Canton Souchongs—Are prepared from old and exhausted leaves collected in a careless manner, exposed in the sun to dry, and packed in baskets until they reach that city, where they are refired, colored and scented in order to disguise their bitter, rank and astringent properties.
SCENTED TEAS
form a special class of the Chinese product comprising Capers, Pekoes and Pouchong teas, being known to trade as Foochows, Cantons and Macaos.
Caper—Known to the Chinese as He-choo-cha, “Black pearl,” or Gunpowder, from its small, round or spherical appearance, resembling capers. It is prepared from the largest but most succulent leaves of the first pickings, and cured by a series of brisk firings and rollings, after which it is placed in moulds, in order to make it retain its globular shape. The dried leaf is small, round and “shotty” in appearance, reddish-black in color, glossy and highly scented. The infusion is wine-colored, piquant and aromatic, possessing what is technically termed a rich “bouquet,” the infused leaf, when uncurled, being very symmetrical in form and dark-brown in color.
Pekoes—From the Chinese Pai-ho, or Pak-ho, signifying “white down,” is applied to a variety of tea having a whitish downy or “silvery” tip at the end of the leaves. It is usually prepared from the youngest and tenderest leaf-buds first expanding, and was at one time claimed to be composed of the flower or blossom of the tea plant, hence its French name, “fleur de thé,” an error long since corrected, as the tea blossom possesses none of the properties of the leaf, though frequently used for scenting purposes.
Orange-Pekoe—Recognized by its long, flat, even and artistically folded leaf, jet-black color, and yellowish downy tips at the ends. It is highly scented, yielding a rich wine-colored liquor, piquant, pungent and aromatic in the cup, the infused leaf being small, bright and closely resembling that of choicest Oolong variety.
Flowery-Pekoe—Is a smaller but more evenly folded leaf, greenish-black or olive-colored, with ends ornamented by whitish, “velvety” tips, being also very highly scented. The infusion is lighter in color and body but piquant and aromatic in flavor, the infused leaf small, dark and perfectly formed.
Hung-muey—Is still another variety of Pekoe rarely exported, having a plain black leaf lightly tipped and lightly scented, and yielding an infusion dark in color, thin in body, but very fragrant and aromatic in flavor.
Pouchong—Derives its trade name from Paou-cheong, meaning “wrapped sort.” The leaf is rough and bold in style, dull-black in color and peculiar in scent. The latter being imparted by the admixture of the seeds of the Lan-hoa, or Chulan flower, the finer grades of which are deep red, rich and pleasing, but the lower ones are often abominable.
Pouchong-Pekoe—Is usually prepared from the undeveloped leaves or just expanding buds of the tea plant, and is a small, glossy-black leaf with yellowish-golden tips, yielding an intensely rich liquor very piquant and highly aromatic in flavor.