| Name | Píngshuǐ zhū chá / 平水珠茶 |
| English | Gunpowder |
| Region | Shaoxing, Zhejiang |
| Manufacture | Tumble-fired green tea |
| Style | Rolled-leaf, ball or pellet |
| Flavor | Robust, sweet |
| Aroma | Fresh, slightly nutty |
| Liquor | Clear green tinged with olive |
| Brewing | Brew three of four minutes at 80°C. Second infusion is usually possible. |
Gunpowder is a ‘fun’ tea and one of the most famous green teas outside of China. The tea leaves are rolled into small pellets which gives the tea its ‘gunpowder’ moniker and also the functional benefits of making the tea easier to ship and preserving the fresh flavor of the tea leave because of the compactness of the leaves. Wikipedia also suggests:
The origin of the English term may come from the Mandarin Chinese term gāng paò de (剛泡的), simply meaning ‘freshly brewed’, which sounds like the English word ‘gunpowder’.
Tea Tip – Morrocan Tea Culture
Gunpowder Tea was one of the first teas exported out of China in the 17th Century and is currently exported to more than 40 countries. One of the largest importers of Gunpowder Tea is Morocco which reportedly imported more than $56 million worth of this tea in the first half of 2006. Gunpowder tea has been the foundation of North African Touareg tea since the 18th Century. Typically this tea is made with the process below:
- In a teapot, combine two teaspoons of tea-leaf with half a litre of boiling water. Allow it to steep for at least fifteen minutes.
- Without stirring, filter the mixture into a different stainless steel pot, so that the tea leaves and coarse powder are removed.
- Add sugar (about one teaspoon per decilitre).
- Bring to boil over a medium heat. This important step in the preparation process allows the sugar to undergo hydrolysis, giving the tea its distinctive taste.
- If desired, add fresh mint leaves to the teapot or directly to the cup. Remember to remove the mint within two minutes, as it can give some people acid reflux.
Personally, while I do feel there are better green teas available (and also likely why the Chinese don’t hold this tea in the same esteem as foreigners) Gunpowder is fun for the explosive nature of how the rolled balls expand into full leaves when brewed and also because it was an early cultural export of China to North Africa and Europe – we all should be drinking more green tea! Gunpowder tea has also inspired poetry and Indie rock bands.
More Information (from Baidu Baike):
Gunpowder tea or Pingshui pearl tea is a type of green tea from Zhejiang Province. The tea leaves are curled up into small beads, resembling pearls, thus the name. It is also a widely exported green tea from China. Gunpowder tea is produced in many mountainous locales in Zhejiang. The large amount of production combined with a fragrant and comforting taste make gunpowder tea a popular everyday tea for the locals. In early 17th century, merchants started to export small amount of gunpowder tea to Europe. In the following centuries, the route would expand to North and West Africa, as well as North America.
Gunpowder tea is quite forgiving when it comes to brewing. Water temperature does not need to be as precise as with many other types of green teas such as Longjing or Biluochun. One can use boiling water right off the kettle to brew the tea. Once brewed, the tea leaves will expand, transforming from pearl shapes into large loose leaves. The tea also keeps its flavor well, enduring many more brews than most other types of green teas.
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