It actually has nothing to do with the color or the fruit.

In fact, it is a tea leaf sizing system developed by the Dutch royal House of Orange-Nassau. It goes like this:

• OP (Orange Pekoe—the smallest grade of whole leaf tea)
• FOP (Flowery Orange Pekoe)
• GFOP (Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)
• TGFOP (Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)
• FTGFOP (Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)
• SFTGFOP (Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)

These are the classifications of whole leaf teas. Broken leaf teas are similarly classified as BOP (Broken Orange Pekoe); BOPF (Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings); and BOPD (Broken Orange Pekoe Dust), which is the smallest. In addition there are CTC (Cut, Tear, Curl) teas which are harvested and put through a mechanical process which standardizes the size of the tea particles.

Yeah? So…?

So here’s what you need to know about this, at least the way I see it: tea aficionados who appreciate loose tea, tend to appreciate the larger leaf teas. They are nicer to look at, and when you steep them in a cup they unfurl and swell up, and they are just pretty.

Somewhere along the line, people started equating larger leaf sizes with higher quality. There is a joke that states that FTGFOP actually stands for “Far Too Good For Ordinary People”. Occasionally, companies who promote whole leaf teas will make remarks about broken leaf teas being “floor sweepings” (they are not; all of the different grades of tea are sifted according to size). The fact is that larger leaf sizes do not necessarily mean higher quality; I would prefer a dust grade broken leaf tea from a good estate over an SFTGFOP from a bad growing region any day.

In fact, it has been my experience that smaller leaf sizes actually brew up stronger. If you think about it, more surface area of the tea is coming in contact with the water, so it makes sense that the resulting beverage would be a bit heartier. This is also very good news for folks who use commercial iced tea brewers, since the tea is never really allowed to steep, but is put through a leaching process.

For this reason, and in order to keep our costs and your price low (because the larger leaf size teas are so desirable to tea aficionados, they command a higher price), we use broken leaf and CTC teas in our blends. If you want a whole leaf blend, just contact us and we would be happy to accommodate you, but I sincerely believe the quality of your tea will not improve.

Parting Shot…

So, the next time your coffee vendor comes in and proudly proclaims that his teas are Orange Pekoe, you can tell him that A) Orange Pekoe is the smallest of the whole leaf grades; and B) your broken leaf teas from Southern Boy Teas are better because they are from a superior tea growing region (most likely), and they are blended by a guy from Wichita who knows his tea.

I’ve managed a full service restaurant before, and I currently operate a tea bar, so let me just say, I know some of what you’re thinking when you look at new suppliers. At least I know what I think most of the time: What’s my margin? Can I get it cheaper somewhere else?

I’m not going to argue that you could probably get your tea cheaper somewhere else (though I think we are actually quite competitive), but I would like for you to consider a couple of things before you decide to go with a cheaper option.

First, it’s generally agreed upon that all of the best teas in the world are grown in India, China, Sri Lanka, and other places in that region. But do you know who the number one exporter of tea to the United States is today?


Argentina.

Argentina produces a third rate, mechanically harvested tea that the big name brands use in their filter packs. Why? Because it’s CHEAP. Inferior in every way, but it’s cheap. And don’t think your customers don’t care. Specialty tea sales are climbing every year and as the public becomes more educated about tea, they are demanding better quality, even in the iced tea they are served at restaurants.




Secondly, how much water are you selling? How many people come into your restaurant and order water? Unless you’re selling bottled water, your margin on that is zero. So the question is, if you were to promote the fact that you offer specialty tea from Southern Boy Teas out of Wichita, KS, how many of those water drinkers might actually purchase an iced tea? Then the question becomes: would you rather make 95% margin on $100 or 90% margin on $200? The choice is yours.

If you have a commercial iced tea brewer, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

If you don’t have a commercial iced tea brewer, have no fear! It’s not that complicated, but just as I’m sure you would be willing to take a little extra time in the kitchen to make sure your customers get great food, if you will devote a little extra time and attention to making your tea, your customers will appreciate it.

For the love of all things just and good and delicious, please DON’T! You might as well grill your filet mignon in the microwave.

This is NOT going to make me any friends where I come from down south, where sweet tea is the norm and you have to ask for it unsweetened in a restaurant–and the waitress will often look at you like you just ordered a bucket of live eels–but I am personally of the opinion that sweet tea exists because a lot of people do not know how to make tea. I’ve seen recipes for tea that call for steeping times that FAR exceed five minutes, even recipes that call for boiling the tea bags for ten or fifteen minutes. Some of these recipes call for a pinch of baking soda to “take away the bitterness”. Well, if you steep it right in the first place, your tea will not be bitter and you won’t need all that sugar or baking soda.

But if you’re determined to offer sweet tea, the general rule of thumb is a cup to 1-1/3 cups of sugar per gallon of tea. Best practice would be to add this to the hot tea after removing the filter pack, but before adding ice and water. The sugar dissolves better in the hot tea, but if you add it while the tea is steeping, the sugars will gum up the tea leaves and not allow them to properly expand.

So, there are some folks out there who want you to believe that you need a big fancy tea brewer to make iced tea for your restaurant. The truth is, those brewers are helpful, and maybe a little time-saving (though not actually as much as you might think), but they are far from necessary.

If you have a means to boil water, you can make iced tea.

Be sure to check out my post on “Suggestions for Preparation”.

I know a lot of people associate the flag with racism or politics, but for me, it is just a symbol of where I come from. The South was defeated in the Civil War, but southerners are proud people. Instead of pushing that old flag under the carpet, many southerners display the flag with pride. It is a part of their heritage, just as Hester Prynne’s scarlet letter was a part of hers. I do not see it as a symbol of racism (which I firmly abhor) or separatism. It’s more like wearing the colors and symbols of your alma mater. At least, that’s the way I think of it.