Process guide
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How gunpowder tea is rolled
Gunpowder is a green tea whose leaf is rolled into a tight pellet rather than a twist. After fixation, the leaf is rolled repeatedly under heat until it curls into a ball, then fired, refined and screened by size and tightness into export grades. Pellet tightness decides how slowly the tea releases in the pot — and in Morocco and Senegal, where one charge is brewed three times, that is a commercial variable. Gunpowder is a Zhejiang tea, centred on the Pingshui belt near Shaoxing.
The steps
- 01
Fix
Fresh leaf is heated to stop oxidation — the green tea kill-green step.
- 02
Roll under heat
Leaf is rolled repeatedly in heated pans or drums until it curls into a pellet. Tighter rolling means slower release and a higher grade.
- 03
Fire
Pellets are dried to at or below 7.0% moisture and set.
- 04
- 05
Pack
Multiwall paper sacks or cartons at the contract net weight, stored cool, dry and odour-free. The best-before date is set per contract and printed on the pack.
| Grade | Make | Market |
|---|---|---|
| 3505 | Tight, uniform, dark green — reference | Morocco, Senegal |
| 9375 | Standard pellet — volume | Morocco, West Africa |
| 9475 | Smaller pellet — price-led | West Africa |
| 9575 | Smallest — blending, re-export | Via Ghana |
Guide
Why is it called gunpowder?
Gunpowder tea is named for its rolled pellets, which resemble gunpowder grains. The Chinese name, zhu cha, means pearl tea. Neither name describes a garden or a harvest; both describe the make.
Frequently asked
Is gunpowder tea from Fujian?
No. It is a Zhejiang tea from the Pingshui belt near Shaoxing. ODM Tea sources it from that belt, and it is refined to the written contract specification, with the refining party named in the quotation.
Why does pellet tightness matter?
Why is Gunpowder tea called gunpowder?
The name refers to the appearance of the tightly rolled pellets, which were compared with grains of gunpowder; it does not mean the tea contains gunpowder. Rolling helps create the characteristic shape and affects how the leaf opens in water. Labels should still identify it clearly as green tea and state the grade where relevant.
What is Gunpowder tea called in Chinese?
It is commonly called zhu cha, usually rendered as pearl tea in English. English trade names and grade codes may still be more familiar in export contracts. Because names can vary by market, pair the name with a physical grade, cup description and approved sample rather than assuming the Chinese term alone fixes quality.
What is gunpowder tea made of?
Gunpowder is green tea: tea leaves that are pan-fired to stop oxidation and then rolled into small, tight pellets. Nothing else is added.
What is gunpowder tea called in French and Arabic?
In French it is usually thé vert gunpowder, sometimes thé perlé. In North Africa the brewed mint drink is atay, and the leaf itself is usually bought by its export grade number, such as 3505.
Next step
Turn this into a specification.
Send the destination, the grade and the quantity. ODM Tea answers with the clauses this page describes, filled in.