Orange Pekoe Tea

Photo: flickr user qmnonic

About

A medium grade black tea. Orange pekoe tea is not flavoured with orange. It refers to the grade of tea, consisting of large pieces of leaves or even whole leaves. An orange pekoe is a leaf that has been unbroken. Black teas with an orange pekoe grade tastes woody and slightly bitter, with a strong fruity and floral aromas.

Information

Other names: Orange Pecco

Translations: Apelsīnu Pekoe Tēja, Πορτοκαλί είδος μαύρου τέιου Τσάι, Orange Pekoe Arbata, البرتقال والشاي بيكو أسود, Orange Pekoe, Orange Pekoe Ceai, Pekoe Orange Tea, Orange Pekoe Tee, Оранге Пекое Чај, Cam loại trà đen Trà, Orange Pekoe Herbata, Orange Pekoe Чай, 오렌지 Pekoe 차, オレンジペッコ茶, ऑरेंज Pekoe चाय, אורנג Pekoe תה, Orange Pekoe Чай, 橙黄白毫茶, Orange Pekoe Te, Teen laatuluokitus Tea, Ориндж висококачествен черен чай чай

Tasting Notes

Flavors: Woody, bitter, fruity

Mouthfeel: Earthy, Full

Food complements: Desserts, Sugar, Lemon, Orange, Honey

Beverage complements: Fruit juice and teas

Substitutes: Black tea

Selecting and Buying

Seasonality: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december

Choosing: Choose loose leaves that smell full of flavor.

Buying: The tea is widely available in most supermarkets and other grocery stores. For the most variety, try Asian food stores and health food stores.

Procuring: Tea is traditionally grown in China.

Preparation and Use

Most popular for use in teas, but it can also be used to flavor desserts and sauces. For tea, steep the leaves in hot, just boiled water for a few minutes. Remove leaves and enjoy with lemon, orange, milk or honey to taste. For recipes, add the tea water in small quantities.

Cleaning: Loose tea does not need to be cleaned after it is purchased. Keep stored in a tightly closed glass container to prevent spoilage.

Conserving and Storing

Store loose tea in a dark and cool cabinet away from any heat source and not above the oven or next to the refrigerator. Glass containers work best for storage. Shelf life is long.

Social/Political

Many western countries use the term orange pekoe as a blanket term to describe any type of black tea. Actually, orange pekoe isn’t a type of tea. It is a term that is used for identifying qualities of black tea.

History: There is no orange flavor to teas graded as orange pekoe. This part of the name more than likely came from the name of the trading company brought the tea to Europe.

Pekoe more than likely comes from the Chinese words amoy or bai hwa, which describe the white characteristics of the leaves and the flowers.