Loose tea lets you see, smell and even hold the leaves that provide the flavor you enjoy. With a small investment of time to learn about tea, your cup of tea becomes more personal and engaging, deepening your enjoyment of an experience that has captivated cultures.

GRADES OF TEA

Tea grading is based on the size of the leaf and types of leaves included in the tea. Though leaf size is an important quality factor, it is not, by itself, a guarantee of quality.

Teas are often designated as OP or FOP. These designations are part of the grading system used for whole leaf black teas and refer to the leaf size and amount of tip in the tea. Pekoe means teas picked as 2 leaves and a bud. OP, or Orange Pekoe, is a full-leaf tea with no tip or buds. FOP, or Flowery Orange Pekoe, is a longer leaf than an OP and has some buds. Grading systems and terminology vary with tea type and country. Generally, the more whole the leaf is and the more buds it contains, the higher the grade of tea.

Black Tea Leaf Grades

• P​ Pekoe​ smaller, shorter leave than OP
• OP​ Orange Pekoe​ long, thin, tightly rolled leaves
• FOP ​Flowery Orange Pekoe​longer leaf than an OP but not as tightly rolled
• GFOP​ Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe​ FOP with some golden tips
• TGFOP​ Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe​GFOP with more golden tips
• FTGFOP​Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe​ Better quality TGFOP teas
• BOP​Broken Orange Pekoe​OP leaves that are broken
• FBOP​Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe​FOP leaves that are broken

Green Tea Grades

There is no uniform grading system for green teas, but the better quality green consists of a leaf and bud, then two leaves and a bud and so on. Some common green tea leaf terms are:

Gunpowder: (also called Pearl tea) young leaves and buds are rolled tightly into pellets which unfurl in the cup
Imperial: loosely rolled pellets made from older leaves
Young Hyson: young leaves rolled long and thin

Kenya Black CTC

Black CTC is the pride of our heritage. Kenya has manufactured Black CTC teas since 1930s that appeal to many drinkers globally. The continuous improvement and Organisation learning has seen Kenya produce premium tea that guarantees you a sip like no other.

Black CTC (Cut Tear Curl) process begins by withering leaf where leaf is spread on troughs or in a continuous withering chamber for up to 16 hours. The leaf is then taken through fermentation process for one and half hours then passed over a conveyor belt to the dryer chamber with hot air. The aim here is to reduce moisture to about 3% and turn its color from greenish to black.

Kenya’s CTC teas are graded into BP1, PF1 PD and Dust1. They grading is based on particle size. More frequently, these grades appeal to different markets too. The larger the particle size, the lighter the density and the liquor too. The smaller the particle size, the greater the density and the more the cup color. Off grades tend to have more fibre content and are classified as Fannings