Tea University – Grading Teas

There are essentially three main classes or grades of tea: 1) Leaf, 2) Broken and 3) Dust. In each of these main classes, the tea is further classified according to size and the final grades which generally bear slightly fancy and antiquated names. Actually, the names originally given to grades no longer bear any relationship to what they represent today.

The leaf grades are obviously larger in size. In brewing, flavor and color come out of these grades very slowly, but they produce the highest quality flavors and liquor. The broken grades are of smaller size with fragmented leaves. They are quick brewing and give a darker brew. The smallest particles are graded as dusts. The name does not necessarily suggest anything derogatory to quality, however, these powdery teas brew very quickly and produce strong and colored liquor. Bagged teas that you will find in the grocery stores will typically contain dust and will typically contain far less anti-oxidants and other health benefits. Also, although they will brew a stronger tea more quickly, the quality of the flavor is typically sub-par. Think of grocery store bagged teas as the “jug wine” of tea and you’ll quickly realize why drinking only the finest loose leaf teas is the best way to enjoy this special beverage.

The term ‘Pekoe’ is derived from Chinese word ‘Pek Oh’ meaning white hairs, an allusion to the white hairs present on the under surface of young tea shoots. The prefix ‘Orange’ indicates that it has come from finer portions of the shoot i.e., bud, first leaf and soft stalk. ‘Tippy’ refers to the buds that make tips, which is valued very much. As a fancy the term ‘Golden’ is also added. The term ‘Flowery’ denotes that tip is in abundance in the tea; ‘Fanning’ indicates the fraction of tea separated by fanning (winnowing). Tea also comes with a number of added natural flavors. The most common ones are Lemon, Ginger, Cardamom, Mint, Orange, Peach, Apple, Rose, Jasmine, etc. Then there are herbal teas (or “tisanes”) which are herbs processed using special methods and mixed with tea or packed separately. Some of the most common ones are Chamomile, Honeybush, Peppermint and Rooibos.