Learn how teas are named and/or graded

The Tea Detective
Uncovering and Exploring the Facts About Tea

The Discovery of Tea

In the year 2737 B.C., Chinese Emperor Shen Nung was boiling a pot of water to drink, believing
it to be healthier, when a leaf from the Camellia sinensis tree, carried on the wind, accidentally
landed in the boiling water.

The A-B-C's of Tea

The grading or sorting of tea is the final stage of
the manufacturing process. Black tea, which is
fully oxidized emerges from the dryers or ovens
and passes through sifters with graduated mesh

sizes, dividing the tea into the various grades or sizes of leaf.

Black tea is primarily graded by the various sized pieces which are divided into two main
categories; whole leaf grades and broken leaf grades.

The whole leaf grades are the larger pieces of leaf left after the smaller pieces, or broken leaf
grades have been sifted out.

The grading of tea is important because when brewing, the flavor, color, and strength of brew
all depend on the size of the leaf. The larger the leaf, the slower it brews (or infuses), and
vice-versa, the smaller the pieces the faster it infuses.

But before we get down to the actual grading system, there's one more term we need to look
at, and that's orange pekoe.

It's Not Orange, and It's Not Peek-O

Many people think that orange pekoe is a type of tea (as I did before I learned differently).

Pekoe (pronounced pek-o) is a Chinese word meaning 'white hairs',
which in tea refers to the downy tips of young tea buds. So it's
somewhat understandable where the term pekoe originated from.

But where did the orange part come from? A few tales have been
passed down through the centuries as to its origin. One refers to
the scenting of tea with orange blossoms, or that it may be a refer-
ence to royalty-as in "The House of Orange," used by Dutch traders,
possibly to glamorize tea.

Whatever the case may be, it has nothing to do with the flavor,
quality, or type of tea, but rather a grading term referring to the size of leaf.

What's the Grade
Whole Leaf or Broken Leaf?

Okay, now it's time to get down to how tea is actually graded. The following categories apply
mainly to black teas (mostly from India and Sri Lanka), and are broken down into whole leaf
grades, and broken leaf grades.

The following categories apply to Whole Leaf Grades:
FOP - Flowery Orange Pekoe
Made from the end bud and first leaf of each shoot. Fine young, tender leaves, rolled with just
the right proportion of tip and delicate end pieces of buds.

TGFOP-Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe
FOP with the addition of more golden tips of buds

GFOP-Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe
Flowery Orange Pekoe (FOP) with the addition of the "golden tips" of the young buds.

FTGFOP-Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe
FOP of exceptionally high quality

SFTGFOP-Special Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe
The very best FOP

OP-Orange Pekoe
Long pointed leaves that are larger than FOP and harvested when end buds open into leaf.
Seldom contains "tips".

P-Pekoe
Short, less fine leaves than OP (Orange Pekoe)

FP-Flowery Pekoe
Leaves that are rolled into balls

PS-Pekoe Souchong
Short, courser leaves than P (Pekoe)

S-Souchong
Often refers to China's smoked teas. Large leaves, rolled lengthwise, creating course, ragged pieces of leaf.

Wow! That's quite a laundry list of descriptive tea terms. And that's just the whole leaf grades. Now let's take a
look at the broken leaf grades. Other than the pieces of leaf being smaller, the descriptions given with the whole
leaf grades are the same as for Broken Leaf Grades:

GFBOP-Golden Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe
GBOP-Golden Broken Orange Pekoe
TGBOP-Tippy Golden Broken Orange Pekoe
TGFBOP-Tippy Golden Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe
FBOP-Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe
BOP-Broken Orange Pekoe
BP-Broken Pekoe
BPS-Broken Pekoe Souchong

And now last, but not least are the fannings, or fines (sometimes referred to as dusts). Fannings are made up of the
smallest pieces of tea. They're mostly used in tea bags, which brew quicker, and in blends.

(Note: A number 1 may be added after the letter grading to denote best quality, i.e. BOF1 for Broken Orange
Fannings of best quality).

Fannings/Fines/Dusts:

OF-Orange Fannings
BOF-Broken Orange Fannings
PF-Pekoe Fannings
BPF-Broken Pekoe Fannings
RD-Pekoe Dust/Red Dust
FD-Fine Dust
GD-Golden Dust
SRD-Super Red Dust
SFD-Super Fine Dust
BMF-Broken Mixed Fannings

For a fine example of a top grade TGFOP I recommend a visit to Silver Leaf Tea Company. Their Yunnan Tippy Golden
Flowery Orange Pekoe (TGFOP) is first grade quality directly from the cloud covered mountains of Yunnun Province of
China. It's a sweet, robust tea, that's good alone or with light meals, or goes well with breads, cheeses, and jams.

Another great choice would be their Kenilworth Estate Orange Pekoe (OP) Ceylon tea. Kenilworth is Ceylon's most
popular tea estate, known for its flavorful, well made teas. This tea goes well with either spicy or light foods, as well
as heavy fried foods such as breakfast fare of fried eggs and meats. But it also stands alone as a great after meal
tea. Enjoy.

Now that you have a better idea of how some teas are named and graded, lets go a step further and take a closer
look at each of the six main types of tea, how they're made, individual qualities, names and origins, where they're
grown and even a little history behind each one.

Let's begin with a look at How Green Tea is Made

For more information or to learn more about tea, visit our other pages:

Oolong tea-nature and a careful manufacturing process make the difference.
Nature provides the perfect growing conditions, while a long, careful manufacturing process gives oolong
teas a wide spectrum of flavors, some light and sweet, others robust and hearty. Find your favorite!

What secret ingredient is added when making puerh tea?
Puerh tea is considered to be a medicinal tea in china, and the secret to producing this healthy tea may
surprise you.

How is white tea made?
White tea receives the least amount of processing, leaving it in its near natural state. Learn how this
healthy tea is made, and why it's only available in limited quantities.

What makes yellow tea so unique?
Find out what extra step is taken during processing to set yellow tea apart and make it so unique, while
still sharing many attributes of both white and green tea.

How do I choose the right tea for me?
Buying loose leaf tea for the first time can be confusing, but we've taken the work out of it for you.
With lots of helpful tips and information, we've turned confusing into confident.

Make brewing tea a breeze with a few useful tools.
Brewing tea is an easy task, but with a few choice tools and accessories, you can make it easier and even
more enjoyable.

Brewing Loose Leaf tea
Easy step-by-step instructions and a few helpful tips will have you brewing the perfect cup or pot of tea
the first time, every time.

Flavored Teas-Everyone's Favorite
Satisfy your cravings with a healthy, low calories cup of tea. Whether it's berries, citrus, or chocolate or
caramel, your favorite flavor of tea is just waiting for you.

Learn the story behind the creation of this smoke infused, black tea.
Learn how a frightened village under siege, deep in the Wuyi Shan mountains of China, accidentally
created a new tea that's now enjoyed by millions worldwide.

Organic teas aren't just good for you, but Mother Earth, too.
Learn how organic teas are grown, and how to ensure the tea you're buying is certified organic by the
country it was grown in.

The history behind iced tea and recipe for this summertime classic.
Learn the history behind iced tea and how a spur of the moment decision led to its
creation, and the recipe for brewing up a glass or pot of this summertime classic.

Specialty and gourmet teas - a treat for the taste buds.
If you want to give your taste buds a unique treat, try one of the specialty or gour-
met teas available. With a range of flavors from smoky to sweet and everything
in-between, you'll never be bored with your beverage.

Lapsang Souchong - a closely guarded secret.
For over 300 years the Chinese government kept the production methods and location, in China's
northern Fujian Province, deep in the Wuyi Mountain forests, a closely guarded secret.

In that moment tea was born, and in the centuries
since, its popularity has never waned. Today tea
is known by hundreds of different names and
descriptions.

Spanning centuries, and coming up through a
multitude of cultures and countries, it's no wonder
the terminology surrounding tea can be a bit
confusing at first. But like everything, once you
understand the basics, the rest is easy.

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