Tea Grading

Tea Grading

Tea grading is the process of evaluating each tea product based on the quality and condition of the tea leaves themselves. Tea leaf grading methods vary from region to region, and by tea type. The most common tea grading language that we hear in Canada is for Black Teas sourced from India, Sri Lanka and most tea-producing African countries (for example, Tetley Orange Pekoe is simply denoting the grade of tea leaf that it uses).



The tea grading system originated around the time when tea landed in Europe. The grading system is one example of how Europe began influencing tea culture and consumption habits. Different grading terms are used for different tea styles - though we don’t often hear this terminology for Green, White, Yellow, Oolong and Pu-erh teas in North America.

A growing appetite for high-quality teas across the country has started to make more grades available.

See below for a chart of black tea grading terms still used today.