How «to read» tea

On the packing of brew a consumer, next to the name of tea, can often see the abbreviation of Latin letters. In this abbreviation there is encrypted the composition of the brew: size of tea leaves, presence of half parted tea buds - tips, and other characteristics of tea. Knowing the meaning of this or that abbreviation allows you to choose a tea, which you will prefer.

The tea brew can contain a variety of leaves. In simple way, teas are divided into whole leaf, broken or cut and small leaf. On the size of a leaf depends the activeness of the process of tea fermentation. The larger the surface area of the contact of a leaf with air is, i.e. the more cuts and breaks has the leaf, the faster and more completely it ferments, and better gives its substances to the drink in the process of brewing.

To get a strong, rich of taste and aroma, and at the same time high quality tea, large leaves are sometimes cut or broken.

Whole leaf teas give an elegant, light aroma and exquisite taste. These are more sophisticated drinks, which have many fans among tea drinkers. Experts on tea – tea-testers – sometimes mix large leaf teas with cut or small leafs teas and get a drink with unique combination of taste, colour and aroma.

Each mixture of leaves of certain size has an appropriate standard. As a whole, with a certain degree of generalization it can be assumed that large leaf teas - evening teas, teas, made from small leaves or having undergone special cutting - are stronger, better give tea caffeine, and therefore they are more suitable for morning or afternoon tea.

Company «Ahmad Tea» uses the following abbreviations:

О.Р. – Orange Pekoe

High quality large leaf tea, containing tips and upper leaves of a tea bush. These leaves, which are considered more valuable, are harvested by hand, due to what their integrity preserves.

F.B.O.P.F. – Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings

Tea from very fragrant upper leaves of Orange Pekoe standard (see above). Some of the leaves are additionally cut, so the drink has a particularly deep flavour and aroma. There are also very finely cut leaves in the brew (Fannings), what gives the drink a rich colour and accelerates the process of brewing.

В.О.Р.1 – Broken Orange Pekoe 1

As the tea of F.B.O.P.F. standard (see above), В.О.Р.1 tea consists of tips and leaves of Orange Pekoe standard, which were additionally cut. However there are no tea crumbs in the brew, therefore the drink is lighter, but stronger than the large leaf tea of О.P. standard.

G.B.O.P. – Golden Broken Orange Pekoe

Brewing of В.О.Р. standard (see above), which contains the rare «golden» tips, giving the tea the delicious aroma and taste nuances.

T.F.B.O.P. – Tippy Fine Broken Orange Pekoe.

The brewing contains selected leaves of В.О.Р. standard (see above). The tea of this standard is characterized by high content of tips.

F.T.G.F.O.P. – Flowery Tippy Golden Fine Orange Pekoe

The brewing of fragrant whole leaves of Orange Pekoe standard (see above) with high content of the rare «golden» tips. Tea crumbs are removed from the brewing, therefore the drink has a rich flavour and aroma with low strength.

С. Т. С. – Cuts Tears Curls.

In the production of brewing there is used the machine method of shredding leaves. The resulting from brewing drink has a particularly bright colour and high strength, although it loses some flavour.

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