Compare two teas
Side by side across seven dimensions. There is no verdict and no winner — the purpose is to understand the difference, not to be told which to buy.
Pinhead gunpowder
Green tea
Why these two get confused
Grades of the same rolled export green tea. Pinhead is the tightest and smallest, and tightness of roll is the main quality signal in the style.
Point by point
| Dimension | Gunpowder green tea | Pinhead gunpowder |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Green tea · unoxidised | Green tea · unoxidised |
| Production | In order: Withering → Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping. spring harvest. | In order: Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Drying. spring harvest. |
| Origin | China | China |
| Flavour | smoky, grassy and mineral. medium, astringent and drying in the mouth. Aroma: woodsmoke, hay, mineral, green olive. Straightforward in character. Moderate in intensity. | smoky, roasted and mineral. medium, drying and astringent in the mouth. Aroma: smoke, toasted grain, mineral. Straightforward in character. Moderate in intensity. |
| Brewing | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1–2 g/100 ml at 80–90 °C, first steep 150s. Moroccan mint tea preparation: 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 240s. Sun tea: 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 20–40 °C, first steep 14400s. Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 3–4 g/100 ml at 75–85 °C, first steep 20s of 4 authored. | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 80–90 °C, first steep 150s. Moroccan mint tea preparation: 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 240s. Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 3–4 g/100 ml at 75–85 °C, first steep 20s of 4 authored. |
| Cultural context | Used in Maghrebi mint tea. In Morocco and across the Maghreb it is brewed strong with a large quantity of fresh mint and sugar, and poured from height. That preparation is the dominant use of the tea worldwide. | Not recorded for this tea. |
| Who may prefer it | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew. | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew. |
Nothing above is a recommendation. The last row describes the drinker each tea suits, using each tea’s own authored fields and the same sentence structure for both, so neither can be framed as the safe choice.