Black tea should be black, but not dead black,—rather of a grayish hue. No red leaves should be mixed with it. It should be regular in appearance, each leaf with a uniform twist, that is, in all except the "broken" teas. The leaves of tea are gathered four times a year by hand, and the finest kind is made from the tender young buds. Young Hyson is made from the early buds of April, and is noted for its mild, delicate flavor.
The principle most to be avoided in tea is the tannin, which in any considerable quantity is injurious to health. It dissolves easily when tea is either steeped for a length of time, or boiled. The important point, therefore, is not to make tea more than a few minutes before it is to be drunk, and not to boil it.
The principal kinds of tea in common use are Oolong, Japan, English Breakfast, Imperial, Gunpowder, and Young Hyson. Gunpowder, Japan, Young Hyson, and Imperial are green teas; the others are black.
To Prepare Tea.
1 Teaspoon of tea.
1 Cup of boiling water.
Fill a cup with boiling water, and let it stand a minute, or until the cup is heated through. Then empty it, put the teaspoon of tea into a tea-ball, place it in the hot cup, and pour on the boiling water slowly until it is full, leaving the tea-ball in for three minutes. This will give you a delicious and fragrant drink. If there is not a tea-ball at hand, use a small strainer, holding it so that the tea is under water for the required time.
The same principle is to be followed in making a pot of tea, except that the time of steeping should be somewhat longer. Scald the pot, which should be either of silver, granite-ware, or earthenware, not tin. Put into it the tea, in the proportion of one teaspoon to a cup of water (one half pint), and let it infuse for five minutes, but by no means allow it to boil, for boiling dissipates the aroma, and extracts the tannin, which is the injurious principle. Serve it in hot teacups with loaf-sugar and cold cream or milk. I think it is Miss Lincoln who says: "Never disgrace yourself by serving that abomination, boiled lukewarm tea in a cold cup."
Water for tea should be fresh, and soft water—that is, water which is free from lime—is to be preferred; by taking one teaspoon of tea and a cup of water as the unit, any amount may be made; for instance, for a pot of tea for five or six persons, six teaspoons of tea and a quart and a half (6 cups) of water will be required. The time of exposure to the heat is, of course, not multiplied, the same number of minutes being enough for a greater or a lesser amount.
In connection with the study of tea, it is a very interesting fact that most authorities agree as to the time of steeping. There seems to be the unanimous opinion that it should not exceed fifteen minutes. Five minutes is the usual time given for the average kinds of tea, but for the fine, pure teas from eight to ten is a wise rule to follow.