You say Longjing, I say Dragonwell.

Good morning everyone. I’m sitting here in St. Cloud, MN waiting for my tea to cool. I don’t want to get antsy and put cold water in there because what I’ve tasted of it thus far tastes pretty good.

Name: Longjing tea also known as Dragonwell here in the states.

Type: Green, Chinese

Company / Purchased: Caribou Coffee. Apparently they make their own tea too?

I’ve been sitting here for about 10 minutes not and it’s starting to take on some taste characteristics that I’m not too fond of. Not my favorite green tea but it has a subtle flavor that makes up for its lack of uniqueness. If I were to put a finger on it I would say it’s the after taste I don’t like. The initial flavor is somewhat grassy. I’m sure if I were to try the higher quality version it would be a bit more satisfying but unfortunately I just can’t find myself enjoying this one. Not bad, just not my favorite. Oh, and according to the wiki the tea leaves can be eaten after they are infused. Sitting here and ripping into a tea bag and then eating the leaves would probably look pretty weird to the other people around me.

(Side note: I can’t help but laugh whenever I hear her call out drinks. Cause now I know exactly what they are and what goes into them. Is it wrong that I work at Dunn Bros but like Caribou? Don’t get me wrong though I know Dunn Bros has better coffee but Caribou has my Passion Fruit Green Tea Smoothie.)  

Edible Gunpowder

Name: Gunpowder
Type: Chinese Green Tea
Company/Purchased: TeaVana
Taste: Somewhat ofa coppery aftertaste but it's not bad. It doesn't linger. The main taste however, is slightly grassy with that wonderful slightly peppery flavor. If stepped right it can also have a slight nutty flavor to it. 

Of all the teas I drink, Green tea is some of the most finicky. Steep it too long and it is very bitter and has none of the original flavor. Steep it too little and it has no taste. Gunpowder only needs about a minute of steep time. So you can't go and get lost in Facebook or go clean your bedroom while waiting for the full flavor of this tea to develop. I learned that the hard way and ruined a good cup of tea my first time.

Gunpowder is believed to have received its name from the English word for the gunpowder pellets used for cannons. Below you will see two pictures. See if you can figure out which is tea and which is actual gunpowder pellets.

     
There are four ways you can use to tell the difference between which of the pictures below is true gunpowder and which is tea. 

1.      1. Light them on fire. Not advisable unless you know how to handle flaming gunpowder. 

2.      2. Steep them. Also not advisable unless you have the proper water container. No a fish tank will not work.

3.      3. Put them in your mouth. Good luck….

4.      4. Go to youtube.com and watch what happens to save your fingers.

Here is the answer just in case you didn't figure it out:  A: Cannon Gunpowder, B: Tea Gunpowder