Introduction to teas
The differences in tea come from how it's processed, the climate where it's grown, how it's classified, and the name of the tea estate. For green tea, the way it's prepared (steamed or pan-fried) and its name are very important. For black tea, the quality is shown by abbreviations.
Main Leaf Grades for Black Tea
| OP | Orange Pekoe - Quality indicator for black tea with whole, medium-sized leaves. |
| FOP | Flowery Orange Pekoe - Tea made from delicate, young leaves, abundance of tips. |
| GFOP | Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe - Exquisite tea with light, golden tips. |
| TGFOP | Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe - Very high proportion of fine, golden tips - mainly Assam. |
| FTGFOP | Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe - Carefully selected, extremely fne and even leaves with many tips - mainly Darjeeling. |
| BOP | Broken Orange Pekoe |
The word “broken” means that the leaves are broken during the rolling process. All other leaf grades with “B” generally denote broken teas, i.e. made with “broken” tea leaves.
1 – The number 1 following the letters indicates the highest quality within a group.
Differentiations in Green Tea
During the production of green tea, the oxidation process is halted by briefly exposing the tea to heat; two different methods are traditionally used:
Steaming – With this method, which originated in Japan, the fresh tea leaves are exposed to hot steam, thus preventing fermentation. The tea often has a fresh, grassy note. Examples of Japanese teas: Gyokuro, Matcha.
Panfried Tea – In China, the fresh tea leaves are briefly roasted in a hot pan, which gives the tea a slightly tart smoky note. Examples of Chinese teas: Gunpowder, Chun Mee.
The Essentials of Tea Preparation
Black Tea: Infusion Temperature: 100 °C, fresh boiling water Brewing Time: 2-4 minutes.
Green Tea: Infusion Temperature: 70 °C to 90 °C, depending on the variety, Brewing Time: 1-2 minutes (Tart green tea), Mild, high-quality green tea: up to 5 minutes.
Tip: White tea and good varieties of green tea can be steeped several times!
There is actually only one “rule”: Let your individual taste and own preferences be your guide. Our suggestions are a good start, then decide for yourself if you want to brew the tea longer or shorter.
