At a glance
Pingshui Zhucha is the round pearl-style green tea associated with Pingshui in Zhejiang. Gunpowder is an English appearance name for this rolled style, not an ingredient or a claim that the tea is smoked.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 平水珠茶 |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Pingshui, Keqiao, Shaoxing, Zhejiang; historical pearl-tea trading context |
| Leaf form | Tightly rolled, round green-tea granules |
Taste and appearance
The earlier table describes dense round granules, dark green lustre and yellow-green liquor. Upper aroma descriptions are high and lasting or rich and clean; the tastes move from full-bodied to mellow. The lowest shape cell mentions huangtou, yellowish pieces, as an inherited comparison rather than an ingredient.
The cover is the original dry-leaf illustration. These images are not TeaPlain tasting samples or proof of origin, grade, age, authenticity or image rights clearance.
Grade characteristics
This preserves the earlier Chinese edition’s sensory comparison. It is not a complete verified current standard table and does not grade your packet. Plant material, growing area, processing and grade are separate details. Decorative star rankings are omitted.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare the grades.
| Feature | Extra grade | Grade 1 | Grade 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry-leaf shape | Round, tightly rolled, weighty granules | Round, tight, weighty, even and clean | Round and even, with yellowish pieces |
| Dry-leaf colour | Dark green and lustrous | Dark green and lustrous | Dark green |
| Liquor | Yellow-green and bright | Yellow-green and bright | Yellow-green |
| Aroma | High, brisk and lasting | Rich and clean | Clean |
| Taste | Full-bodied | Full and mellow | Mellow |
| Infused leaves | Tender and even, tender green and bright | Tender, yellow-green and bright | Tender and even, yellow-green and bright |
These are inherited sensory comparisons, not a verified complete current standard or a certificate for a particular packet.
Names and origin
Heritage documentation places the Pingshui practice in Keqiao, Shaoxing. The earlier long regional list also included historical administrative names and tea trading/manufacturing connections; it is not presented as a newly verified current protection boundary. An independently documented Taiwanese museum collection records pearl-tea manufacture outside Zhejiang. Thus the general Gunpowder style does not by itself prove Pingshui origin or an exclusive Zhejiang source.
Everyday benefits
Brewed without added sugar, this is an ordinary tea drink that can be an alternative to sweetened drinks and contribute to fluid intake. It contains caffeine. These everyday properties do not establish that this named tea treats disease, lowers blood sugar or improves sleep. No TeaPlain clinical or brewing test is claimed here.
Who may enjoy this tea
It may suit someone exploring Pingshui Zhucha through its described flavour and leaf form. Start with a traceable small packet and its complete brewing instructions rather than a health promise.
When to take care
- Caffeine sensitivity or sleep problems: consider your total intake and timing if tea affects your sleep. A pale infusion is not a caffeine-free claim.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding or medicines: ask a clinician or pharmacist about your actual product, caffeine intake and relevant medicine instructions.
- Iron supplements: follow the medicine’s instructions about separating tea from the dose. Do not use tea as treatment for anaemia.
These are product and individual considerations, not a blanket ban based on traditional “hot” or “cold” labels, age, sex or a constitution category.
How to brew
Original prose: heat-safe glass
The earlier method uses a heat-safe glass, 1:50 tea-to-water ratio and 85–90°C / 185–194°F water. It says to refill when about one-third of the liquid remains, and describes roughly three infusions/refills. It supplies no first steeping time. Keep the retained illustration’s method separate below.
| Detail | Original prose with an explicit ratio example |
|---|---|
| Tea | 3 g Pingshui Zhucha as an editorial arithmetic example |
| Actual water | 150 mL / about 5.1 US fl oz, measured water; 3 g at 1:50 |
| Vessel | Heat-safe glass with room for the leaves and actual water |
| Water temperature | 85–90°C / 185–194°F |
| First drinking infusion | No first steeping time recorded in the prose; follow a complete packet method |
| Refill | At about one-third liquid remaining; refilling is different from a full fresh measured batch |
These inherited directions and explicit ratio examples are awaiting hands-on testing. Nominal vessel capacity and a drawn fill fraction do not measure actual water. Three repeat cups is not a guarantee of equal strength. If leaves remain in the glass, extraction continues; transfer or strain if the cup becomes too strong. Let the drink cool enough to sip.
Read the original illustration separately
This graphic supplies only a glass, 90°C / 194°F water, 3–5 g and the leaves-first method (xia tou fa). It gives no actual water volume, ratio, vessel capacity, first steeping time, tea rinse or refill instruction. Do not import the separate prose’s 150 mL example into this incomplete method. Use a complete packet method for a measured brew.
For ordinary teaware options, see brew without a gaiwan. Keep each complete method together instead of selecting temperature, dose and time from different preparations.
Adjust your cup
| What you notice | One change to try |
|---|---|
| Too strong, bitter or drying | Separate the liquid from the leaves; shorten contact time or use less tea next time |
| Weak or watery | Keep the measured water fixed and try a longer infusion before changing the leaf dose |
| Later infusions become stronger | Check whether liquid was left sitting with the leaves |
| Different from a flavour description | Compare the actual product and method; a description is not a promise for every cup |
Change one variable at a time. For a fuller sequence, see fix a disappointing first cup.
How to buy
Look for the actual producer and growing source. Pearl shape and the English word Gunpowder alone do not establish Pingshui origin; compare the packet’s own ratio and steep time.
See buy your first Chinese tea for packet comparisons.
China price reference
Undated figures retained from the Chinese edition, in Chinese yuan (CNY). No original brand, batch, harvest or quotation date was recorded. These are not verified current retail quotes, a market average or manufacturer-suggested retail prices.
| Chinese-edition tier | CNY per 500 g (one jin) | Equivalent CNY per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Extra grade | 400 | 80 |
| Grade 1 | 250 | 50 |
Per 100 g is an arithmetic conversion, not a quoted packet. Do not infer a missing sensory or price tier. Compare actual growing area, style, harvest, roast, weight and channel. A currency conversion does not make a UK or US retail offer comparable to a China historical figure.
How to store
Original storage method
The original method places green tea in a closed foil pouch, gently removes excess air, then puts the pouch inside a lidded iron or tin container upright for refrigerated storage, protected from light, moisture and smells. Check that a paper pouch is actually lined and moisture resistant; plain paper alone is not an airtight moisture barrier.
Its general reference was 12 months, with storage below 10°C / 50°F and below 50% relative humidity. It also described a cool, shaded room-temperature option for tea expected to be finished within two months. These are inherited conditions, not a verified expiry or a remaining-life prediction for an opened packet. Follow the actual maker’s label, package and specified conditions first.
In a UK or US kitchen
If following a product’s cold-storage directions, keep the pack sealed against fridge moisture and food smells, and let it warm while still sealed before opening. Keep a working portion away from the hob or stove, dishwasher steam, sunlight and spices; reseal after use. Do not apply a refrigerator recipe to another tea automatically. See storing an opened packet for handling.
The original green-tea handling note keeps a separate one-to-two-week working portion to avoid repeatedly warming and opening the bulk cold pack. Portion in dry conditions and seal each pack.
Origin, processing and history
The retained factory map starts at heat fixing, then rolling, second pan working, third pan working, paired-pan working (dui guo) and the large-pan finish (da guo). It does not label picking or spreading. The heritage account independently describes the regional round-green practice; neither it nor this simplified map makes all Gunpowder tea a single protected-origin product.
Common questions
Does Gunpowder green tea always mean Pingshui-grown tea?
No. The English name describes a rolled appearance used beyond this place. Pingshui origin needs traceable growing and manufacturing information, not just round leaves.
Can I move one number from this recipe into a different vessel?
Keep leaf form, measured dose and actual water, temperature, timing and separation together. Nominal capacity or a fill fraction is not a measured ratio.
Compare Tianmu Qingding, or browse the green tea overview.
Editorial notes and updates
Updated 16 October 2026. Valid original descriptions, sensory comparisons, prose and image methods, storage handling, China price figures and usable pictures are retained with their scope. Doubtful medical, ranking and exact historical claims are revised or omitted. Current full grade clauses and historical prices are not certified. Original Chinese-labelled graphics have English reading notes; no TeaPlain tasting or brewing test is claimed. Internal research and image audits record the decisions.