TEA-BLENDING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14465, 6 March 1909, Page 7

TEA-BLENDING.

An eminent tea expert, writing in the "Tea. and Coffee Trade Journal," «ivs: — "Tea-blending is a scientific art. and the acme of the art is lo 'lilt' blends up, not to depress them lo a dull average. The exiK'i't will blend medium and tine quality teas in such a way as to make a 'line liquoring,' not a medium, cup. The great secret is lo select for vour' fetching up' grade a. tea that ran dominate the blend. For this great experience and a highly trained palate are essential. No hard an<l fast rales can lx> laid down, but there is a. great prize to l» gainod bv the successful individual who by his skill can make, for two or three pence a. pound less money, a ble.nd that shall equal the more expensive one of the inexpert blender." Jn New Zealand expert iea-blomicrs are few and far between, and while there are many brands of blsndcd leas on the market, few are the work of real experts. For the most part the leas arc mixed in a haphazard kind of way, the main object lieing the obtaining of a maximum profit. Uniformity of quality or flavour under such conditions is impossible, and purity problematical. There is one firm in New Zealand who have for many years been (selling the finest hleuded teas; in Australasia. Wended by an expert of great, experience and unique skill, who also has the advantage of his firm's superior buying and importing oa-pa-. bilities, these teas are undoubtedly very fine examples of the blender's art, and at. tlie various prices at which they are sold they are undeniably the best, value obtainable in the Dominion. We refer to "Tiger" Teas. That they have for so many years retained their supremacy and great, popularity in the face of increased competition is evidence of the public's critical abilities. The people of New Zealaud are, on the whole, good judges of tea, and as "Tiger" Tea is still the pick of the great majority, nothing further need bs added, except that, thev arc obtainable from all stores at Is <!d, Is od, Is Sd, Is lOd, and 2s per lb. That at. Is Bd per lb w (he most, favoured at present. It. is a. very fine tea, and those who cannot afford tho higher priced "Tiger" Teas find it quite as good as other brands of tea at 2s a lb. Those, however, who are compelled to buy a low-priced tea will get tho best value for their money, both in quality and flavour, if they buy tho low-priced " Tiger" blonds.—(l).