A

Assam

Region of north-east India, which boasts the largest tea plantation in the world. Teas of the same name are produced here, dark in the cup and very strong with a malty flavour.

Anhui

Province of central China, which among other things produces the excellent Keemun, a very famous black tea.

B

Bancha

Japanese green tea made from fully-developed leaves. It represents most of the production, and is to be found also in the toasted version (Houjicha) or that made with the addition of rice (Genmaicha).

Blend

A mixture of different teas, which may also be enriched with flowers, dehydrated fruit and aromas.

BOP

Broken Orange Pekoe: a tea grade indicating a small, flat broken leaf with medium body.

C

Camellia

Botanical genre that the tea plant Camellia Sinensis belongs to.

Ceylon

The old name for Sri Lanka, it indicates the teas originating from the island, greatly appreciated for their rounded flavour.

Cha

A word that designates tea in numerous languages. From Pekinese it spread throughout the world becoming CH'A in Cantonese, CHA in Japan and in Portugal, CHA and CHAI in India, TCHAI in Russia, CHAY in Turkey and SHAI in Arabia.

Cha-no-yu

"hot water for the tea". Name of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

Chun Mee

"old man's eyebrow". Name of a Chinese green tea with a leaf slightly curled in on itself lengthwise.

Clipper

A very fast type of sailing ship used from 1845 on to rapidly transport tea from Asia to Europe at the time of the British monopoly.

CTC

Cut-Tear-Curl: a method of processing that yields very small and regularly-shaped particles of tea which give a strong and colourful beverage.

D

Darjeeling

Province in northern India bordering on the slopes of the Himalayas. Its marvellous gardens situated at high altitudes, even over 2000 metres, yield celebrated brews that are known as the "champagne of teas". Different harvests or pluckings give rise to teas with more or less marked nuances of muscatel, spices and citrus fruits. Connoisseurs esteem in particular the First Flush (1st harvest between March and April) and the Second Flush (between May and June depending on the year).

Dimbula

Production region in Sri Lanka.

Dooars

Tea-producing province in northern India.

Dust

This is the smallest grade of tea, reduced to extremely fine powder, used above all in the industrial manufacture of tea-bags.

E

Earl Grey

An extremely famous blend of tea aromatised with oil from the rind of the very fragrant bergamot orange. There are numerous variants based on black, green and smoked teas. The name is a tribute to Earl Charles Edward Grey, British Prime Minister in the 1830s.

D

Drying

One of the fundamental processes in the production of tea.

F

Fanning

Grade of tea referring to finely crushed leaf particles (1-1.5 mm, smaller than B.O.P.) often used for tea-bags.

FOP

Flowery Orange Pekoe: tea grade normally used for black tea, indicating high quality whole leaf tea made from the first two leaves and bud of the shoot.

FTGFOP

Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe. This is an FOP tea of exceptional quality, enhanced by numerous golden or pale tips, located at the end of the top bud.

First Flush

First harvest or early spring plucking of new shoots; usually refers to Indian Darjeeling or Assam teas.

G

Gunpowder

One of the most famous and best-loved green teas in the world. Normally a Chinese tea which is rolled into small pellet size balls of a greyish appearance not unlike gunpowder, hence the name .

Gyokuro

A very prized high grade Japanese tea grown on shaded bushes.

H

High Grown

Tea plantations located at high altitudes, over 1,200 metres, in Sri Lanka.

I

Imperial Plucking

Form of harvesting used only for the most precious teas, consisting of just the bud and one leaf.

K

Keemun

Black tea from Anhui in China, famous all over the world for its intense fragrance and sweet flavour.

L

Lapsang Souchong

A black Chinese tea from Fujian, which is smoked during the processing of conifer wood. An exceptional accompaniment to savoury dishes.

M

Mat-cha

Powdered green tea used in the Japanese tea ceremony, and also to perfume and colour foods and beverages.

N

Nilgiri

Region of south-east India producing black teas similar to those of Ceylon.

B

Black Tea

Type of tea, indicating a fully oxidised (or fermented) tea.

O

Oolong

From Wu Long, meaning Black Dragon in Chinese; this is a semi-fermented tea largely originating from China and Taiwan.

Orange Pekoe

Grade of black tea that indicates high-quality thin, wiry tightly-rolled leaves. Pekoe is the transliteration of the Chinese Pak-ho, meaning white bud, referring to the buds of the tea plant that are covered in a delicate whitish down. The term Orange appears to be a quality term introduced in honour of the Dutch royal house of Orange-Nassau.

Oxidation

One of the phases in the processing of tea. After the leaves have been duly rolled or crushed, the cellular liquid contained in them oxidises in contact with the oxygen in the air.

P

Plucking

Harvesting.

R

Rolling

One of the phases in the processing of tea.

Red Tea

Red tea is the name given by the Chinese to black tea. Also known as Red Tea is Rooibos, made from a herb harvested in the wilds of South Africa and not from Camellia Sinensis.

S

Sencha

Japanese green tea, which comes in various grades. The name signifies tea infusion.

Second flush

The second harvest, referring above all to Darjeeling. A summer plucking that takes place between May and June, depending on the year.

T

Terai

Region of India producing teas similar to those of northern India.

Tip

Another way of describing the ends of the leaves on the tea bush.

Tea Taster

A professional who is an expert judge of leaf and cup tea quality.

U

Uva

District of Sri Lanka producing soft and rounded teas.

G

Green Tea

Type of tea which does not undergo the oxidation process.

Y

Yunnan

Tea producing province of China, home to several particular teas such as the Pu Erh.

Z

Zhejiang

Tea producing province of China.