Paklin—Is a large and important variety, not very dissimilar to Ning-chow, but lacking in that roundness and delicacy in the cup, for which the latter is so highly valued. The dry-leaf of the finer grades is smaller, more evenly twisted, and blacker than that of any other grown in China. The infused leaf is bright-red, regular and tender; the liquor is dark-red, and though lacking in fulness the general cup qualities of the infusion is of a very superior order.
Paklum—While fuller and rounder in body than Paklin, yields a sweet and pleasant liquor, but is inferior to that of the latter variety in flavor and aroma. The dried leaf is also very black, fairly made and often “tippy” in the hand.
Some Congou teas are also produced in other districts of China, being known to trade as Amoy, Ankoi, Qui-fa, Padrae, Pekoe and Canton Congou teas.
Amoy Congou—Known to trade also as “Swat-how,” is invariably burnt in flavor, but when the crop is good, is brisk and strong in the cup. The dry-leaf being coarse and loosely folded, they deteriorate very rapidly, becoming wild or “weedy” in flavor as they mature.
Qui-fa—Is a “tarry” tea, allied to Amoy, but more evenly curled and blacker in color. The liquor is strong and brisk, and not quite as rank or bitter as that of the former. The infused leaf is very coarse and irregular in form, often broken and very dark in color.
Ankoi Congou—The difference between Ankoi and Amoy Congou is not very wide, the former being ranker, if anything. They are generally rougher in make, dull-black in color, thick and muddy in the cup, bitter and astringent in flavor, more particularly the commoner grades, which are in addition broken, stemmy and dusty.
Padrae-Congou—Is a strong, high-fired tea, large in leaf, black and “crispy” in style, and useful only for its great strength and pungency in the cup. The lower grades are frequently “soapy” or “mousey” in flavor, and invariably dusty.
Pekoe-Congou—Approximates closest to Chingwo in make and general appearance, but are more artistically twisted and darker in color and “Pekoe-tipped,” the flavor being sacrificed to style and finish. The infused leaf is medium sized, regularly formed and reddish in color, while the liquor is fairly rich, fragrant and pekoe-flavored to a high degree.
Canton Congous—Are principally manufactured teas, being composed of exhausted leaves, refired and faced with plumbago, or other coloring-matter, and do not contain the semblance of tea in the cup.
Campoi—A corruption of the Chinese term Chien-pei, or “Kampoey,” meaning “selected for firing;” is a particular variety of Congou, smaller in leaf, darker in color and much better curled, but not as dark in the infusion. It possesses a more delicate flavor, is not as strong in body, and being limited in quantity, but little is ever exported.