Tea
Not many people know this but there’s an organisation in China called the Chinese Tea Culture Research Centre and they have an official list of the 10 famous and premier Chinese teas. Without further ado – here they are:
Puerh
- Yunnan Puerh – One of China’s oldest teas and also one of its favourites due to its health benefits.
Green
- Xi Hu Longjing – a green tea from Zhejiang province.
- Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun – green tea from Jiangsu province.
- Huang Shan Mao Feng – green tea from Anhui province.
- Tai Ping Hou Kui - another from Anhui province.
- Lu An Guapian – and a third green tea from Anhui province!
- Xin Yang Mao Jian – from Henan Province.
Oolong
- Da Hong Pao – an Oolong tea from Mount Wuyi, Fujian Province.
- Tieguanyin – an Oolong tea from Fujian Province.
Black
- Keemun – the only black tea in the list from Anhui province.
Yellow
- Junshan Yinzhen – a yellow tea from Hunan.
facts
black tea, china, chinese tea, green tea, yellow tea
Gunpowder Tea is a variety of Chinese green tea which is produced in the Zhejiang province of the PRC. The tea has a distinctive appearance due to the leaves being tightly rolled into small dark pellets after pan-frying them at high heat. These pellets expand in the water as they steep releasing their flavour in stages.
The tea was first produced way back in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) when the rolling method was used to protect the tea leaf from damage and hold the flavour for longer.
Name
The origin of this tea’s name is open to debate but here’s some of the more plausible explanations:
- When rolled into pellets as is the custom then the tea resembles that of gunpowder pellets.
- The Mandarin Chinese for this tea is gang pao – which sounds similar to “gunpowder”.
- The steeped tea can have a smoky aroma.
In China the tea is more often referred to as zhu cha – literally translated as “Bead Tea”.
Checking for Quality
Gunpowder tea should always be rolled into small shiny pellets. If they are dull, broken or unfurled then they are to be avoided. Quality brands will be hand rolled rather than mass-produced varieties which are machine rolled.
Brewing
When brewing Gunpowder tea its important to not use too much because with it being tightly rolled it will expand quite a lot and a teaspoonful can easily fill a cup!
Two teaspoons of Gunpowder will nicely fill a teapot and generally keeps for quite a while as the flavours slowly infuse.
Varieties
There are 3 main varieties of Gunpowder although only one has the status as the original.
- Pingshui Gunpowder – This is the original and (in my opinion) the best variety.
- Formosa Gunpowder – This variety is grown in Taiwan and is more often sold as an Oolong rather than a straight green tea. It has its own distinctive taste.
- Ceylon Gunpowder – Gunpowder in name only this tea was inspired by the Chinese varieties but is grown in Sri Lanka at high altitude. It has very little resemblence in taste or aroma.
What I Say
For what little my opinion counts I would like to say I love this tea! I bought a box of this called Temple of Heaven Gunpowder from a Chinese supermarket in Nottingham, UK. It served some of the finest green tea I’ve ever tasted, but unfortunately I lost it during a house move last year. Ever since I’ve been unable to find a replacement to my Temple of Heaven tea. I will soon be trying one of the varieties from an online merchant and will then provide a review.
You can get Gunpowder Tea from: Teavana
Technorati Tags: tea, green tea, gunpowder tea
facts, history, products
china, green tea, gunpowder, tea
