Tea Grades Explained

All tea is derived from the tea plant, camellia sinensis, but this is where the similarity broadly ends.

Tea undergoes a varied and complex processing procedure which leads to a differences in not only the appearance but also the taste and aroma of the final product. Climatic and geographic conditions also alter the characteristics of the tea.

The technique used to describe a tea’s flavour profile by denoting its appearance, aroma and flavour, is called tea grading.

According to the processing technique, tea is categorised as orthodox (whole leaves) or modern tea (crushed leaves).

Whole leaf tea is graded as Pekoe, Orange Pekoe (OP), Flowery Orange Pekoe (FOP), Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (GFOP), Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (TGFOP), Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (FTGFOP), Special Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe / Supreme Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (SFTGFOP).

Modern tea is also called CTC (crush, tear, curl). Different types of CTC tea are made up of different sizes of leaf. The size of the leaf forms the most crucial parameter of grading tea. According to the size of the broken leaf, tea is graded as dust, fanning, 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).

Orange Pekoe (OP) - this is a main grade tea  which has long thin leaves and produces a cup that is fruitier then FOP.  This is a perfect afternoon tea.  Kenilworth Estate produces a fantastic OP tea.

Flowery Pekoe (FP) - full and aromatic liquor.  This is a wonderful morning and afternoon tea.

​Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (GFOP) - This tea has a higher proportion of tips than FOP. 

​Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP) -  A characterful tea which is perfect for a morning cup.

Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (TGFOP) - This tea has the highest proportion of tips.   This is the main grade of tea in Darjeeling and Assam regions.

Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe - (FTGFOP) - this is the highest quality grade.

The above described grading system essentially applies to black tea. Green tea, oolong tea and white tea do not have an internationally accepted, standard grading system as yet. The grading pattern for these teas varies from region to region.