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 tea leaves are specially selected for quality, size and style. They are rolled into very small tight nuggets. Gunpowder tea keeps a lot longer than other green teas and is favored because of this characteristic. Chinese exporters recommend gunpowder for iced tea flavored with lemon and sugar.
Hot:
When preparing by the cup, this tea can be used repeatedly, about 3 times. The secret is to use water that is 180’F. Place 3/4 a teaspoon in your cup, let the tea steep for about 2 minutes and then begin enjoying. Do not remove the leaves from the cup. Once the water level is low, add more water, and so on and so on - until the flavor of the tea is exhausted.
Iced:
For 1 gallon, bring half a gallon of filtered water to just before boiling in a pot. Turn off heat, and add 3 tablespoons (1 oz of tea), let steep for 3 minutes. Strain the tea into the other half gallon of cool water and refrigerate. If you want to serve immediately, you can pour the concentrate over ice
