Barky Bark wrote:
> sounds like Chinese superstition to me.
>
> Keep in mind that gunpowder teas can be the strongest of the greens and are
> very sensitive to steep time and amount of tea in the pot. Too much of
> either and you will have a very astringent, harsh tasting brew. For this
> reason many people do not like it. I like it but have had to pour out
> plenty of pots because I got the steep time/amount wrong. Gunpowder is the
> hardest tea to get "right" in steeping. Do not judge all greens by
> gunpowder because it's very different from most.

I do pretty good with the pinhead gunpowder I get* by steeping in
170-180 degree water for about 60-90 seconds, and then pouring it down
the drain (or giving it to a houseplant or something). Then I steep it
again the same way. The first steeping hydrates the leaves and lets
them open up to get a better infusion, so the second through fourth
cups are very nice.
I didn't like gunpowder very much until somebody told me that the
second infusion is the best -- I'd only been having the first.

* at Wild Oats or Teavana; both look and taste the same.

stePH
in cup: nothing -- too late for tea. (can't be up ****ing half the
night, yanno)