Cherry green tea starts life as gunpowder green from Fujian, the small hand-rolled pellets that give the style its name, then gets blended with dried cherries added for their fruit. The pairing works because the two flavours actually meet in the middle: an initial hit of juicy, tart cherry gives way to the greener, vegetal character of the gunpowder base, with a mineral, earthy undercurrent running through both. There's a natural sweetness from the fruit balanced against a light tartness, and the tasting profile stretches further than cherry and vegetal notes alone — lemon, honey, mint, cinnamon and a lingering smoothness all show up in the cup, which suggests it's worth trying with nothing added before reaching for sweetener.
Gunpowder tea itself is one of the older styles of Chinese green tea, tightly rolled by hand into small round pellets partly to protect the leaf and preserve freshness during transport and storage — a practical origin for a shape that's now become the style's signature. Fujian's tea-growing history goes back centuries, and the province remains known for the quality and range of teas it produces, gunpowder among them.
To brew it, use water around 80°C rather than a full boil, since green tea leaves scorch and turn bitter at higher temperatures. Steep for two to three minutes — err toward the shorter end for a lighter, less tannic cup, longer if you want more body. One teaspoon of leaf per cup is a reasonable starting point, adjustable to taste. Cherries or a slice of lemon make a natural garnish given the tea's own flavour notes, and a sprig of mint or a small dash of cinnamon are worth trying as additions since both flavours already show up in the leaf itself. Like most green teas it carries a moderate amount of caffeine, gentler than a cup of coffee, and green tea in general has long been drunk as a mild pick-me-up rather than a heavy stimulant. Store it away from heat, moisture and direct light in a sealed container to keep the leaf and fruit from losing their aroma.
