THANK YOU, VALUED CUSTOMERS: BUY 3 TEAS AND THE 4TH TEA IS FREE.* SOME RESTRICTIONS APPLY – CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS. (800) 234-8327 HOME TEA NOMENCLATURE (FTGFOP1, ETC.) Tea nomenclature Due to a lack of information on the subject, there is great confusion over one of the simplest of tea terms, OP (Orange Pekoe). Contrary to popular opinion, Orange Pekoe does not refer to a particular flavor, or even to a specific variety or quality or tea. Orange Pekoe is nothing more than a designation of leaf size. As a result of the manufacturing process, the final product is composed of leaf particles of varying sizes. Because the finer particles steep quickly, the tea is sifted into lots of uniform leaf size. Teas designated OP are composed of larger leaf particles or whole leaves that will not pass through a sieve of a particular gauge. BOP (Broken Orange Pekoe) designates a grade that is finer than OP. Grades finer than BOP are called fannings, PF for Pekoe Fannings, and the smallest particles are referred to as dust. Dust grades are used primarily in teabags. Other letters are often appended to the grade of tea to produce a baffling list of designations such as SFTGFOP1 (Super-Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe, grade 1). While there is a general correlation between acronyms and the general appearance and character of the tea, there is no strict correlation between the acronyms and the value or flavor of the tea. While these lengthy acronyms appear on nearly every chest of single-estate tea, the real value of the tea is in its appeal to the palate. A brief guide to decoding the specifications PF: Pekoe Fannings OP: Orange Pekoe BOP: Broken Orange Pekoe GBOP: Golden Broken Orange Pekoe TGBOP: Tippy Golden Broken Orange Pekoe GTGFBOP: Golden Tippy Golden Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe BPS: Broken Pekoe Souchong FOP: Flowery Orange Pekoe GFOP: Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe TGFOP: Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe FTGFOP: Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe FTGFOP1: Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe, grade 1 SFTGFOP1: Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe, grade 1 Musc: Muscatel Cl: Clonal Ch: China varietal Qu: Queen jat FBOPF Ex Spl: Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings (Extra Special). Ceylon spider-leg style SIGN UP FOR OUR EMAILS SIGN UP ABOUT US Customer Testimonials Ethical Tea Partnership Careers Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions Site Information CUSTOMER SERVICE (800) 234-8327 My Account Valued Customer Program Tea Quarterly Shipping Information Special Promotions Returns Accessibility Statement Contact Us Website Feedback ASK UPTON Our Story Just The Leaves: Blog Upton's Staff Favorites How to Steep Loose Leaf Tea Tea History and Traditions Tea Nomenclature (FTGFOP1, etc.) Tea Processing Chart Tea Flavors and Cupping Notes FAQs Rewards Program