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We get many comments and sometimes complaints about the small leaf size of ‘broken grade’ black teas. Many of the comments are from older consumers who remember the ‘good old days’ when tea leaves were produced in a larger leaf size which was the common style of production many years ago.
Broken grade teas (BOP), like our Great Grandfather’s, are produced in a smaller leaf size to enable quicker and stronger infusion. However smaller leaf sizes do not give an inferior cup of tea. Far from it! Larger leaf sizes (OP), like our Traditional Afternoon or Assam Nahorhabi, give a more subtle flavour and are not as quick to infuse.
They are two very different products and some tea brands unfairly denigrate the smaller size leaf teas in order to promote the sale of the more expensive larger leaf.
Although from the same plantation and produced at the same time and even from the same harvest, the difference in flavour, colour and aroma between smaller leaf (BOP) and larger leaf (OP) tea is striking and very noticeable.
The annoyance with smaller leaf seems to be that bits of tea can be noticed in the cup, especially when brewed with milk or that fine leaf cannot be contained within the strainer or infuser.
The answer to this is simple and straightforward. Get a strainer or infuser with finer mesh or use a ‘Dutch Tea Strainer’ which fits in to the spout of the teapot.
Another option will be to purchase a larger leaf (OP) tea. However this tea which will probably be a single estate tea will be more expensive and not be as strong or quick infusing like your traditional smaller leaf (BOP) tea.
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