There's a good story behind the name. Each leaf of this classic green tea is hand-rolled into a tiny, tight pellet that looks a lot like old-fashioned gunpowder. Drop a spoonful into hot water and you can watch the pellets slowly unfurl back into whole leaves. It's grown in Zhejiang province, one of China's best-known green tea regions, and it's been a favourite for centuries.
Don't expect the light, grassy flavour of a typical green teabag. Gunpowder is fuller and bolder, with a gentle, toasty smokiness and a smooth, rounded finish. It's a great pick if you usually find green tea a bit thin.
It's also the tea behind Moroccan mint tea. Brew it with a big handful of fresh spearmint and a little sugar and you've got the sweet, minty tea served all over North Africa. It's easy to make at home and very hard to stop drinking.
It gives you a gentle lift without the jolt of coffee, which makes it a good mid-morning or after-lunch cup. And because the pellets are so tightly rolled, you can usually get a second or even third brew out of the same leaves.
- Tea type: Green Tea
- Caffeine: Medium caffeine
- Preparation: 80° for 2-3 mins. Use the shorter steep for a smoother cup; over-steeping may taste bitter.
- Weight: 50g
Where our tea comes from
We work with a specialist tea importer who sources directly from the farmers and growers in some of the world's best tea regions. Sourcing directly means that the tea reaches you fresher, and you get whole-leaf quality without the big price tag.
It's the same approach we've always taken with our coffee - really good quality, but at a price that makes sense for everyday drinking.
Getting the best from loose leaf tea
Brewing methods differ depending on the tea and whether you're adding milk, so use the following as a rough guide.
Use about one teaspoon (2 to 3g) of leaves per cup, and always start with freshly poured water rather than re-boiling what's left in the kettle. Temperature and steep time make a big difference, so check the guide on each tea, but as a general rule, allow for at least 2 minutes for your tea to steep.
Black and herbal teas like it boiling hot, while green teas are happier a little cooler. A tea infuser, strainer or teapot with a filter gives the leaves room to open up, and that's where all the flavour comes from.
Keeping your tea fresh
Store your tea in an airtight container somewhere cool, dark and away from sunlight and moisture. Matcha needs extra care, because light quickly dulls its colour and flavour. That's why our matcha comes in packaging without the window you'll see on our other teas.
If purchasing matcha tea, keep it in its pouch or in an opaque, airtight tin rather than a glass jar, and once opened, enjoy it within a month or two while it's vibrant and green.
Tea also picks up smells easily, so keep it away from spices and strong-smelling food. That includes your coffee, however much we love it!
Orders up to £25
£3.65 Royal Mail Tracked 48
Orders over £25
Free UK delivery on orders over £25.00
We aim to dispatch all orders placed online within 24 hours Monday to Friday however, if we have / had a promotion running, we appreciate your maximum patience for your order to be dispatched as there may be a delay of up to a week to dispatch (all orders will remain freshly prepared on the day it's dispatched).
Orders placed on bank holidays or during other closure periods will be dispatched as soon as possible, depending on the amount of orders we receive during this time.
