All You Need to Know About The Four Main Grades of Tea | Dalmia Gold
After water, tea is the most consumed drink in the world. Nothing beats a cup of simmering tea. But why has this beverage been able to maintain, and even grow, in popularity over the centuries? Here we will discuss the various grades of tea leaves that are responsible for the flavour, umami, and aroma of the tea. There are, in general, four grades of tea. Whole leaf, broken leaf, fannings, and dust are these. There are numerous subgrades inside each of these grades. Only the latter three (Broken, fannings, and dust) of the four are producible in the case of CTC production. Whole Leaf: Whole-leaf tea often refers to tea that has been brewed from whole, unbroken leaves. Whole-leaf tea is of superior quality as it has better flavour and aroma when brewed because the leaves don't dry up and retain their excellent flavouring elements. Under the whole-leaf tea categories, there are various sub-categories. They are known as Flowery Orange Pekoe (FOP), Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (GFOP)...