
Orthodox black tea in India, mainly, is subject to a precise classification, which provides us with essential information on the quality of the tea we buy. These grades are necessary to understand the different quality of tea and to be able to choose your tea better.
Two classifications will be differentiated, depending on whether the leaves are whole (Whole leaves) or broken (Broken leaves)
Broken Leaf | |
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GFBOP | Golden flowery broken orange pekoe |
GFBOP | Golden broken orange pekoe |
FBOP | Flowery broken orange pekoe |
BOP1 | Broken orange pekoe one |
BOP | Broken orange pekoe |
BPS | Broken pekoe souchong |
The broken leaves are therefore no longer whole, which will alter the quality of the leaves. The tea from broken leaf will give a more full-bodied liquor and more uniform aromas. The best quality broken leaves are, therefore, classified as GBOP or GFBOP. On the other hand, BPS (broken pekoe souchong) are the lower leaves of the plant. These leaves are less fresh, there are no buds, and are of poor quality
The whole leaves provide the best quality of tea. The whole leaves are picked on the upper part of the plant. The harvest will, therefore, consist of the last two leaves and the buds (Flowery). The quality of the picking will then depend on the appearance and size of the tea leaves. Indeed, the smallest and finest leaves represent the best quality. The teas, classified as FTGFOP, FTGFOP1, SFTGFOP, and SFTGFOP1, are, therefore, the best possible quality.
Whole Leaf | |
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SFTGFOP | Special fine tippy golden flowery orange pekoe |
FTGFOP | Fine tippy golden flowery orange pekoe |
TGFOP | Tippy golden flowery orange pekoe |
GFOP | Golden flowery orange pekoe |
FOP | Flowery orange pekoe |
OP | Orange pekoe |
At Khalissa, we offer teas among the most prestigious that’s why all of our single estate teas are classified FTGFOP or SFTGFOP to enjoy an authentic moment of exception.