Worldwide Popular Green Tea Gunpowder 9475

Gunpowder tea is one of the best known green teas in the world, it originated from Zhejiang province and the capital, Hangzhou. There are two possible reasons for it being called Gunpowder, the first is its resemblance to early forms of black powder used in explosives (also invented by the Chinese). The second is that the English term may stem from the Mandarin Chinese term for freshly brewed, which is ‘Gang Pao De’ but the word Gunpowder is now used throughout the tea trade to describe clean, tightly-rolled green leaves.

The leaves of this green tea are rolled into the shape of little pinhead pellets resembling gunpowder, hence its name. Tastes bold & lightly smoky. Higher in caffeine than most green teas (35-40 mg/8 oz serving).

To make this tea each silvery green tea is withered, fired and then rolled into a tiny ball, a technique perfected over centuries to preserve freshness. Once in the cup with hot water added, the leaves of the shiny pellets unfurl back into life. The liquor is yellow, with a strong, honeyed and slightly smoky flavour that lingers on the palate.

The original and most common variety of gunpowder tea with larger pearls, better color, and a more aromatic infusion, which is commonly sold as Temple of Heaven Gunpowder or Pinhead Gunpowder, the former being a common brand of this tea variety.

The ancient technique of rolling the leaves gave the tea a certain hardiness as it was transported across continents, preserving its distinctive flavour and aroma. Gunpowder Green is a particularly bright, clean variety with a smooth sweetness and a smoke-tinged finish – beautiful brewed lightly for clarity of taste. Drink without milk, good with savoury foods, or as an after-dinner digestif. Outside Europe, this tea is often drunk with white sugar added to sweeten the stringent brew. It can be particularly pleasant on a hot day.