Gunpowder Green Tea

Gunpowder Green Tea is green tea rolled into small, tight pellets that slowly unfurl as they steep. The style gives a fuller-bodied green tea than most: smooth, slightly smoky and pleasantly brisk. Ours is organic loose leaf gunpowder tea, lovely hot, over ice, or brewed with fresh mint as Moroccan mint tea.

• Size: 1 oz of loose leaf tea.
• Ingredient: Organic gunpowder green tea (Camellia sinensis).
• Caffeine: Contains caffeine, roughly 20–45 mg per 8 oz cup.
• Brew: 1–2 teaspoons per 8 oz of water at 170–185°F (not boiling). Steep 2–3 minutes, then strain.

What Is Gunpowder Tea?

Gunpowder is a style of Chinese green tea in which each leaf is rolled into a small, tight ball. The name comes from the pellets’ resemblance to old-fashioned gunpowder grains, not from anything in the flavor. Rolling the leaves this way helps them keep their freshness, and the leaves unfurl dramatically in hot water, which is part of the fun of brewing it.

Like most Chinese green teas, gunpowder is pan-fired rather than steamed, which gives it a warmer, toastier, slightly smoky character than Japanese-style greens such as sencha. It is also the traditional base for Moroccan mint tea, where it is brewed strong with fresh spearmint and sugar.

Meet Our Gunpowder Green Tea

The dry leaf is a jar of small, dark-green pellets. In hot water they open into whole leaves and brew a yellow-green cup with a fuller body than most green teas. The flavor is smooth and slightly smoky, with a brisk, clean finish and gentle caffeine. It stands up well to mint and to ice. Packed to order in a 1 oz size.

How To Brew Gunpowder Green Tea

Hot: heat water to 170–185°F, or let boiling water rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Use 1 to 2 teaspoons per 8 oz (the pellets expand a lot, so start with one) and steep 2 to 3 minutes, then strain. The leaves can be re-steeped once or twice.

Moroccan mint tea: add 2 teaspoons of gunpowder tea and a handful of fresh spearmint, or a tablespoon of our dried spearmint leaves, to a pot with 16 oz of hot water. Sweeten to taste, steep 3 to 4 minutes, then pour from a height into small glasses.

Iced: cold brew 2 tablespoons in 32 oz of cold water in the fridge for 6 to 8 hours, then strain. Add mint or lemon if you like.

Does Gunpowder Tea Have Caffeine?

Yes. Gunpowder is a green tea and contains caffeine, roughly 20–45 mg in an 8 oz cup. That is less than black tea and far less than coffee, though its bolder flavor makes it feel a little stronger than lighter greens. Shorter steeps and cooler water extract less. For a cup with no caffeine, try one of our caffeine-free herbal teas or a pot of plain peppermint or spearmint.

Gunpowder vs. Our Other Green Teas

• Gunpowder – rolled pellets, pan-fired: fuller-bodied, slightly smoky and brisk.
• Organic Sencha Green Tea – steamed, Japanese-style: grassy, fresh and crisp.
• Organic Jasmine Green Tea – green tea scented with jasmine blossoms, floral and sweet.
• Matcha Green Tea – powdered green tea for whisking or lattes.
• Organic Green Tea – our everyday green tea for a simple, clean cup.

Browse them all in our loose leaf green tea collection, or read our green tea guide.

Who Gunpowder Green Tea Is Best For

• Green tea drinkers who want more body and a bolder flavor.
• Anyone making Moroccan mint tea at home.
• People who find grassy green teas too light and prefer a toasty, slightly smoky cup.
• Iced tea drinkers who want a green tea that holds up over ice.
• Anyone who likes watching tightly rolled leaves unfurl in a glass pot.