In Chinese this tea is called 'Zhu Cha' which means 'Pearl Tea' on account of the way it is rolled during production.
Ordinarily, Gunpowder tea is bitter and strong green tea often blended with sugar and mint to make it palatable. JING has been asking a couple of gardens it works with to try making a supreme gunpowder tea with early spring tea which gives a light and deliciously sweet flavour.
Gunpowder tea dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618–907). It is believed to take its English name from the fact that the tea resembles gunpowder pellets used for cannons. Another theory is that it may come from the Mandarin Chinese term gāng paò dè, which means "freshly brewed," and sounds like the English word "gunpowder."
Certified organic by the Soil Association
Fair Trade certified by IMO Switzerland
Antioxidants: 61mg ECGC/250ml
Total Antioxidants: 137.5mg/250ml - (EGCG, Epicatechine, ECG, EGC)
Infuse: 2 tsp to 1 tbs per cup; water temperature 80 °C: infuse 3 minutes
Appearance: Gently rolled gunpowder with olive-green leaf
Infusion: Robust, golden-green liquor
Aroma: : Aromatically full and forceful with fresh, sappy scents underpinned by forest floor earthiness and mineral tones
Taste: Invigorating and nourishing almost sturdy with subtle mineral notes behind the nettle sap
Zhejiang Province, China