What does 'OP' stand for in tea grading?

In tea grading, “OP” stands for Orange Pekoe.

Orange Pekoe is a Western tea-trade grade describing a particular size and condition of whole black-tea leaves. Despite the name, it is not orange-flavoured tea, and “orange” does not indicate that the leaves contain citrus. The term is commonly associated with teas from India, Sri Lanka, and other major tea-producing regions outside China.

The grading system focuses mainly on leaf size and wholeness after processing, rather than directly measuring flavour or overall quality. OP generally refers to long, wiry whole leaves without a large proportion of tips. Higher or more elaborate grades include FOP, meaning Flowery Orange Pekoe, and TGFOP, meaning Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe.

When leaves are broken for quicker brewing, the grade may be called BOP, or Broken Orange Pekoe. Smaller particles are classified as fannings or dust and are widely used in tea bags. The exact grading practices vary by country, so OP should not be treated as a universal quality ranking or a distinct tea variety.