Tea leaves rolled into small round pellets are called what?

Tea leaves rolled into small round pellets are called gunpowder tea. The name comes from the pellets’ resemblance to old gunpowder, although another explanation connects it with the way the pellets seem to “explode” open when steeped. In Chinese, it is commonly called zhū chá, meaning “pearl tea” or “bead tea.”

Gunpowder tea is most commonly made as a green tea, but the same pellet-rolling style can also be used for some oolong teas. Production generally involves withering the leaves, heat-fixing them to limit oxidation, rolling them into compact pellets and drying them. Rolling helps protect the leaves during transport and storage while preserving aroma.

The tea has a long history associated with China and is especially important in North African mint-tea traditions. Moroccan-style mint tea often combines gunpowder tea with fresh mint and sugar. A common misunderstanding is calling the process fermentation: green tea is heat-treated to prevent oxidation, while true microbial fermentation is associated with different tea categories such as pu’erh.