PART V.
ART OF BLENDING TEAS.
The primary object and fundamental principle of successful and profitable Tea blending should be to obtain in a consolidated form what is known as harmony of combination, that is, strength, pungency, flavor and piquancy in the infusion, and at the same time to accomplish this result with the smallest possible outlay. In order to secure this end three important rules must be carefully followed: (1.) To learn the taste of the consumer. (2.) To ascertain what Teas will combine best to suit this taste, and (3.) To find out to what extent the component parts of a once-adopted and satisfactory blend may be varied in case of any difficulty to secure the same kind or grade of Teas for future use. These essential objects can be best attained only by the proper selecting, weighing and arranging of the proportionate qualities and quantities of the different varieties and grades of Tea in such a manner as to secure the best results with as little variation as possible, so that before proceeding to produce a specific blend or combination the dealer must consider well the descriptions of Tea that will amalgamate most satisfactorily as well as those that will not unite harmoniously, as Teas that are not improved by combination are certain to be deteriorated in blending.
The whole art in successful Tea blending being to combine body and pungency with some particular and distinct flavor in one in order to please a majority of that portion of the public for whom the Tea is specially prepared, and at the same time to arrange its constituent parts in such a manner that this most desirable result may be accomplished at a moderate cost to the dealer than that of any single higher-priced variety, and again to learn how far the component parts may be varied without seriously affecting its regularity, so that advantage may be taken of the cheapness of any necessary variety or grade in market during the season. But it must be understood at the outset that all combinations of Tea, as a rule, must depend upon the general character, grade and flavor of the Tea most in demand in the particular section or district for which they are intended, that special variety or grade forming the base or foundation of the blends prepared for it; that is, it must dominate the combinations. As, for instance, where Oolongs are most in demand the blend must consist of from one-half to two-thirds of that variety, and so on with Congous, Japans, India and Ceylon Teas, as the case may be.
Uniformity of quality and flavor in Tea can only be secured by intelligent and skillful blending, so that the advantages to be gained by the mixing of several varieties and grades of Tea together is so apparent that it needs no arguments to sustain them. But as only the most expensive Teas possess in any marked degree the best all-round qualities which go to make a thoroughly satisfactory beverage when used alone, it is only by intelligent blending that this most desirable result can be obtained at a moderate cost to the dealer. Again it is the dealer who understands the art of blending his Teas successfully who will invariably lead his competitors in the Tea-trade.
The taste for any particular-flavored Tea being an acquired and not a natural one, it necessarily follows that those consumers who have been accustomed to a certain flavor invariably want that particular flavor again, and so will be displeased with any other Tea that does not possess it, although it may be much higher priced and better in every way. Users of wine and other beverages have their likes and dislikes, one preferring a light or mild and another a strong or bitter taste, and so it is with most Tea drinkers when once they have acquired a preference for some particular-flavored Tea. This being a well-established fact among the Tea trade, it becomes essential for the successful Tea blender to study and learn what particular variety, grade or flavor of Tea his patrons have been accustomed to before attempting to cater to it, as not only is there a more divergence in the taste for Teas in the different parts of the country, but in cities, towns and even in localities the specific flavors in demand are so numerous and various that most of the leading Tea dealers have been enabled to mark out a distinct trade for themselves. In large cities this is a very wise and desirable policy to pursue, providing the blend or blends adopted and found satisfactory are kept uniform and regular thereafter, as it secures the return again and again of the same customer to the dealer, and thus keeps his Tea business not only steady but progressive. Even away from the large cities it is well to bear the importance of this policy in mind, but while at the beginning it may be found more advisable to keep fairly close to the established taste of the town or locality, a gradual change by the introduction of some special combination may be found the best course to pursue.