Black tea grading:
Broken 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 black tea:
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 bud's leaves, constitute a guarantee
of quality.
GOLDEN FLOWERY ORANGE PEKOE (GFOP)
FOP with "golden tips"(fine tips of the golden yellow bud's 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 Chininese souchong black
tea.
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 black tea:
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 black tea:
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 black tea:
Tiny bits of broken leaf used to brew strong tea quickly, popular for
black 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) |