The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-01-13 00:00:00

T ,E A.

(From die a Ma Prreheuer's taicte";

OF BLACK TEA.
TIONEA is the lowest quality of the Black Tess,
and is divided into three distinct titles or denomi-
nations, viz. ordinary, middling, and good lobes.
In geuersil, Robed Tea, in respect of I
appear-
ance, is composed of very beige and small hives,
with a great quantity so small as to resemble dust.
Its colour is of n dirty dark brown, rather tinged
with a slight green. The large leaves appear as if
two Or three were sista, together; it is also alieia:eit
with a number of berries and stalks. The smell is
fresh, but has a fainineee. Hod by Rome (simpered to
the smell of dry limy. When put in water, it pro-
duces a colour of the deepest tincture, nearly to
that of mahogany; a colour much disliked by all
judges of tea.
CONGOV.—The next quality of Black Tea to
though infihitely better, is Congou. It lire
a greater variety of qualities thin, tire Dollen; is
compoard of a long slender leer, and of it consider-
ably blacker appearance. Its smell, in the i..ferioe
quality, is very trifling. but in the beet sort, very
fragrant.
The superior sort of Coogan Tea is of a small
greyish leaf. The different qualities, as' know.; by
the tea trade, are us follow : small leaf,
greyish leaf, pale greyish leaf, bluckirdi leaf,
brnwn-
iah leaf, which latter is of the Bohr* flavour.
The appearance of good Congou, when put into
water, should produce a colour resemblisig pule
amber; it is often mixed with Boller', when it pro-
duces a high colour, and the taste of the lohea
ways predominates.
Soucttoen.—The appearance of the face of this
Tea is very much like the preceding: nearly black,
but generally with a greyish cast ; the leaves are
long or slender, but with a crispness that is tint to
be met with in any other quality ; upon putt.ng a
little its the mouth, it causes an agreeable rough-
nese; the smell is very sweet, notwithatendiee it
canoes a sensation as of un agreeable acid ; its wafer.
it produces a liquor of a lighter amber colour than
that produced by the Congou. Souchoug and
Cougou are, in many respects, so like cue, other,
that often a good Congon is -old for Sour:hong,
and a low Souchotig for good Congou. The deno-
miuxtiuus Soucliong are the greyish leaf, the
small greyish leaf, and the blackish leaf. The Jet
blackish leaf is not allowed to be good.
PEKOE TRA id the superior quality of Black Tea,
the value of which is well known to she tea-drillers,
us re tonsil{ quantity unly;. Irving put into Liferier
Tree, will give them en agreeable flavour. The
appearance of this res to the sight is almost a jet
black, having long and small leaves, but which have
the appeurunce of beiug mossy or hairy, and the
ends tipped with white, *lnch, whets tu a body,
has the re*enibluisce as if some white taw-dust had
uccelentally fallen amongst it; it has a most deli-
cate tool pleasant smell. yet rather faint, and not
iiiilike cowslips; when in water, it produces a pale
liquid, as Soncliong and COIIgOU. This Tea is not
agreeable to many palates of itself, but to improve
ether Teas is of inestimable valise.
CREEN TEAS.
The Ostutaeav GREEN TEA. its appearance 111
very coarse, and of a light whitish yellow ; it has
very little freelioess in the smell, sod in order to he
a judge of it, it is necessary to contrast it with the
common green, which is of a larger leaf, and the
colour darker, being of a dusky yellow, incliiiing
to green, the smell rather of a chaffy nature, and,
in every other respect, little different to tree Lodi-
nary green.
131.00 M TEA.—The face of this Tee is of a math
!nigher ci,lnnr than the Common green. the leaves
are the largeot tit' any kind of Tea, untwithstand-
• ing it is loose and remarkably light. It is is Tea
very little used by tea dealers by itself, on ucconot
i of Ito weeklies'.
'BYRON TEA is said to be so called from a Mr.
Ilysson, a rich East India merchant, who first im-
ported it. Hyeriti Tea has a smaller, harder, and a
more curled leaf than any of the preceding Green
Teas; it is of a more blue colour, nearly resem-
bling the bloom du doe, very fragrant to the smell,
mill remarkably heavy in the hand ; it also tastes
.rrisii in the mouth when chewed, and looks green.
%% Ito made into ti a it scarcely tinctures the water.
To know if it be good, let a cup full of its liquid'
stand all night ; then, if its colour, delicate smell,
and bitterish taste confiner, it is good ; but if these
or any of them be impaired, the 'tea is old, and Inds
lost part of its virtne.
GUNPOWOLR TEA is of a much mailer quality
than Hymn, being mily about twice as large as e
middling gruip of gunpowder, and Ilion its resein-
• blance it is so called. It is a specie+ of Ilyson, hut
has not so much bloom, and is nearer a black ; it
has a very line emell, and to much too strung to
drink by itself; it is a great improver of a weak
Hyson, or may be dineiiiished of its own strength
by au equal quantity of Hybon with itself.
TO DETECT COUNTERFEIT TEA.
COUNTERFEIT TEA FROM SHRUBS.—Upon sad
pkiens of having any Counterfeit Tea made from
any shrub, either from Chinese or of English pro-
duce, make a pot of it : pour out a dish, into which
put a grain and a h :If of blue vitriol or copperas ;
if it is good genuine Green Tea, and set in a good
light, it will appear of a fine light blue ; if it is ges
isoine Black Teri, it will torn to u deep blue, next
to black ; but if they are adulterated, there will ape
pear in them colon,. of green, yellow, black, &c.
CoUNTERFEIT BLACK TEA.—A small quantity
of this 'lieu will give a deeper colour to the same
proportion of water than if it vain good ; it produces
reddish biotin. When the lemma have been
washed awl mood a little, hey will kink greener
thim good Built*. Dyed Black Tea is generally
much larger, therefore it is best to buy the smell
leaf lollis. Bud Neck Tee may also be diatiii-
guirhed by the milk, when put into it, as it will.
use reddish. inetead of desk broom. A little cop-
peras put into (Isis liquor will turn it into a light
blue, which otherwise ought to lie of a deep blue,
inclining to blacit ; and, lastly. points of hattelictrii
Make* the good Tea of a deep brownish yeiloW,
after it has stood a a bile, like the new drawn tine-
tine of sadiron, but it hes not that effect on bad
Tea.
COUNTERFEIT GREEN TEA.—Put only • bit of
gall into the liquor, mid it will turn pirsently to a
deep blackish colour. winch it would nut, were
, there tut vitriol pr copperas in it ; for galls do not