What does black tea standard ora mean? Tea Leaf Categories

Ceylon black tea Orange Pekoe (international marking - OP) is the name of tea blends that corresponds to drinks of the Orange and Pekoe classes. The name of the tea - Orange Pekoe - comes from two words. The first - “pekoe” - originates from the Taiwanese “pek-ho”, which means “white fluff” (by the way, the word “baikhovy” was derived from “pek-ho”). Thus, peko is a tea created on the basis of tips and leaves covered with villi. As for the word “orange,” it, contrary to the opinion of many gourmets, has nothing to do with oranges or the orange color. According to one version, orange is the English version of the name of the most famous dynasty in Holland - the family of the Princes of Orange. In the 16th century, Holland was the leading supplier of high-quality whole loose leaf tea, and now the mark “Orange” on the packaging of the drink is a sign of its exceptional quality and unsurpassed taste. Orange - “tea worthy of the Prince of Orange” or “tea supplied to the court.”

Orange Peko black tea is made from juicy and large tea leaves, which are collected after the tips (the upper buds of the tea bush) open. Standard Orange Pekoe tea does not contain tips and is the most common drink in the world. modern market. As for Orange Peko with tea buds, it, in turn, is divided into several subspecies:

FOP (Flowery Orange Pekoe)- tea made from the top leaves of the tea bush mixed with a small amount of tips.
GFOP (Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)- a drink similar to FOP, but with a higher content of tips.
TGFOP (Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)- a product in which there is much less tea than tips.
FTGFOP (Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)- a delicacy that consists almost entirely of tea buds. Leaves are added to it to give it a special flavor.
SFTGFOP (Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)- a drink of exceptional quality, which is not so often found on sale. It is based on tips, and there are very few tea leaves in it. SFTGFOP is a true masterpiece of tea art with a magnificent taste.

It is worth noting that Ceylon black tea Orange Pekoe can be presented not only as a whole leaf product, since there is also broken Orange Pekoe, consisting of pieces of selected leaves. It is somewhat cheaper than its standard counterpart and is more often found in stores.

If you decide to buy Orange Pekoe tea, then you are undoubtedly doing the right thing. The taste of the drink is unlikely to disappoint you, because, as mentioned above, this product It is considered elite and has an extraordinary flavor and aroma bouquet. However, we would not advise you to buy the first package of tea marked “OP” that you come across, even if the manufacturer of the product is a well-advertised company. It also happens that a little-known brand produces tea of excellent quality, but a popular brand, on the contrary, saves on it by investing money in advertising campaigns. The smartest decision would be to buy small portion Orange Pekoe - for testing, so to speak.

Very often, on packages of tea, usually not made in China, you can find markings indicating its type. We will try to figure out what these letters mean.

1. Let's start with high-grade whole leaf tea:

T(Tippy) - typical. Tea from unopened tea buds (tips). Pure type tea is extremely rare and expensive.
P(Pekoe) - long leaf. Tea made from tips and the youngest top leaves, which are covered with white fibers. Bai Hua means "White Flowers" in Chinese.
O(Orange) - orange. A generalized name for elite whole-leaf teas, with roots going back to the colonial era. The name meant that this type of tea was worthy of being delivered to the court of the Prince of Orange
OP(Orange Pekoe) - Orange Pekoe (baikhovy) - Tea that satisfies both the Orange and Pekoe categories. The OP class does not contain types.
O.P.I.- the letter I indicates that the tea has been sifted again
OPA- the letter A indicates a high category (A)

If tea buds (tips) are added to the OP class, then such tea is considered more upscale and expensive, and is divided into the following subclasses:

FOP(Flowery Orange Pekoe) - High quality top leaf tea with added small amount tips.
GFOP(Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe) - Slightly higher content of tips than in FOP.
TGFOP(Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe) - Even higher tip content than GFOP.
FTGFOP(Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe) - Similar to TGFOP, but only the highest quality leaves are used to produce it. Tea is produced only on the best plantations, often using manual processing.
SFTGFOP(Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe) - Used to emphasize the highest quality.

There is a joke among tea aficionados that the tea label FTGFOP stands for Far Too Good For Ordinary People

The grades of broken tea are similar to whole leaf tea, but the letter B (Broken) is added at the beginning - broken

B.P.(Broken Pekoe) - Broken pekoe tea
BOP(Broken Orange Pekoe) - Broken Orange Pekoe

BFOP(Broken Flowery Orange Pekoe)
BGFOP(Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)
BTGFOP(Broken Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)
BFTGFOP(Broken Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)

3. And finally, low-grade crushed teas. These are specially crushed cheap varieties or production waste. This is the type of tea that is usually used for the production of tea bags.

F(Fannings) - seeding of small tea particles
D(Dust) - dust, the smallest particles of tea. Typically a waste product from the production of higher quality teas.

This classification does not cover the entire variety of markings used, but gives an idea of its most common types. We will be glad to receive your comments on the classification in order to improve its quality and hear your opinion.

Tea was given by Hayleys, Scotch Pequot. We drank, meditated on the taste and suddenly started thinking, what does Peko mean? Thank goodness for the Internet - comprehensive information was immediately found. While I was searching, I kept wondering why I hadn’t asked myself this question before. I also remember there was such a postscript - orange baked... So, I quote the entire article, otherwise sometimes sites are deleted, and links lead to nowhere... In this case: title of the article - link!.

Tea standards

Before making a purchase, each of us thinks about what tea to choose. And naturally we turn to the label on the pack for help. And what do we see? Black tea, PEKO standard, black tea with added tips, etc. What is PEKO? TYPES?

We want you, when buying tea, to know what you are buying and to be able to fully assess the quality of the tea. And the main thing is that you can get maximum pleasure and benefit from drinking tea...

FOP (Flowry Orange Peko) - Tea consisting of tips (tea buds) with the first unfurled leaf still soft, which puts it at a high level of quality.

Tips - (English - tips) Barely opened buds with silvery stripes on them, which make the aroma and taste especially refined tea drink. For this reason, the higher the grade of tea, the more “tips” it contains, which are easily visible in the scattering of dry tea.

FBOP- in the name of these tea leaf standards, the prefix “B” is derived from the English word “Broken” and means that the leaf is cut.

OPA (Orange Peko Category A) - This is a large, uniform, twisted sheet with a high content of aromatic oils. According to one version, the term “Orange” comes from the Dutch word “oranige”, which translates as royal and this term refers to all high-quality teas. The tea consists of long, pointed leaves, which are larger than those found in FOP tea. The collection from which it is made was carried out after the upper buds (tips) had opened, and there are almost no tips in it.

OP (Orange Pekoe)- Large leaf with strong infusion.

Pekoe is the English version of the Chinese word "Pak Hoa". In the old days, Western merchants used this word to refer to an unopened leaf bud and the two leaves below it. Currently, the term "Peko" is used to refer to elite teas. Tea consists of the youngest leaves - usually the first three leaves. The leaves are rolled into balls, the so-called “lambs”

Baikhovy (i.e. loose) - the name of the tea “baikhovy” comes from the Chinese word “Bai Hoa” (white eyelash), as the Chinese called tips, that is, buds, which give the tea sophistication. But in Russia, the term “Baikhovy” gradually began to be used to refer to all loose teas.

The main stages of processing tea leaves

1. Withering.
Fresh green leaves are placed in rotating drums 25-30 m long and blown with hot air (45-50 s); the process lasts 8-12 hours. If withering is done naturally, then up to 22 hours. This prepares the tea leaves for rolling.
2. Twisting.
It is performed in special machines (rollers) that squeeze and twist the leaves until juice appears, which combines with oxygen. At the moment of squeezing, the fermentation process begins, when essential oils are formed - the sources of tea aroma. Twisting continues three times for 30 minutes. The last, third fraction includes very coarse leaves.
3. Fermentation.
One of the main stages of black tea production. To do this, the leaves are laid out on racks in layers up to 10 cm. Fermentation occurs at a temperature of 40 C and lasts about 4 hours. Fermentation activates tannin in tea and creates conditions for the emergence of new essential oils that affect the aroma of tea.
4. Drying.
The main purpose of this operation is to bring the moisture content of the tea to the international moisture standard (2% to 5%). Drying is a very important production cycle. After all, the storage duration depends on the degree of humidity. ready-made tea. Drying is carried out in drying machines at a temperature of 80-110C, the drying process lasts about 20 minutes. After drying, the tea turns black.
5. Sorting.
Tea is classified not only according to the region of cultivation, but also depending on the size of the leaves. Sorting is done using sieves of various sizes. Sifting (cutting), crushing and sorting of tea is usually carried out quickly, due to the fact that tea is very hydroscopic and can absorb up to 13% moisture.
6. Packaging and packing.
The finished tea is immediately packed into branded boxes. Inside, to preserve the aroma, the boxes are lined with aluminum foil and paper, and then it is sent to tea packaging factories, where commercial grades of tea are prepared by making mixtures of various brands.

Among the huge variety of teas, there is a truly classic quality and unique taste of this drink. One of the most common criteria for determining the quality of tea leaves is the time of collection and the size of the raw material. Our article will tell you what it is and how it is defined in tea leaf standards.

International classification of tea drinks

The fundamental standards by which the quality of a tea product is determined is the so-called Orange Pekoe. These “rules” come to us from the Dutch royal court and literally mean tea worthy of the dynasty of the Prince of Orange. Despite the fact that there is no exact international classification of tea raw materials, orange pekoe is a sample of black tea in the European classification.

For the production of such tea, the top young leaves are usually selected, as well as unopened buds - tips. To reduce cost, adult leaves are also added to the tea mixture, so even within one region, the taste of such a drink can vary significantly.

There is a certain labeling of tea varieties:

Orange Peko (OP) is a large-leaved variety. It has long, pointed young leaves. They give an infusion of medium intensity with a subtle aroma.
Orange Peco A (OPA) contains larger tea leaves. It is valued higher than ordinary tea.
Flowery Orange Peko (F) means silver tips were used in production. The higher the content of unopened buds, the higher the value of the tea.
Peko or pekoe (P) is distinguished by its hard and large leaves, slightly curled. Harvesting occurs after the tea leaf has fully opened, so these varieties do not contain tips at all.
Flowery Peko (FP) has a small content of tips in its composition. The rest of the mixture is the tips of the shoots with two or three young leaves and a bud.
Golden Flowery Orange Peko (GFOP) contains special golden tips that are among the most expensive and elite.
Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Peco (TGFOP) is distinguished by an increased content of golden tips in the composition.
Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Peko (FTGFOP) is also an elite variety of tea containing large quantities of golden tips.
Special Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (SFTGFOP) is a limited edition of especially valuable tea with golden tips according to the orange pekoe standard.

The labeling of these teas indicates the size of the tea leaves and the additional inclusion of unopened buds in the composition. At the same time, there are also many gradations by which the quality of the finished drink is determined.

Designation of cut tea

In the production of previous varieties, special quality raw materials were used, so they are considered expensive and elite. More affordable varieties require some errors in the preparation and production of tea, without loss of taste characteristics. Moreover, such mixtures, to the taste of a non-specialist, are no worse.

Cut or broken tea has the following varieties:

Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP) is tightly twisted. Medium-sized tea leaves, cut, with a minimum number of veins.
Broken Peko (BP) is distinguished by numerous leaf veins, but produces an exceptionally strong tea thanks to granulation technology.
Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe (FBOP) is also tightly twisted, but contains a large number of thrips in its composition.
Goden Broken Orange Peko (GBOP) broken tea containing golden tips.
Tippy Goden Broken Orange Peko (TGBOP) means an increased content of tips in the composition.

In addition, a separate category of small screenings of tea leaves of the “peko” category is determined. The abbreviation for this type of raw material is BOPF (Broken Orange Pecoe Fennings). Most often used in the production of tea bags. Despite the small tea leaves, the infusion is very strong and rich.

Peko standard tea dust is also distinguished. It is easily distinguished by the marking BORD (Broken Orange Peko Dust). Also used for bagged tea, it has a mild aroma, but provides the necessary strength due to the tannin content in the composition.

Categories of tea do not have an international classification and are very different even within the same country, and sometimes even within the area of cultivation. At the same time, attempts to streamline the diversity of varieties led to the creation of standards, the most “European” of which is considered Orange Peko. It allows you to classify black tea by size and composition of raw materials. When purchasing, you should pay attention to the labeling of the product, but you should also not forget that the quality of the drink can be influenced by the processing method, so the best selection criterion is tasting, which will help determine the optimal taste and aroma of your favorite tea.

When buying tea, many people focus primarily on its name, trademark, without paying the slightest attention to the markings. And the reason for this is ignorance of abbreviations and designations. Today we want to correct this situation and help you choose the right drink. How? Having told what PEKO standard tea means and what categories exist.

Rekoe - the inscription that appears on tea packages can tell a lot about the tea leaf

Basic standard

The classification discussed in this article helps determine the quality of long tea, its variety, as well as the shape and size of the leaf. The only inconvenience is that this gradation is not international, that is, in certain countries it may have some deviations. However, in general, if you understand the basic designations, then you can easily figure out what exactly the manufacturer writes on the packaging.

So, the basic standard for loose leaf tea is OP, or Orange Pekoe. Let's go in order. The word Orange is translated in this case as “Royal” and has nothing to do with citrus fruits. The fact is that its origin is Dutch, from the word Oranje. This surname belonged to the Princes of Orange, who were hereditary stadtholders, and later became kings of the Netherlands. In the 16th Art. it was this country that was the main supplier of tea to European countries, and its best varieties, of course, ended up in the courtyard. Thus, the word Oranje began to be used to describe the highest quality tea - worthy of the King of Orange.

As for the word Pekoe, it means "tea leaf" or "tea leaf". This designation comes from the Chinese word pak-ho.

On a note! The name "baikhovi" tea also comes from a Chinese word. In the original it sounds like bai hoa, which translates as “white eyelash”. In other words, it was tea from young buds that had silvery fluff on them. However, Russian traders, due to ignorance of the Chinese language, designated all types of loose tea with the word bai-hoa and, moreover, gradually turned it into “bai-hoa”!

Classification

It should be immediately noted that the following classification can be applied to black Ceylon and Indian teas.

Leaf tea

On a note! The name FTGFOP also has another decoding - a comic one, which sounds like “FarTooGoodForOrdinaryPeople”, or “Too good for ordinary people”.

oman sheet

Tea seedings

Tea from this category is a product of the penultimate sorting phase. In English, its name is exactly that: Fannings, or seeding. Infusion is a fine screening of leaves that are used for the production of loose leaf and broken teas.
The main category of seedings of such tea is called Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings, or BOPF. The size of the tea leaves is very small, but each one is clearly distinguishable. This brewing can be sold both in bulk boxes and in bags. The tea turns out quite strong with a rich hue. Taste qualities practically no different from BOP (BOP) tea.

Tea crumbs

This category contains the smallest tea. Its abbreviation looks like BOPD (BOPD) and stands for BrokenOrangePekoeDust. When brewed, it gives a very weak, barely perceptible aroma and a rather rough taste. Widely used in the production of tea bags.

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