teaceylon teagreen tea
Ceylon Green Tea Grades
Ceylon Blends Tea Room··6 min read
Sri Lanka makes more than black tea. From Gunpowder to Sencha and Chunmee, here is a guide to the green tea grades of Ceylon.
Green tea is made by halting oxidation early — the freshly plucked leaf is heated soon after picking to lock in its green colour and fresh, vegetal character. Sri Lanka produces a surprisingly broad range of green grades, many echoing the classic Chinese and Japanese styles.
The grades
| Grade | Stands for | Character |
|---|---|---|
| CH | Chunmee | Dusty appearance; generally more acidic and less sweet than other green teas. |
| GP1 | Gun Powder 1 | Twisted and coarse, similar to Pekoe, but the colour must be green. |
| GP2 | Gun Powder 2 | A little opened and coarse, slightly bigger than GP1. |
| GP-SP | Gun Powder Special | Bloom, curl, twisted pieces. |
| YH | Young Hyson | Similar to OP but green coloured. |
| GC | Green Curl | Opened, coarse, darker-colour leaves. |
| SW | Sowmee | Even and neat opened pieces. |
| Sencha | Sencha | Consists of tiny, dark-green, needle-shaped pieces. |
| GTFF | Green Tea Flowery Fannings | Similar to BOPF — a firm leaf, but green coloured. |
| GTFF1 | Green Tea Flowery Fannings 1 | Similar to GTFF but larger. |
| GRP | Green Tea Powder | Powder-type tea from the last part of the manufacture. |
Brewing notes
Green tea is delicate: use cooler water (around 70–80°C) and a short steep to avoid bitterness. Rolled grades such as Gunpowder unfurl slowly and can take several infusions, while needle-shaped Sencha gives a brisk, grassy cup.