Many people are confused by the grading abbreviations often seen when buying tea and even when they find out what the abbreviations stand for, they still don't quite comprehend what it all means. The tea industry makes no real effort to explain so this short article is intended to explain some of the most popularly used abbreviations with their meanings.

The whole point of grading loose leaf tea is to provide the purchaser with an evaluation of the condition and the quality of leaves used for that particular tea.

The lowest grade of tea is referred to as Fannings or Dust and are usually the remnants created during the sorting and crushing process that takes place. The Highest grade is referred to as OP or Orange Pekoe. Pekoe Teas are then further classified into their particular qualities determining how many of the adjacent young leaves (up to three) were picked with each bud etc.

Top quality teas consist of the bud only and remember that tea is picked by hand and never mechanically. If the leaf is crushed it is referred to as "broken" as in Broken Orange Pekoe.

By and large and despite claims to a Chinese origin, the terms used are widely unknown in China and are mostly applied to tea from India, Sri Lanka and Taiwan.

Here is a short (ish) list of grades

WHOLE LEAF GRADES

OP1--slightly delicate, long, wiry leaf with the light liquor

OPA--bold, long leaf tea which ranges from tightly wound to almost open

OP--main grade, in the middle between OP1 and OPA, can consist of long wiry leaf without tips

OP Superior--primarily from Indonesia, similar to OP

Flowery OP--high-quality tea with a long leaf and few tips, considered the second grade in Assam, Dooars, and Bangladesh teas, but the first grade in China

F OP1--as above, but with only the highest quality leaves in the FOP classification

Golden Flowery OP1--higher proportion of tip than FOP top grade in Milima and Marinyn regions, uncommon in Assam and Darjeeling

Tippy Golden FOP--the highest proportion of tip, main grade in Darjeeling and Assam

TGF OP1--as above, but with only the highest quality leaves in the TGFOP classification

Finest TGF OP--highest quality grade (Note: "Special" is occasionally substituted for "Finest", with a number 1 at the end to indicate the very finest), often hand processed and produced at only the best plantations, roughly one quarter tips

SFTGFOP(1)--sometimes used to indicate the very finest

BROKEN LEAF GRADES

BT--Broken Tea: Usually a black, open, fleshy leaf that is very bulky. Classification used in Sumatra, Sri Lanka, and some parts of Southern India.

BP--Broken Pekoe: Most common broken pekoe grade. From Indonesia, Ceylon, Assam and Southern India.

BPS--Broken Pekoe Souchong: Term for broken pekoe in Assam and Darjeeling.

FP--Flowery Pekoe: High-quality pekoe. Usually coarser with a fleshier, broken leaf. Produced in Ceylon and Southern India, as well as in some parts of Kenya.

BOP--Broken Orange Pekoe: Main broken grade. Prevalent in Assam, Ceylon, Southern India, Java, and China.

F BOP--Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe: Coarser and broken with some tips. From Assam, Ceylon, Indonesia, China, and Bangladesh. In South America coarser, black broken.

F BOP F--Finest Broken Orange Pekoe Flowery: The finest broken orange pekoe. Higher proportion of tips. Mainly from Ceylon's "low districts".

G BOP--Golden Broken Orange Pekoe: Second grade tea with uneven leaves and few tips.

GF BOP1--Golden Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe 1: As above, but with only the highest quality leaves in the GFBOP classification.

TGF BOP1--Tippy Golden Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe 1: High-quality leaves with a high proportion of tips. Finest broken First Grade Leaves in Darjeeling and some parts of Assam.

FANNINGS GRADES

PF--Pekoe Fannings

OF--Orange Fannings: From Northern India and some parts of Africa and South America.

FOF--Flowery Orange Fannings: Common in Assam, Dooars, and Bangladesh. Some leaf sizes come close to the smaller broken grades.

GFOF--Golden Flowery Orange Fannings: Finest grade in Darjeeling for tea bag production.

TGFOF--Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Fannings.

BOPF--Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings: Main grade in Ceylon, Indonesia, Southern India, Kenya, Mozambique, Bangladesh, and China. Black-leaf tea with few added ingredients, uniform particle size, and no tips.

DUST GRADES

D1--Dust 1: From Sri Lanka, Indonesia, China, Africa, South America, and Southern India.

PD--Pekoe Dust

PD1--Pekoe Dust 1: Mainly produced in India.

OTHER TERMS USED

Musc.--Muscatel

Cl.--Clonal

Ch.--China varietal

Qu.--Queen jat

FBOPF Ex. Spl.--Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings (Extra Special)

FP--(Flowery Pekoe)

PS--Pekoe Souchong

S--Souchong

BOF--Broken Orange Fannings

BPF--Broken Pekoe Fannings

RD--Pekoe Dust/Red Dust

FD--Fine Dust

GD--Golden Dust

SRD--Super Red Dust

SFD--Super Fine Dust

BMF--Broken Mixed Fannings