Pingshui Zhu Cha (Gunpowder)

Pingshui Zhu Cha — "pearl tea", known in Western markets as Gunpowder — is the original rolled-pellet green tea, named for its visual resemblance to gunpowder. Production is documented from the Tang dynasty (618–907) in Pingshui Town, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang. Under Emperor Kangxi (1661–1722) it became an Imperial Tribute; Pingshui exports peaked between 1843 and 1894. The rolled pellet shape protects the leaf from physical damage in packaging and storage and helps it retain flavour longer than flat-shaped greens. Production has since spread to Fujian, Guangdong, Anhui, and Hunan, but Pingshui is still considered the canonical origin.