Tea, its history and mystery

by Joseph M. Walsh

Silver-tip Pekoe—Is a long, whitish-downy leaf almost “satiny” in texture, with silvery tips at the ends. The liquor is dark-yellow or golden, bright and sparkling in the cup, delicate and fragrant in flavor, but very much overrated in commercial value and intrinsic merit.

Golden-tip Pekoe—Is smaller in make, darker in color, “silky” in texture, and literally ablaze with rich yellow or orange tips. The infusion is much darker and heavier in body, of a deep wine color, fresh and piquant in taste, and much appreciated by those who prefer this variety.

Ceylon Souchong—Is rather large and bold in style for this “make” of tea, but is nevertheless heavy and round in body, rich and mellow in flavor, and, taken altogether, a pleasing and palatable tea for all practical purposes.

Pekoe-Souchong—Is chiefly composed of the larger and coarser leaves that will not pass through the sieves, but which, falling into the “cutter” in sifting, are cut up into an even and uniform size. It is medium in size, “choppy” in appearance, ripe and rich in liquor, fairly brisk and “malty” in flavor.

Ceylon Congous—Are open, rough and coarse in style, dark in liquor, heavy in body, but fairly brisk and pungent in flavor, making, on the whole, a serviceable tea for blending with Chinese Congous or Oolongs of the lower grades.

“Bhud” Tea—Is a term applied to a small golden-yellow leaf Ceylon Tea, claimed to be composed of the buds of the plant just expanding, but is in reality prepared from the smallest and yellowest leaves of the ordinary “Golden-tip Pekoe,” and though sometimes commanding a fabulously high and inflated price, out of all reason with its intrinsic value as a tea, and which is only done for advertising purposes—being in reality no better in either drawing or drinking qualities.

Broken Leaf—Like those of the India variety, are composed of the large, old and mutilated leaves separated in sifting from all or either of the foregoing kinds, drawing and drinking in ratio to the variety obtained from.

Fannings—Also, like their Indian prototype, are prepared from the screenings and refuse of leaves of the respective kinds, but are poor teas to handle as a rule.

As late as 1873 there were only 255 acres under tea cultivation in Ceylon, the total area at present time reaching as high as 150,000 acres, with an average yield of 1,000 pounds per acre, figures which go to show the marvelous strides the island has made in the industry in a comparatively few years, large tracts being still taken up for the purpose. The total product in 1888 was 23,000,000 pounds, as against 13,000,000 pounds for the previous year, an increase of 10,000,000 pounds in a single year, a record never even approached in the history of the tea trade. And, when it is taken into consideration that it is only a few years since tea cultivation was practically commenced on that island, it is obvious that the future of its product must be very bright indeed. It is already predicted by planters and others interested that the tea export of Ceylon will eventually rival, if not exceed, that of India itself. The average cost of Tea to the Ceylon producers is about 6½ pence (13 cents) per pound, some of the lowland estates putting their teas f. o. b. in Colombo at even less than this figure.

Nearly all the India and Ceylon teas go into consumption in England and her possessions, the bulk of her China purchases being re-exported. The English merchants invariably favoring the products of their own colonies to the prejudice of those of other countries, discriminating against them, irrespective of merit or value, in this particular instance compelling their customers, in a measure, to use these dubious varieties of the genus tea. But for presumption and audacity in their claims of superiority the India and Ceylon tea growers and dealers are far and away ahead of all competition. The so-called great favor with which India and Ceylon teas are said to be regarded by British consumers being due in a great measure to the energy and persistency with which the trade has been pushed, the teas being literally forced on the public by the Government as well as by the English growers and dealers, in addition to the strong ties of relationship connecting the planters with the mother country. There is not the slightest doubt but that the check which the consumption of China teas appears to have sustained in England is entirely due to these causes. But already there is a growing and positive revulsion of taste in many sections of that country in favor of the purer China teas, owing to their truer character, greater delicacy and richness of flavor.