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.
TeaHQ has written about this pair
Five green teas spanning steamed and pan-fired, shaded and unshaded, roasted and fresh. The fixation method splits this category more than any origin does.
- How it is fixed
- Gunpowder green tea: Pan-fired, then rolled into tight pellets.Longjing: Pan-fired in a wok, which fixes and shapes in one operation.
- Commonly described as
- Gunpowder green tea: Brisk, faintly smoky and blunt, with real grip.Longjing: Chestnut-sweet, nutty and clean, with a soft body.
- Water temperature
- Gunpowder green tea: 80 to 90 °C, and a longer steep to open the pellets.Longjing: 75 to 85 °C.
- How forgiving it is
- Gunpowder green tea: Forgiving, and robust enough for heavy-handed treatment.Longjing: Forgiving, and the most approachable Chinese green.
- Who may prefer it
- Gunpowder green tea: Anyone wanting something robust, cheap, and good with mint.Longjing: Anyone who dislikes marine flavours but wants a fresh green tea.
In summary: Hojicha and Longjing are the two entry points, for opposite reasons — one removes the vegetal character entirely, the other replaces it with nuttiness. Sencha is the reference. Gyokuro is worth reaching once the rest make sense.
Point by point
| Dimension | Gunpowder green tea | Longjing |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Green tea · unoxidised | Green tea · unoxidised |
| Production | In order: Withering → Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping. spring harvest. | In order: Withering → Kill-green (fixation) → Drying. bud and one leaf and first flush harvest. |
| Origin | China | China — Protected designation: West Lake Longjing carries a Chinese protected-origin designation restricted to a defined area of Hangzhou. |
| Flavour | smoky, grassy and mineral. medium, astringent and drying in the mouth. Aroma: woodsmoke, hay, mineral, green olive. Straightforward in character. Moderate in intensity. | nutty, sweet and vegetal. light and smooth in the mouth. Aroma: roasted chestnut, toasted rice, orchid, fresh beans. Moderate 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 75–85 °C, first steep 120s. Grandpa style: 0.5–1 g/100 ml at 75–85 °C, first steep 180s. Cold brew tea: 1–2 g/100 ml at 4–10 °C, first steep 21600s. 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. | Used in Chinese tea house culture and Longjing and the spring tea season. Far more tea is sold as West Lake Longjing than that small protected area could produce. Longjing made elsewhere in Zhejiang is legitimate tea under a broader name, and is frequently very good; the price difference between it and the protected designation is very large. |
| 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.