Bohea—Is a term applied in China to a sort composed of old, broken and inferior leaves, and the refuse of the Congou kinds. It was formerly largely exported to England, but is now retained chiefly for home consumption, from its cheapness, by the poorer Chinese.
NEW DISTRICT CONGOUS
comprise “Hoyunes,” “Tayshans,” “Cantons,” “Macaos,” and many others new to commerce. The finer Hoyunes are a brownish-grey leaf tea, varying in length and curl, the finer grades of which are round and pungent, yielding a deep-red liquor and bright-brown infused leaf. The lower grades, however, are rough and irregular in make, brownish in color and dull and harsh in flavor. Tayshans and Macaos are among the newest makes of Congous lately introduced, the former being prepared in imitation of Moning and the latter of a Kaisow. Many of the new makes, while flavory, are lacking in strength; others again are strong almost to rankness. “Ho-how” is the commonest of these descriptions of Congous, the leaf being large and ragged and form “earthy,” and may be termed the “Pingsuey” of this variety. There is still another called “Kut-oan,” recently prepared as an experiment from the leaf of a Green tea plant grown in the Nankin district and said to be equal in every respect to the finest Kaisow in leaf, liquor and flavor.
SOUCHONG TEAS
are among the finest and richest of the Black tea sorts, being known to the Chinese as Saou-cheong, “Little,” or “scarce sort,” and are limited in supply. They are chiefly prepared from the youngest leaves of the earliest pickings, gathered only in the finest weather, and dried in the shade to protect them from the direct rays of the sun. The dry leaf is longer but thinner than that of the Congou sorts; folded rather than curled or twisted, but possessing somewhat similar drinking qualities. They are classed in trade as Lapsing, Tong-quam, Padrae, Pekoe, Oolong, and Canton Souchongs.
Lapsing—Prepared in the district of Foochow, is also known to trade as “Foochow-Souchong,” is a large, handsome, crapy leaf, finely made and lightly fired, possessing a rich, wine-colored liquor with fragrant flavor, entirely peculiar to itself, described as “tarry flavor,” which when not too pronounced adds rather than detracts from its worth. The product of the later pickings are of less strength and flavor, but are still very smooth and pleasant in liquor and flavor, and generally shipped to the Russian market, where they are held in high esteem for their intrinsic qualities.
Oolong-Souchong—Is another variety of the foregoing, prepared from the leaves of a plant that cannot well be made into either sort, the greatest care being taken in its manipulation. It is stylish in leaf, closely approximating to Foochow Oolong in the dried state, very clear, rich and translucent in the infusion, but though light in weight and color is yet very deceptive, being full of snap and sparkle, fragrant and aromatic.
Tong-quam—Is a long, flat, black-leaf Souchong tea carefully folded, but little understood by the general trade, owing to the liquor possessing nearly the same flavor and pungency as that of a Red-leaf Congou, usually more round and fuller, the dry leaf being slightly bolder and blacker in appearance.
Padrae-Souchong—Is a jet-black leaf, small and “crapy” in texture, usually prepared from the youngest and tenderest leaves of the Congou order, and which it closely resembles in general character and flavor. The dry leaf is, however, much smaller, flatter and darker, but greatly excelling them in the delicacy and fragrance of the infusion.
Pekoe-Souchong—Is prepared from the leaves that have developed too much to be converted into the former kind, which is small in size. The dry leaf is medium-sized, very black and moderately “tipped” at the ends with a whitish-downy substance termed “pekoe.” In liquor they are strong, dark, pungent and fragrant in flavor and aroma.