Tea Glossary: Tea Grades and Abbreviations Explained

Understanding Tea Grades and Terms

Tea grade abbreviations such as FTGFOP or BOP describe the size and appearance of the dry leaf, not its flavor or quality in the cup. They are used mainly for black teas from India, Sri Lanka and Kenya. The letters are read from the right: OP is Orange Pekoe, a whole-leaf grade, and each letter added in front (F for Flowery, G for Golden, T for Tippy, F for Finest, S for Special) signals more buds and more careful sorting.

Tea names often come with abbreviations that look obscure at first. This glossary explains the meaning behind common tea grades and terms—from FTGFOP to CTC—so you can better understand what’s in your cup. Use it as a reference whenever a term feels unclear. Not everything needs to be memorized; this is here to guide you.

1. Tea Grades

• SFTGFOP — Special Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe. Superlative grade.
• FTGFOP 1 — Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe 1. Mainly from Darjeeling, some from Assam. Manufactured with exceeding care; even leaves and tippy.
• TGFOP — Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe. Main grade of Darjeeling and Assam.
• GFOP — Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe. Top grade from Kenya’s surviving tippy tea gardens.
• FOP — Flowery Orange Pekoe. Plain grade of Indian leaf tea.
• OP / OP Sup. — Orange Pekoe / Orange Pekoe Superior. Tippy leaves; OP Sup. produced only in Indonesia. Orange Pekoe has nothing to do with oranges; it is a whole-leaf grade.
• TGBOP — Tippy Golden Broken Orange Pekoe. Finest broken grade from Darjeeling and Assam. Highly tippy with smooth leaves.
• GFBOP — Golden Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe. Produced mainly in Assam. A top-rate broken-grade tea, also the only broken tippy from Kenya. Popular in East Frisia.
• GBOP — Golden Broken Orange Pekoe. Second sorting with few tips.
• FBOP — Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe. Coarser broken grade with some tips; comes from Assam, Indonesia, China, Bangladesh, or South America. In Southern India, “Pekoe” is often called FBOP.
• BOP — Broken Orange Pekoe. Main broken grade from Ceylon, South India, Java, and China.
• CTC BOP — CTC Broken Orange Pekoe. “CTC” means Cut, Tear, Curl, a machine-automated production process emphasizing uniform leaf and quickly colored infusion.
• BPS — Broken Pekoe Souchong. Assam and Darjeeling; pearl-shaped leaves.
• BP — Broken Pekoe. Brown to black, heavily broken tea from Indonesia, Ceylon, and Southern India; often woody or stalky.

2. Leaf Types & Processing Terms

• Tippy / Tip — Light, golden tips of the young, tender tea leaf bud. Add smoothness without affecting color.
• Broken — Smaller or cut leaves.
• Fannings — Tiny tea particles (~1 mm), mostly used in tea bags.
• Dust — Smallest grade, used mostly in tea bags.
• Extraneous Particles — Stem and woody stalks sometimes processed with leaves.
• Pekoe — Chinese term meaning “white down,” referring to tender young leaves.
• Infusion — In the tea trade, the wet leaves after brewing. In everyday use, the brewed liquid.

3. Matcha Terms & Concepts

Matcha is a unique tea with its own terminology. Understanding these terms will help you choose, brew, and enjoy it safely and mindfully.

• Organic / High-Quality Matcha — Produced by small Japanese farmers with careful cultivation. Labels may not exist in Japan; quality depends on farming practices.
• Ceremonial Matcha — Made from the youngest leaves, ideal for traditional whisked tea. Highest flavor quality.
• Culinary Matcha — Slightly coarser, often used in lattes, smoothies, and cooking.
• Usucha — Thin matcha, lightly whisked; used in casual tea sessions.
• Koicha — Thick matcha, whisked slowly; used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies.
• Hyperpremium Matcha — Extremely high-quality matcha from small, meticulous Japanese farms. Rare, finely powdered, ultra-umami flavor.
• Tencha — Shade-grown leaves that are dried and ground to make matcha.
• L-Theanine — Amino acid in matcha contributing to calm alertness.

This glossary is updated over time. If you come across a term that isn’t listed, check back; I may add it in the future.

Frequently asked questions