Ceylon Black Tea: Fannings & Dust Grades
The smaller end of the Ceylon black-tea scale — fannings and dust grades that brew quickly, pour dark and give that strong, brisk cup found in tea bags.
As leaf size decreases, tea brews faster and pours darker. Fannings and dust are the smallest orthodox grades — not lesser teas, but ones engineered for strength, colour and speed. They are the backbone of a good, brisk breakfast cup and of tea bags worldwide.
Fanning grades
Fannings are small, firm particles. They keep the character of their parent broken grades while extracting more quickly and tasting stronger.
| Grade | Stands for | Character |
|---|---|---|
| BOPF | Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings | Smaller than BOP; tastes stronger than BOP while retaining all other characteristics. |
| FBOPF | Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings | Similar to BOP leaf but a firm leaf consisting of a few tips. |
| FBOPF1 | Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fanning One | A typical low-country semi-leaf tippy tea, with a little more tips than FBOPF. |
| FBOPFSP | Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fanning Special | Similar to FBOPF1 but firm, with more black leaf and much better tips. |
| FBOPFEXSP | Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fanning Extra Special | A whole-leaf tea with an abundance of long tips, featuring a firm and blacker leaf. |
Dust grades
Dust is the finest particle size. It infuses rapidly to make a strong, robust brew — which is exactly why it is favoured for tea bags.
| Grade | Stands for | Character |
|---|---|---|
| D | Dust | The smallest of particles left after sifting, often used in tea bags to infuse rapidly and make a strong, robust brew. |
| D1 | Dust 1 | The smallest of particles, smaller than fannings leaves. |
Reach for fannings and dust when you want a cup that is quick, full-bodied and unapologetically strong — especially with milk.