Camellia sinensis

Sold by the gram, $0.0568/g. Please bring or order a bag.

MAIL ORDER
Please order a minimum of 100g and buy a bag or tell us in the comments with your order that you want us to pack your order in a repurposed bag.

Gunpowder tea (Chinese: 珠茶; pinyin: zhū chá; literally: 'pearl tea'; pronounced [ʈʂú ʈʂʰǎ]) is a form of Chinese tea in which each leaf has been rolled into a small round pellet. Its English name may come from its resemblance to grains of gunpowder. Alternately, the English term may stem from the Mandarin Chinese phrase for "freshly brewed", gāng pào de (剛泡的), which sounds like the English word "gunpowder."

Gunpowder tea production dates back to the Tang Dynasty 618–907. It was first introduced to Taiwan in the nineteenth century. Gunpowder tea leaves are withered, steamed, rolled, and then dried. Although the individual leaves were formerly rolled by hand, today all but the highest grade gunpowder teas are rolled by machines. Rolling renders the leaves less susceptible to physical damage and breakage and allows them to retain more of their flavour and aroma.

Brewing methods
While brewing methods vary widely by tea and individual preferences, 1 teaspoon of loose leaf tea is recommended for every 150 ml (5.07 oz) of water. Ideal water temperature for this type of tea is between 70 °C (158 °F) and 80 °C (176 °F). For the first and second brewing, leaves should be steeped for around one minute. It is also recommended that the teacup or teapot used be rinsed with hot water prior to brewing the tea to warm the vessels. When brewed, gunpowder tea is a yellow colour.

DISCLAIMER
The information presented on this website is for informational, reference and educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as a substitute for diagnosis and treatment by a health care practitioner.

Photo thanks to: Veganlover1993 - I took this picture in my kitchen before making tea, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47191332