Tea leaf grading is the process of evaluating the leaves, with the highest grades being referred to as “Orange Pekoe”. Pekoe grades are classified into various qualities, with top-quality pekoe grades consisting of only the leaf buds. We pride ourselves on being able to offer the finest teas from around the world, so we only ever stock the best.
Orange Pekoe “OP”
Used to describe the unopened leaf buds, often with a rich fresh scent, with a slightly bitter and sweet finish.
Flowery Orange Pekoe “FOP”
Long high quality leaves with few tips and a light floral scent.
Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe “GFOP”
Higher percentage of tips, with a slight floral scent.
Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe “FTGFOP”
Highest quality grade, often processed by hand at the best tea plantations in the world.
Super-Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe “SFTGFOP(1)”
The finest leaves available, processed only by hand by the very best, and often including white or golden tips.
Broken Orange Pekoe “BOP”
The most common broken leaf grade of Ceylon, South India, Java and China leaves.
Crushed, Torn and Curled “CTC”
Produced by a mechanical process which tears the leaf in order to induce oxidation, rather than traditional method of manually rolling. These teas often have a higher level of caffeine.
By Hannah Skidmore
