Grades of Tea

GRADES         OF TEA
       
        Leaf Grades - Orthodox
       
        After the broken grades have been sifted out, what remains are the large         leaves. In brewing, flavor and colour come out of leaf grades more slowly         than out of broken grades. Leaf grades are popular in continental Europe         and in South America. There are three kinds:
       
        Orange Pekoe has long, thin, wiry leaves that sometimes contain bud leaf.         They make a light- or pale-colored liquid. Orange pekoe has come to simply         signify a size; the term does not indicate flavor or quality.
       
        Pekoe has shorter leaves than orange pekoe, and they are not as wiry.         The liquid generally has more color.
       
        Souchong has round leaves that make a pale liquid.
       
        Broken Grades - CTC
       
        The smaller leaf pieces of the broken grades make up about 80 percent         of the total crop. They create a darker, stronger tea than leaf grades         and are the only kind used in tea bags. Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP) is much         smaller than the leaf grades. It usually contains bud leaf, the mainstay         of a blend. Broken Pekoe is slightly larger than BOP, with somewhat less         color. It is useful as filler in a blend. Fannings are much smaller than         broken pekoe Souchong. Its main virtues are quick brewing and good color.         Dust is the smallest grade, useful for a quick-brewing, strong cup of         tea. It is only used in blends of similar-size leaf, generally for catering         purposes.
       
        TEA GLOSSARY
       
        F-Fannings
       
        P-Pekoe
       
        OP-Orange Pekoe
       
        PS-Pekoe Souchong
       
        BOP-Broken Orange Pekoe
       
        FOP-Flowery Orange Pekoe
       
        FBOP-Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe
       
        GFOP-Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe
       
        GFBOP-Golden Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe
       
        TGFOP-Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe
       
        FTGFOP-Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe
       
        SFTGFOP-Silver (Super) Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe