Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-11-25
Green and Black Teas.

The plant in cultivation about Canton, from
which the Canton teas are made is known 10
botanists as The bohea; while the more northern
variety, found in the green tea country, has been
called Thea viridiS The first appears to have
been named l. upon E. the p snpD9stlapr tvt the
tainined from this species; and the second was
called Uiridis, berause it furnished the green
teas of commerce. These names seem to have
mlsled the public; and hence many persons
until few years ago, fmly believed that black
tea could be made only from Thea Bohea, and
green tea only from Thea vIidls. The two
kinds of tea are rarely made in the same district
but this is a matter of convenience. Districts
which formerly were famous for black teas, now
produce nothing but green. At Canton, green
and black teas are made from the Thea bohea at
the pleasure of the manufacturer, and according
to demand When the plants arrive from the
farms fresh and cool, they dry Of bright green
color but if they are delayed in their transit, or
remain in confined state for too long a period,
they become heated, from species of sponta-
neeus fermentation; and when oosened and
spread open, emit vapors, and are sensbly warm
to the hand When such plants are dred, the
whole of the green color is found to have been
destroyed, and red brown, and sometimes a
blackishbrown result is obtained. Without de-
failing the whole process in the manufacture
Of either kind of tea, 1st. That the leaves are
roasted almost Immediately after they are
gathered; and, Cd, That they are dried offquck-
ly after the rolling process. In referance to
served, 1st That after being gathered, the leaves
are exposed for considerable time; 2d, That
they are tossed about until they become soft
faccd and are then left in heaps; Sd, That
after being roasted for few minuest and rolled
they are exposed for some hours to the air in a
soft and moist state; and, 4lh, That they are al
last dried slowly over charcoal fires. After ALL
then, genuine green tea Is as might reasonby
be conjectured, an article less artificial than
black. There is, at the same time too much
6Nra3ation for the suspicion, that the green teas
ktronized in Euroqe and America, are
S0cently manufactured. Mr.. Fortune
+ INwtcsessed the process Of cooring them in the
Hung, chow green tea country, and describes
the process The substance used is a powder
consisting of four parts of gypsum and three
parts Of Prussian blue, which was applied to the
teas during the last process of roasting.
During this operation" he says" the hand:
of the workmen we're quite blue. could no
help thinking, that If any green tea thinkers hat
been present during the operation, their TASTE
would have been corrected, and, may be al
lowed to add, improved. One day, an EngsI
gentleman in Shangeae, being in conversation
with some Chinese from the green tea country
asked them the reason they had for dyeng thu
tea, whether it would not be better without un
dergoing the process They acknowledged tha
tea was much better when prepared without hav
ing uny such ingredients mixed with 1t, and tha
they never drank dyed teas themselves bu
Justly remarked, that as foreigners seemed t
prefer having mixture of Prusian blue an
gypsum with their tea, to make it look unforr
and pretty, and as these ingredients were chca
enough, the Chinese had no objection to suppl
them, especially as such teas always fetched
niger price p The quantity of cOloFing matte
used is rather more than an ounce to Ia lb'
of tea so that in every 100 lbs. ofcolored gree
tea consumed in England or America, the COZ
sumer actually drinks nearly half pound
Prusan blue and gypsum Samples of thes
ingredients, procured from the Cinnamon in ii
factory, were sent last year to the Great Exh
, btion,-C Chambers Journal