Before black tea captured the British imagination, green tea was the brew of choice for businessmen and bohemians alike. Back in the 18th and 19th centuries this was likely to have been a classic Chinese gunpowder tea, fired in large drums for a smoky taste and tightly rolled to resemble pellets of gunpowder. The ancient technique of rolling the leaves gave the tea a certain hardiness as it was transported across continents, preserving its distinctive flavour and aroma. As a result, gunpowder-style green tea became one of the most popular teas to export. It soon became a favourite tea in the Maghreb, used in the preparation of traditional North African mint tea for centuries. Our Gunpowder Green is a particularly bright, clean variety with a smooth sweetness and a smoke-tinged finish - beautiful brewed lightly for clarity of taste.