Orange Pekoe

Did you know that Orange Pekoe is not a flavour of tea? After years of drinking teabags growing up I learned that it is actually the grading system for black teas from India and Sri Lanka. And then I learned that what was in my tea bag was a lower grade of leaf called fannings or dust and not OP at all. Today what gets into most teabags is a CTC Grade. The Cut Tear and Curl method is to create a small leaf tea that will provide the quickest brewing tea.

Some of the grades of tea are from highest to lowest are

SPECIAL FINEST TIPPY GOLDEN FLOWERY ORANGE PEKOE (SFTGFOP) –The highest grade of FOP
FLOWERY ORANGE PEKOE (FOP) - tea made from the end bud and first leaf containing the correct amount of tip
ORANGE PEKOE (OP) – Seldom has tips. It is the leaf that has been plucked after the end buds open
There are also broken leaf grades
BROKEN ORANGE PEKOE (BOP) – OP that has broken leaves found after leaf grades have been removed
FANNINGS/DUST – These are the finest bits of leaves and are used in tea bags where a quicker infusion is required.

After learning that Orange Pekoe had nothing to do with how the tea tasted I wanted to know why the name. Pekoe I soon learned comes from the Chinese word pek-ho or baihoa and refers to the silvery hairs on the underside of some tea bushes or the hairs on the bud itself.

The Orange is thought to be in reference to the House of Orange in Holland. The Dutch created the first East India Company and were trading tea in the 1600s. Tea was presented to the House of Orange and was promoted as being endorsed by the royal house. It is also thought that as tea was being imported for sale in Holland and then re-exported to other European countries the House of Orange was connected by default.

Over the past 13 years I started to drink only loose tea having discovered that there was more to tea than the quick infusing teabag of my youth. Not that I would trade one cup.

A Quick Intro to Tea

I love tea! I have always loved tea. As a little girl growing up it was an integral part of my daily life and remains so today. My strongest memories of drinking tea are when I was visiting my grandmother. We drank tea five to seven times a day. My favourite times at Nan’s were the before bedtime lunch. This consisted of cold meats, cheeses, homemade bread, pickles, strong tea and conversation.

I was introduced to loose tea thirteen years ago when I was working in Ottawa. The Tea Party was just down the street from where I was staying. It was here that my desire to know more about my favourite beverage began.

Tea is derived from a plant called Camellia Sinensis. This plant originates from China, but is now grown around the world, and is the second most consumed beverage on the planet, second only to water. There are four main types of tea-black, oolong, green and white. The characteristics of the tea are affected by the processing, climate, soil, altitude, temperature and humidity.

The processing of tea involves taking the plucked leaves of the plant and deciding what level, if any, of oxidation takes place before drying out the leaf. Oxidation happens when the enzymes in the leaf are released and exposed to oxygen by breaking, bruising or crushing the leaf. The level of oxidation is increased by the amount of time and how much of the enzymes are exposed.

BLACK TEA goes through the longest exposure time. Initially the leaves are exposed to hot air for up to eight hours to remove most of the moisture this is called withering. The leaves are then rolled and cracked to expose the enzymes and they are left to fully oxidize. Then the leaves go through a final drying process before being sorted and graded.

OOLONGS follow the same process as black teas but are left to oxidize for a shorter period of time. The leaves are bruised, exposed and then fired or dried before full oxidation takes place. Oolongs are sometimes referred to as semi-fermented or semi-green tea. Most oolongs come from the Fujian province of China or Taiwan.

GREEN TEAS are briefly oxidized. The leaves are left to wither for up to 10 hours and are immediately steamed or pan fired to stop any oxidation. The leaves are then rolled and go through a final drying period before being sorted and graded.

WHITE TEAS are the least processed form of tea. They go through no oxidation. After being picked they are steamed and dried. There is no rolling. White teas have a very mild delicate flavour. White teas have to highest level of antioxidants and least amount of caffeine of all these teas.

ROOIBOS TEA comes from the leaves of the South African plant Aspalathus lineris. It contains no caffeine and 1/10 the tannins of black teas. It will often be listed as an herbal tea.

HERBAL TEA/TISANES do not contain tea which is what makes them caffeine free. Those that do have tea are considered flavoured teas.

This is just a brief introduction to the wonderful world of teas. In the future, I’ll be introducing you to specific types of tea and their health benefits. In the meantime if you have any questions please email the store at britanniateas@nf.aibn.com or drop by to 199 Water St.