Gunpowder Green Tea
By Tea Gurus Ron & Kathy Campbell, owners of Merkaba –
the ultimate tea connection

Gunpowder tea comes from the province of Zhejiang in China and from Taiwan. It is an excellent choice to drink with meals and it complements most meats and vegetables. It also can be brewed into a refreshing iced tea with or without lemon and sugar.

The best Gunpowder Green Tea is Temple of Heaven Brand. It's not only famous in China but also all over the world. Made in the pearl or gunpowder tradition, hand rolled into tiny pellets that unfurl into long banners of satisfaction; it is a mild, fresh tea with a clean palate. Tiny pearls, hand-rolled leaf-by-leaf, made of some of the finest Chinese green tea make up Temple of Heaven Gunpowder tea. The tea leaves are specially selected for quality, size and style. They are then rolled into tight nuggets. Gunpowder tea keeps a lot longer than other green teas and is favored because of this characteristic.

Gunpowder tea comes from the province of Zhejiang in China and from Taiwan. Generally the better gunpowder teas come from Taiwan. Interestingly Taiwan's gunpowder quality improved after 1949. Another interesting point; before the 1900's, gunpowder tea comprised about 60% of Americas total tea imports compared to today, when it is less than 1 percent.

When the tea is made, the tiny pellets jingle and tinkle in the bowl or cup. Boiling water causes them to open up like flowers and sink slowly to the bottom in graceful patterns which add a dimension of visual pleasure to tea drinking. Gunpowder is denser than other teas, so one or two teaspoons for a teapot is all that is required.

Legend has it that the name Gunpowder was given by a young English clerk who thought the tiny rolled green balls looked like gunpowder and the name stuck. The gray-green balls are known as "Zucha" or "pearl tea" to the Chinese. It originated in the town of Pinshui in Zhejiang province and is now produced in neighboring areas as well. Gunpowder was one of the first Chinese teas to be exported starting in the early 1600s. Despite its high price, it became very popular in Europe and America.

It takes a special skill to roll tea leaves into this unusual shape. Because they are so tightly rolled, these little pellets keep exceptionally well which is rare for a high quality green tea. When hot water is added, the little balls unfold gracefully and produce a flavorful dark green brew with a unique fragrance and a delightful, lingering aftertaste. Temple of Heaven, as the name implies, is the highest grade of this type of tea and has won many awards around the world.

Good Gunpowder Tea uses older tea leaves unlike other varieties of green tea. Tea steeped from Gunpowder has a dark golden color, roasted or toasted taste with a strong aftertaste lingering in the front palette, and a strong roasted or toasted aroma. You can also judge the quality of Gunpowder Green by its appearance. The well tightened and curled tea looks like tiny pearls with a dark-green shining color.

This is an excellent choice to drink with meals and it complements most meats and vegetables. It also can be brewed into a refreshing iced tea with or