Broken Leaf Tea Grade Comparison Guide
Compare leaf sizes, brewing strength, cup color, and best uses across premium broken leaf Ceylon teas including BOP, FBOP, and FBOPF1.
The complete guide to Sri Lanka Tea Board standard Broken Leaf grades, organizing BOP, FBOP, and FBOPF1 teas by leaf size, taste profile, and best brewing methods.
Taste Heatmap & Grade Comparison
Compare tea color, strength, caffeine levels (~mg per cup), body, and natural aroma side-by-side.
Official Ceylon Tea Grades Matrix
Official Sri Lanka Tea Board Standard Nomenclature for Global Importers & Blenders. (8 Grades Found)
| Grade Code | Category | Particle & Appearance Description | Origin Terroir | FOB Colombo Est. | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BOP Broken Orange Pekoe | Black Tea | Small or broken pieces of leaves (2.0mm - 3.5mm) "Small or broken pieces of leaves. World-famous backbone of Ceylon high-grown exports offering superior liquor strength, briskness, and coppery brightness." | Dimbula / Nuwara Eliya / Uva | $4.80 - $6.50 / kg FOB | |
FBOP Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe | Black Tea | Semi-broken leaves slightly bigger than BOP, with silver/golden tips "Same style of BOP but slightly bigger in size and consisting of attractive golden/silver tips. Offers a sweet aroma and smooth caramel depth." | Ruhuna / Sabaragamuwa | $6.50 - $9.50 / kg FOB | |
BOP1 Broken Orange Pekoe One | Black Tea | Wiry, elegant, and smaller in particle cut than OP1 "Broken Orange Pekoe one – Wiry and smaller than OP1. Combines the visual grace of wiry leaves with the superior strength of broken traditional grades." | Low Grown / Ruhuna / Sabaragamuwa | $7.00 - $10.80 / kg FOB | |
FBOP1 Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe One | Black Tea | Neat semi-broken leaves, slightly smaller than BOP1 with golden tips "Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe one – A little smaller than BOP1 with a proportion of fine golden tips. Delivers great body with pleasant honey notes." | Ruhuna / Low Grown | $8.50 - $13.50 / kg FOB | |
BPS Broken Pekoe Special | CTC Tea | Even, neat spherical curl pieces (CTC manufacture) "Broken Pekoe Special – Even curl pieces produced via machine Cut-Tear-Curl process. Offers rapid cupping density and heavy color." | Low Grown / Central Provinces CTC Estates | $3.80 - $5.20 / kg FOB | |
BP1 Broken Pekoe 1 | CTC Tea | Little smaller in spherical granule size than BPS "Broken Pekoe 1 – Slightly smaller granules than BPS. Delivers thick brisk liquor that stands up exceptionally well to dairy milk." | Low Grown / Uva CTC plantations | $3.60 - $5.00 / kg FOB | |
BPL Broken Pekoe Leaf | CTC Tea | Even, neat semi-leaf CTC pieces "Broken Pekoe Leaf – Even leaf pieces with CTC granulation. Balanced cup strength and excellent infusion consistency." | Low Grown / Sabaragamuwa CTC | $3.50 - $4.80 / kg FOB | |
BM Broken Mix | Off Grades | Mixed broken leaf particles smaller than BOP 1A "Broken Mix – Smaller than BOP 1A's. An assorted composite of broken traditional leaves delivering good briskness at an accessible price point." | All Elevation Regions | $3.00 - $4.20 / kg FOB |
Understanding Ceylon Tea Grades
In Sri Lanka, tea grades refer strictly to the leaf size, shape, and the presence of tender buds — not the overall quality. An unbroken whole leaf (like OP1) and a broken leaf (like BOP) from the same mountain garden share the same fine quality, but they brew differently.
Whole Leaf grades (OP1, OP, OPA) steep slowly and release gentle, floral aromas that are wonderful for loose-leaf teapots. Broken grades (BOP, FBOP) and Fannings (BOPF) infuse quickly to give a strong, full-bodied cup with deep reddish color — perfect for morning tea and everyday tea bags.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The chart organizes Sri Lankan teas by leaf size, region, cup color, brewing speed, and best uses, making it easy to choose whole leaves for teapots or fine cuts for tea bags.
