to remain in the bin or caddie as directed, it will eventually become as one Tea and be always regular and uniform in quality and flavor.
Good, clean and sweet low-grade Teas being nearly always to be had for a few cents per pound above the price of the cheap, trashy Teas now offered on the American market, it is only folly for the dealer to purchase the latter, as they are not cheap at any price, as by the supposed saving of these few cents in the pound, the seed is not only sown for the future ruin of the individual dealer, but it also disgusts the public with Tea as an article of food, while on the other hand if the Tea dealer will make a comparatively small but requisite sacrifice for the sake of future gain, complete satisfaction will be given to his customers, the trade in Tea will be fostered and increased, and a great impetus given to its consumption by a discriminating public.
A blend of Tea should never have its cost reduced by the introduction of a grade coarser in nature than that of a majority of the Teas forming the combination, so that low-grade Teas when used for reducing the cost of the blend should be as full, plain and sweet as possible. This is advisable for the reason that a Tea of such a pronounced character will more or less stamp its own impression upon any blend into which it may be introduced. Again, should the lowest-priced Tea in a blend be a Tea of a marked or inferior character, instead of its being absorbed by the other Teas in the blend, its disagreeable features will stand out prominently among them, while the superior qualities of the finer grades will be—if not entirely obliterated—yet so injured as to be scarcely recognizable. While if the component parts of the blend be so well arranged that the most powerful Tea constituting it be also the highest grade Tea, the effect produced is that the other Teas in it are raised to its level, but if the powerful Tea is one of the low-priced Teas the others naturally reduce to its standard.
Early picked or “first-crop” Teas should always be chosen when possible to obtain for blending purposes, as first-crop Teas are always superior to the later pickings in flavor and aroma, in the greater amount of Theine (the active principle of Tea) which they contain as well as in their keeping qualities and blending properties, in fact, in everything except body for which Tea is deemed valuable; but in addition to selecting first-crop Teas for high-grade blends, it will be found advisable each season to ascertain the district yielding the best product, thus making quality as well as quantity the test of success, for as with wheat and other crops the Tea crop varies considerably according to the season, some years it is very good in one province or district while in others it may prove a comparative failure; thus one year a certain crop of Tea may be heavy and strong in liquor and flavor and next thin, weak and flavorless, while other “chops” that have been lacking in these qualities last year may possess the most desirable qualities this year. All varieties of Tea are equally subject to these variations, so that the advantages to be derived from a careful utilization of the best district crops of the year with but slight consideration will be very manifest to the dealer himself.
The tastes in Tea of different communities varying widely, the dealer should study and learn the particular kind and flavor best adapted to the district or locality in which he is doing business, as a Tea that may suit one class of consumers will not sell at all in another, so that the dealer himself should ascertain by repeated trials what variety or grade of Tea best suits his own particular trade. This object can best be accomplished by a series of experiments with the numerous kinds of Tea, and then noting and adopting the character and flavor of the Tea or Teas that gives the best satisfaction in price and quality to a majority of his patrons. Before proceeding to give formulas for any specific combinations it will be well for the dealer to consider the varieties and grades of Tea that will not blend satisfactorily as well as those which will assimilate best with each other, for it must not be forgotten for a moment by the dealer that Tea if not improved is certain to be injured by blending. But it is much easier for him to learn what Teas to avoid than what Teas to select, and what are best adapted to his particular trade.
Generally in a thickly-populated manufacturing and mining district, or among all working classes in this country, heavy-bodied, sweet-drawing Amoy and dark-leaved, strong Foochow Oolongs will prove the most popular Teas for the base or foundation of all blends, while in a district composed chiefly of Irish, English or Scotch Tea consumers, Congous, Souchongs and the better grades of India and Ceylon Teas will be found to give the best satisfaction. In neighborhoods made up of Polish and Russian Jews, low-grade, dark-drawing, thick-liquored Congous and Souchongs, or combinations of these two varieties alone, will be found the most satisfactory, being known to them as Russian Teas, from the fact that these are the only sorts used among Russian Tea drinkers.
For the base of the best blends or for flavoring purposes among purely American Tea consumers a really choice Formosa Oolong will be found an exceedingly valuable Tea, as a small quantity of fine or even tolerably good Formosa Tea will permeate and taste through any combination, and most Tea drinkers, when once they become accustomed to its unique flavor, will rarely be pleased with any other Tea afterwards. The dried leaf of the choicer grades is small and artistically made, yellowish-black in color, while the infused leaf is bright green and uniform. The liquor is of a rich straw color, its value consisting in a combination of piquancy, pungency and delicate aroma.
To successfully accomplish the building up of a profitable and permanent Tea business three things are requisite: (1.) The dealer must keep the best Teas obtainable at the most popular prices. (2.) He must let the public know by advertising or other means that he keeps them. (3.) It is also most important that all standard blends should possess some distinct or characteristic flavor by which it may be readily recognized by those who use it. But at the same time there is very little use in advertising or making known a Tea that does not possess intrinsic merit, as merit without some publicity makes but slow headway in these progressive times.
One of the principal objects to keep in view in forming a Tea-blend is that it will come out well in the water in which it is to be infused; that it shall possess a flavor that will please the taste of a majority of the customers and at the same time be of such a distinctive character as to make the combination your own particular specialty. But it must be borne in mind that Teas draw quite differently in hard and soft water, and the dealer’s object should be to offer only the best possible Tea for the money expended. He should also avoid those kinds which are unsuitable to the water of his locality.
Soft water has a great advantage over hard in the testing and preparation of Tea for use, so that many parts of the country possess an advantage over others in the use of Tea, as wherever the water is soft and pure far better results are obtained from an infusion of a given quantity of leaves than can be produced from the hard water of other sections. This difference arises from the now well-established fact that soft water dissolves a greater percentage of the theine—the active principle of Tea—than hard water, thus causing its properties to become more apparent, the coarseness as well as fineness being brought out to a greater extent by the action of the soft water in all cases, and consequently the too highly-fired and brisk-burnt Teas so much in favor in some sections of the country for low-priced blends are not liked at all in the sections where soft water alone is to be had. For this reason, also, Teas of the Congou and Souchong order are most appreciated where the water is soft, as the natural delicacy of their flavor is best extracted by soft water and in even greater proportions than is the flavor of the other varieties known to trade.
In testing Teas by infusion or drawing for blending, four important facts must be borne in mind by the dealer: (1.) The water used for drawing them should be as soft and pure as can be obtained or filtered before using. (2.) It must be boiled as rapidly as possible and used only at the boiling point, and (3.) It must be boiling, but must not overboil, for should it be allowed to overboil for even a few minutes it will not extract the full strength and aroma from the leaves. All Tea experts are most particular on these points, so much so that they have the kettle watched in order that the water may be poured on the Tea the moment it boils, and if any water remains in the kettle it is immediately poured away, as the effect of using water that has been boiled a second time is the same as that of water that has been permitted to overboil. Should the buyer, from neglect or indifference, use water that has not been boiled, the leaves in the cup will float on top and not sink to the bottom as in the case of boiling water, and should the water be overboiled or boiled a second time it will be readily detected by its appearance in the cup, the infusion being thin and insipid and of a peculiar, sickly color. (4.) The infusion should be allowed to draw from four to six minutes, according to the variety of Tea under treatment, that is, China and Japan Teas, five to six minutes, while India, Ceylon and Java Teas require only three to four minutes, owing to the great excess of tannin which they contain. But all the properties of the Tea that can be dissolved in the cup is fully extracted in from three to four minutes, five to six minutes being generally sufficient for all Teas, as the infusion is then at its best, but from that time on the Tea gradually loses its aroma and flavor until, if allowed to stand for half an hour, it becomes dull and insipid. Another important point must here be noted by the dealer, it is that a good Tea becomes better as it cools, while a poor Tea becomes poorer under the same conditions.
The leaves of a choice, pure Tea will be found, after infusion, to be of a medium and uniform size, perfectly formed and unbroken and of a bright-green or dark-brown, according to the kind of Tea tested, that is, Oolongs, Green and Japan Teas will be greenish, while Congous, Souchongs, India, Ceylon and Java Teas will be dark-brown in color. All Teas of the Oolong varieties are subject to the same rules in judging them, and the same rules that govern in testing Green Teas will also apply to Japans. While the selection of Indias, Ceylons and Teas of the China-Congou sorts are also governed by similar rules in testing and selecting.
Still another important point for the dealer to keep in mind is the necessity of securing Teas that will draw well in the water of his district. To aid in this selection the following kinds are suggested:—
For Very Hard Water—Padrae, Saryune and strong, “tarry” Oonfa Congous are best, also Indias of the Assam variety and heavy-drawing Ceylons, including broken-leaf Pekoes are best adapted.
For Medium Hard Water—Flavory India Teas, including Cachars, Darjeeling and Ceylons of all kinds, first crop Panyongs and rich, thick, round Keemun Congous, Oolongs, Japans and Green Teas of all grades.
For Soft Water—All varieties and grades of Oolong, Green, Scented and Japan Teas, Ningchow, Paklin and Chingwo Congous, light-drawing Indias and Ceylons of nearly all kinds as well as all descriptions of high-flavored Teas.
PART VI.
ART OF KEEPING, SELLING AND PREPARING TEA.
The utmost care is necessary in the keeping and handling of Tea in order to prevent from deteriorating in strength and flavor or otherwise decaying until disposed of. It should therefore whenever possible be kept by itself in a moderately warm temperature and always covered over until required, and when any of the packages have been opened and the contents not all removed, care must be taken to replace the lead lining, lid and matting, so as to exclude the dust and damp as well as all foreign odors that may surround it. For this reason also Tea should never be exposed in windows or at store-doors where the air, damp and dust surely and rapidly destroy all semblance to its original condition.
All Teas when once they have ripened and become seasoned commence to decay, but there is a vast difference in the time that some varieties will last before the deterioration becomes objectionable in comparison with others. Some kinds, such as Foochow and Formosa Oolongs, keeping for a year or more. China Congous and Souchongs and Japan Teas from six to eight months, while Scented Teas, India and Ceylon Teas, after a much briefer period become dull and brackish, and it frequently happens that when the latter are a year old they are worth only half their original cost.
All Teas possessing a natural aptitude to become impregnated with foreign flavor of any product placed near it, and to absorb the foul odors by which they may be surrounded, should be kept as far apart as possible from any high-smelling articles in the dealer’s stock—such as soap, fish, spices and oils of all kinds—as they very rapidly absorb any pungent odors that may be in their immediate vicinity. And Teas have even been known to completely alter their flavor and character by being placed too close to molasses, oranges and lemons, therefore it becomes important for the dealer not to keep Teas too near any product emitting a foul or strong aroma. For this reason also they should not be dispensed out of freshly-painted bins or caddies, it being much more preferable at all times to deal them out of the original lead-lined chests, replacing the lid until required. Again, Teas should never be mixed in rainy, damp or humid weather, as they are bound to absorb and be injured by the oxydizing influences of the atmosphere, nor must they be kept too near a fire or stove, a dry, cool atmosphere of moderate temperature being always best for them.
Of the numerous commodities dealt in by the grocer there is none so important as that of Tea, this importance being due to its value as a trade-making, trade-retaining and profit-producing article, particularly when furnished of such quality as to give permanent satisfaction to the general public as well as to the regular customer. But notwithstanding its importance in these respects there is no article handled by the grocer the quality and value of which is so little understood by the average dealer. Again assailed as the retail grocery business now is by keen competition from so many queer Teas, the necessity for a better knowledge of and more careful attention to the article is at once apparent if the grocer—to whom its sale of right belongs—is not to find the almost entire withdrawal of this article from his line of business.
To properly understand the selecting and blending of Teas is therefore to be possessed of a valuable and profitable knowledge; but while such proficiency is not within the scope of every dealer, the study of these points to any extent will prove not only lucrative but entertaining and instructive. And while it may be claimed that such a study will occupy too much valuable time, or that it is much more economical to purchase from the wholesale Tea blender, still the great importance of a better acquaintance with such knowledge and experience must be evident to the dealer. For the proper blending of Tea the dealer should be provided with a small kettle and other apparatus for filtering and boiling the water as conveniently and rapidly as possible. Small scales for weighing the samples of Tea to be tested, pots for drawing and cups for tasting, and so start from the beginning.
Samples of the Teas desired having been procured from different houses should then be drawn and tested and a careful examination made of the leaves of each, their size, color, condition and smell being closely noted. In such drawings all Teas of an objectionable character should be set aside, and those remaining on the boards carefully arranged in the order of their value; but should any doubt exist in giving a decision between the several samples as to their superiority, then the drawing should be repeated and the poorer ones rejected, thus narrowing down the contest to the best Teas. Again, where it proves difficult to decide between the cup qualities of those remaining, then the size, style, condition and weight of the dry leaf should be taken into consideration, which will be found helpful in making the required decision. The decision having been arrived at, however, the Tea considered best may also be higher in price than some others approximating to it in style and drawing qualities, and if it be found that it cannot be purchased except at a price considerably higher than others on the table approaching it closely, it will be better under such circumstances to select another Tea, grading second, or even third in quality, at a much lower figure. An excellent plan for the careful Tea blender is to have a “type” or standard sample of the Tea he desires to duplicate and which he has found to be satisfactory, and samples of Tea of the various kinds of known value should always be kept convenient for reference, and in air-tight tins, with their grade, price, character, chop mark and year of production marked thereon.