Artisan teas: Often refers to premium, full-leaf white, green, and black teas that are hand-sewn into intricate blossoms or rosettes; they require no tea bag or strainer and “bloom” when steeped; sometimes referred to as flowering teas, peonies, or anemones.

Assam: This state in India is the largest tea-producing district in the world and is best known for its variety of black teas.

Black tea: The foremost tea sold worldwide. Prepared from green tealeaves that have been allowed to fully ferment and wither.
Brews a reddish-orange or reddish-brown infusion.

Blend: Two or more varietals of tea blended together.

Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP): The leaves in broken grades of orange pekoe tea are reduced in size usually by machine. This allows for more surface area, causing the tea to infuse faster than whole leaf varieties.

Caffeine: A stimulant contained in tea, which can boost the heart rate and alertness and, in elevated quantities, can lead to restlessness or insomnia.

Ceylon: These black teas are from Sri Lanka, one of the largest tea exporters worldwide.

Cha: The word for the Chinese and Japanese character referring to tea.

Chai: A popular tea drink made from strong black tea, milk, sugar, and spices.

Chanoyu: The Japanese tea ceremony, literally meaning "hot water tea," which celebrates the beauty and mundane aspects of everyday life.

Darjeeling: This tea district in northeast India is best known for its brisk and floral black teas.

Dust (D): The smallest and usually lower quality grade of tea commonly used in commercial teabags.

Earl Grey: A black tea scented with citrus oil from the Bergamot orange.

English breakfast tea: A brisk and lively black tea, traditionally Keemuns from China and often including China congou blends and Ceylon blends. These teas are frequently served with milk and sugar.

Fair trade teas: A tea that is certified by an international agency as having been grown on a farm that is part of a Fair Trade working cooperative. Fair Trade certification works to allow farmers to warrant a fair price for their goods and at the same time upholds specific standards for the wages and living and working conditions of its workers. Fair Trade coffees are labeled as such.

Fanning (F): Very small, broken leaf, slightly larger than dust. A low grade tea sometimes used in commercial tea bag products.
Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (FTGFOP): Tea falling into this classification are usually a premier estate’s finest teas. Mostly comprised of golden flowers, leaf buds, and the youngest tea leaves.


Firing: The method of rapidly firing the tealeaf with hot air or in a hot pan in order to quickly cease fermentation and dry the leaf.

Flavored tea: Tea that has been scented and flavored with spices or flavors, which may include cinnamon, orange rind, or Bergamot oil, to name a few.

Flowery Orange Pekoe (FOP): This orange pekoe grade also includes some tips or leaf buds.

Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe (FBOP): This grade of tea would refer to broken orange pekoe with the addition of a small portion of tips.

Formosa or Formosa oolong: An Oolong tea produced in Taiwan, which is considered the champagne of tea.

Genmai cha: A green Japanese tea with roasted rice.
Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (GFOP): Often referred to flowery orange pekoe with tips and flowers that are golden in color.


Grades: The category indicating the tealeaf size and the preparation style. See the descriptions of:
-Dust (D)
-Fanning (F)
-Souchong (S)
-Pekoe (P)
-Orange Pekoe (OP)
-Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP)
-Flowery Orange Pekoe (FOP)
-Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe (FBOP)
-Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (GFOP)
-Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (TGFOP)
-Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (FTGFOP)

Grading: Tea grading has not been standardized between major growing centers. Tea grades commonly refer to leaf size and location on the tea bush. Tea grading is primarily used by the estates for segregating various teas during the manufacturing process. As a result this process is not defined or standardized and therefore is not a good indicator of quality teas. Grading terminology also differs when describing green tea, black tea, and oolong tea. So keep in mind that a tea’s grade does not necessarily indicate flavor or quality. Factors such as origin, soil, rainfall, elevation, the particular flush or picking season combined with the harvesting and manufacturing process all lend a hand in providing tea its unique flavor.

Green tea: A tea produced in China, Japan, and Taiwan. Prepared from green tealeaves that have been neither fermented nor withered and are then fired to cease fermentation. Brews a pale, greenish-yellow infusion.

Gunpowder: A style of green tealeaves from China that are rolled into pellets and dried, which then open up when steeped.

Jasmine: A black tea scented with jasmine flowers.

Keemun: A fine grade of black tea produced in China, usually hand rolled and fired. One of China’s best-known premium teas.

Kenya: A fine black tea produced in Africa.

Lapsang Souchong: A black tea produced in China that has been fired over pine root and is known for its smoky aroma and taste.

Matcha: A powdered green tea produced in Japan that is used in the Japanese tea ceremony.

Oolong tea: A tea produced in China and Taiwan. Prepared from tealeaves that have been partially fermented and withered. Brews an amber infusion.

Orange Pekoe (OP): Orange Pekoe grades are leaves plucked from near the end of a branch. Besides the buds and flowers, they are youngest and smallest of tea leaves on a branch. This grad indicates only size and not quality or flavor.

Organic teas: A tea that is certified by an international agency as having been grown free of chemical pesticides, fertilizers, or herbicides and labeled as such.

Pekoe (P or PEK): Pekoe grade tea leaves are slightly less coarse and smaller than souchong. Specifying only size and not quality or flavor.

Pouchang: A tea produced in China and Taiwan. Prepared from tealeaves that have been partially fermented. Typically used as the base tea for scented teas.

Pu erh: An aged tea produced in the Yunnan province of China. Prepared from tealeaves that have been specially fermented to produce an earthy characteristic.

Rooibos: A caffeine-free herb produced in South Africa that steeps to a rich reddish infusion.

Scented tea: A base black, green, or oolong tea combined with flower petals or blossoms, herbs, or even sliced fruit or fruit peel for a distinct flavor and aroma.

Sencha: The green tea variety produced in Japan, consisting of a wide array of qualities.

Souchong (S): The largest leaves located closest to the bottom of the branch. These course leaves are twisted lengthwise and often used for various Chinese smoked teas. This grade indicates only the size, not the quality or flavor.

Tea taster: A tea expert who can judge a cup-sample for character and quality and provide knowledge about its value, blending, and production.

Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (TGFOP): A larger ratio of golden tips would be included in this classification of flowery orange pekoe.

White tea: A tea produced mostly in China. Prepared from green tea leaves that have been withered and then fired. Brews a pale greenish, almost clear infusion.

Yunnan: This tea district in southwest China is best known for its spicy black teas.