Give Your Afternoon Tea A Bit Of A Kick With The Gunpowder Green At The Black Apple

What am I drinking?

Gunpowder Green tea.

Where am I drinking it?

The garden terrace of Black Apple in Harold’s Cross, a beautiful, casual bustling café with fantastic cakes and friendly service (and great pancakes). Their terrace is a fairly sheltered and secluded quiet spot, great for whenever it’s anything less than pouring down.

What does it taste like?

Though not a loose-leaf tea, this is a really fine full-leaf green tea. It has plenty of flavour and is not too astringent, thought you can’t let it steep for too long or you lose. It also has a lovely strong flowery aroma which brings out the flavour, and a minty overtone.

What does it look like?

This tea is served in a fantastic bright bowl teapot, it’s just a shame you can’t see the actual tea better – gunpowder tea is so called because it’s rolled into small pellets, which uncurl as it steeps.

Where does it come from?

Gunpowder tea is from the Zhejiang province of China, and this particular version is by Numi Teas, a high-quality organic tea company.

What effect does it have?

This makes a great afternoon tea – very fresh and light, it’s ideal for accompanying your lunch, especially outside. It has a fairly high caffeine content, so will give you a bit of extra pep in your step.

Where can I get it?

Numi teas are excellent but reasonably priced teabags, and so are sold in lots of places, from health food shops to supermarkets. You can also pick them up directly online.

Is it worth the try?

This Gunpowder Green is a really tasty tea, with very little of the bitterness you’d expect from a pre-packed teabag. It’s an excellent alternative to loose-leaf if that’s not available.