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Tea Leaf Grading
Grading tea leaves is complicated and is done differently in different countries. The most extensive grading is found in black teas, followed by green teas. The most basic or the first grade of black tea produced is called OP or Orange Pekoe (say peck-oh). Pekoe is derived from the Chinese word pak-Ho meaning hair or down relating to the light white down on the bud leaves. One explanation for the Orange half of the name is that the Chinese sometimes used Orange blossoms to flavor these leaves. Another suggests that it is a remaining reference to the Netherlands House of Orange, a powerful entity in the early days of tea trading. Either way, today Orange Pekoe describes leaves, specifically the best, most tender leaves plucked from the tips of the plants young shoots. Black tea is classified into four different categories: WHOLE LEAF, BROKEN LEAF, FANNINGS and DUST.
These prized leaves get graded as follows during the manufacturing process:
WHOLE LEAF
FLOWERY
ORANGE PEKOE (FOP)
Consists of fine, tender, young leaves rolled with a certain
proportion of tips. These tips, being the very ends
of the buds leaves, constitute a guarantee of quality.
GOLDEN
FLOWERY ORANGE PEKOE (GFOP)
FOP with golden tips (fine tips of the golden yellow
buds leaves)
TIPPY GOLDEN
FLOWERY ORANGE PEKOE (TGFOP)
FOP with lots of golden tips
FINEST TIPPY
GOLDEN FLOWERY ORANGE PEKOE (FTGFOP)
Exceptional quality FOP
SPECIAL
FINEST TIPPY GOLDEN FLOWERY ORANGE PEKOE (SFTGFOP)
The very best FOP with a large proportion of leaves having golden
tips of new leaf buds---a guarantee of very, very
high quality
ORANGE PEKOE
(OP)
Long, pointed leaves (larger than FOP) rolled lengthwise.
Harvested when the terminal buds open into leaf. Orange Pekoe
rarely contains tips.
PEKOE (P)
Shorter, less fine leaves without tips.
FLOWERY PEKOE
(FP)
Leaves specially rolled into ball shape.
PEKOE
SOUCHONG (PS)
Shorter, coarser leaves.
SOUCHONG (S)
Large leaves rolled lengthwise. Often used for China smoked teas.
EXPERTS ALSO ADD 1 TO DENOTE TOP QUALITY AFTER A LEAF DESIGNATION; FOR EXAMPLE: F.T.G.F.O.P. 1, O.P. 1, S 1 etc.
BROKEN LEAF
BROKEN ORANGE
PEKOE (BOP)
GOLDEN BROKEN ORANGE PEKOE (GBOP)
FLOWERY BROKEN ORANGE PEKOE (FBOP)
TIPPY GOLDEN BROKEN ORANGE PEKOE (TGBOP)
GOLDEN FLOWERY BROKEN ORANGE PEKOE (GFBOP)
TIPPY GOLDEN FLOWERY BROKEN ORANGE PEKOE (TGFBOP)
FANNINGS
Made from smaller, flat pieces of broken orange pekoe and used to make quick-brewing, strongly flavored, robust teas with good color.
BROKEN ORANGE PEKOE FANNINGS (BOPF)
DUST
Tiny bits of
broken leaf used to brew strong tea quickly, popular for tea
bags.
BROKEN ORANGE PEKOE DUST (BOPD)
PEKOE DUST (PD)
RED DUST (RD)
SUPER RED DUST (SRD)
FINE DUST (FD)
SUPER FINE DUST (SFD)
GOLDEN DUST (GD)
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"The Tea Man"
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Copyright © February 1996