Black Tea: Making the Grade

Black teas, such as Assam, Ceylon, or Darjeeling, are graded according to the size and condition of the dried leaf. Unlike oolong teas which are graded according to the quality of the brewed tea, black tea grades do not strictly correlate to the desirability of the final product. Nonetheless, familiarity with black tea grades at least provides the drinker with an idea of a tea's characteristic flavor and optimum brewing time since whole leaf teas, for example, typically produce a smoother beverage and brew longer than their broken leaf counterparts.

Black tea grades begin with a division between whole leaf grades and broken leaf grades. Tea purchased in loose leaf form is usually whole leaf and is preferred by aficionados. The basic whole leaf grades are:

• Pekoe (pronounced "PECK-oh") refers to whole leaves of the same size; historically, the grade was limited to leaves from the branch tip, but the definition is broader now; "souchong" refers to large leaves from farther down the branch and therefore of lower quality
• OP (orange pekoe) refers to the largest leaf size and a higher quality leaf (younger, more tender, and closer to the bud) than pekoe; "orange" refers to a family of Dutch traders rather than the fruit flavor
• FOP (flowery orange pekoe) refers to the inclusion of the leaf bud in the tea; the highest grade of FOP is SFTGFOP (Special, Finest, Tippy Golden, Flowery Orange,Pekoe) which consists nearly entirely of tips; an estate (rather than blended) SFTGFOP Darjeeling second flush (second picking of the year) might easily cost $100-150 per pound

The basic broken leaf grades are:

• BOP (broken orange pekoe) black tea comprising broken segments of somewhat coarser leaves and no tips
• BOPF (fannings) small leaf particles of leaf sifted out of better grade teas; when brewed properly, fannings will make a tea often as good as a whole leaf grade
• Dust The smallest particle of leaf size which is normally used for tea bag tea; because the particles are small with so much exposed surface area, they infuse more quickly than whole leaf tea and they also go stale more quickly