Tea Glossary | TeaSource
Skip to main content

Free Shipping On Orders Over $49

TeaSource

Tea Glossary

After the tea has been processed, it is graded by leaf size, appearance and quality. The following are abbreviations commonly found in TeaSource. These describe the physical leaf itself, not the taste.

Orange Pekoe (OP) - This tea usually does not contain any tip. Compared to an FOP tea, the leaves of an OP tea have been plucked when the bud opens into a leaf producing a longer leaf. 

Flowery Orange Pekoe (FOP) - A tea that is made up of young buds and first leaves. It also contains a well balanced amount of tip (the end pieces of the bud).

Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (TGFOP) - This tea is the same as a FOP tea but with more golden tips.

Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (FTGFOP) - A higher quality of a FOP tea.

Special Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (SFTGFOP) - The highest quality of an FOP tea.

Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP) - An OP tea with broken leaves rather than whole leaves.

Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe (FBOP) - An FOP tea with broken leaves rather than whole leaves.

Crush, Tear, Curl (CTC) - These teas are sent through rollers which tear and break the leaf after it has been witherered. They are typically stronger and have a shorter steep time.