The tea grading system differs from country to country. The grading system that is most popularly used has its origins in India, Sri Lanka, Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc. They are applicable to green teas and black teas. Every type of tea leaf has its own significance. For instance, the whole leaves are known to impart more aromatic flavors. The aroma is stronger when the leaves also consist of buds and tips. The broken leaves and fannings, on the other hand, impart strength to the brew. As a result, the article will show you the basics about black tea grades.
How has black tea commonly been graded?
Black teas are produced by subjecting the freshly plucked leaves of Camellia sinensis to a process of withering, rolling, and drying. This processing oxidizes the leaf and allows many unique aroma and flavor elements to form. Black teas can be malty, floral, biscuity, smoky, brisk, fragrant, and full-bodied. The robustness of black tea lends itself to the addition of sugar, honey, lemon, cream, and milk. While black teas have more caffeine than green or white teas, they still have less than you would get in a cup of coffee.
Tea grading is based on the size of the leaf and the types of leaves included in the tea. Though leaf size is an important quality factor, it is not, by itself, a guarantee of quality. There are typically 4 main grades, based on flush, leaf size, and method of processing. They are Orange Pekoe (OP), Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP), fannings, and dustings.
What is the major classification of black tea into grades?
The major classification of tea into grades are as — Whole leaf, Broken leaf, Fannings and Dust and then there are further classifications within them. The various abbreviations are as follows:
W — Whole
F — Flowery/Fine/Fannings
G — Golden
O — Orange
T — Tippy
B — Broken
P — Pekoe
S — Souchong
Each abbreviation word has its own significance and meaning. For instance, Flowery means that the leaves have buds, Pekoe means the leaves are whole, Tippy means leaves that are dense in tips, Golden refers to the tea leaves that contain tips as well, and Fine just refers to an even more superior quality of the same tea. Flowery consists of large leaves that are plucked in the second or third flush with an abundance of tips. Golden Flowery includes very young tips or buds (that are usually golden in color) that were picked early in the season.
These abbreviations when put together refer to the various kinds of tea. For instance, OP (Orange Pekoe) refers to the whole leaves, FOP (Flowery Orange Pekoe) refers to long whole leaves with buds and similarly, FTGFOP (Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe) is one of the finest grades of pekoe tea and interestingly the abbreviation also translates into Far Too Good For Ordinary People. Similarly, the broken pekoe also exists as various tea grades like GBOP (Golden Broken Orange Pekoe), TGBOP (Tippy Golden Broken Orange Pekoe), and so on.