Etymology
In Chinese, gunpowder tea is called zhū chá (珠茶; literally "pearl tea" or "bead tea"; not to be confused with boba tea).
The origin of the English term may come from the tea's similarity in appearance to actual gunpowder: greyish, dark pellets of irregular shape used as explosive propellant for early guns. The name may also have arisen from the fact that the grey-green leaf is tightly rolled into a tiny pellet and "explodes" into a long leaf upon being steeped in hot water. Another explanation is that the tea can also have a smoky flavor.
It is also possible that the English term may stem from the Mandarin Chinese phrase for "freshly brewed", gāng pào de (剛泡的), which sounds like the English word "gunpowder."
Read more about this topic: Gunpowder Tea
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