COMPOSITION OF TEA
| Black. | Green. | |
| Essential oil | .60 | .79 |
| Chlorophyl | 1.84 | 2.22 |
| Wax | .28 | |
| Resin | 3.64 | 2.22 |
| Gum | 7.28 | 8.56 |
| Tannin | 12.88 | 17.80 |
| Theine | .46 | .43 |
| Extractive matter | 21.36 | 22.80 |
| Coloring substances | 19.19 | 23.60 |
| Albumen | 2.80 | 3.00 |
| Fiber | 28.33 | 17.80 |
| Ash[34] | 5.24 | 5.56 |
| Mulden. | ||
From Prof. Mott's Chart on the Composition, Digestibility, and Nutritive Value of Food.
Two of the most important points suggested by a study of tea are the few adulterations and the great difference between different varieties, comparing weight and bulk. Some kinds of very cheap tea are adulterated with sage and raspberry leaves, and leaves of other plants dried to simulate tea, and often flavored with essences to give an agreeable taste, but a vast amount of the tea which is sold is pure. Adulterations with chemicals are now rare, on account of the extensive cultivation of tea and the large quantities sold.
Teas vary greatly in weight,—that is, a given bulk of one tea weighs very differently from the same bulk of another. This is especially marked in the comparison of Oolong and Gunpowder.
Below are given the weights of a moderate-sized caddy-spoon of each of these teas.
| KINDS OF TEA. | Grains. | No. of spoons to the pound. |
| Oolong | 39 | 179 |
| Hyson | 66 | 106 |
| Gunpowder | 123 | 57 |
From this it appears that Gunpowder tea, bulk for bulk, is more than three times as heavy as Oolong; consequently in using it only about one third as much should be taken for a given amount of water. In making the infusion teas should be weighed, not measured, but it is not easily practicable in all households to do so; however, it can always be borne in mind that the closely rolled teas, such as Gunpowder, Young Hyson, and Japan, should be used in smaller proportion than those which are loosely rolled, like Oolong, English Breakfast, and other black teas.
There is a popular notion that green teas are dried on copper, but according to unquestionable authorities it is an erroneous one. Green teas are dried quickly so that the natural color of the leaves is preserved. Black teas are dried slowly for many hours until a sort of fermentation sets in, which causes the difference in color, as pickings from the same plant may, in the process of curing, become either green or black tea, according to the method employed. Also, different varieties of tea may be made from the same branch by difference of treatment in curing, the aromatic flavors, which did not exist in the leaves before, being produced by the drying. Different varieties or kinds of tea are also made from the same plant by gathering the leaves at different ages.