Amsterdam Tea Room

gunpowder

Tasting Notes: Savory, Woodsy, Round

Ingredients: Organic Green Tea

Origin: China

Region: Zhejiang

Caffeine Content: Medium

Temperature: 180-185 F degrees

Steep Time: 3-5 minutes

Suggested Serving: 1 tsp/8oz

Tender, young organic fair trade green tea leaves, rolled into small spheres resembling gunpowder, produce a grassy infusion with a slightly smoky flavour. A deeply renewing pick-me-up any time of day.

This particular tea comes from a tea estate west of Hangzhou in the hill country of Zhejiang province. The green leaf for this tea is plucked during April, corresponding to the time of the best quality. Legend has it that the name Gunpowder was given by a young English clerk who thought the tiny rolled green balls looked like gunpowder. The Chinese name for Gunpowder Tea is Siaou Chu, which literally means large leaf. Rolling the leaf has two effects on quality of the tea. It forces to the surface the flavourful juices that otherwise would remain in the leaf. Rolling also forces out water, thus helping to reduce the tea’s final moisture content. The pellet retains its shape during firing and keeps its freshness longer than tea not manufactured in pellet form.

Price:

11 / 50g

22 / 100g