Finest grade Pekoe Tea is a very popular Chinese export...

Pekoe Tea is a fine grade of tea which includes young tea leaves and buds. When well handled and brewed, the tea has a rich forest-like scent with a hint of bitterness and a sweet finish. Pekoe has long been prized as one of the finest of teas, and it has always been a popular Chinese export.

The name “Pekoe” comes from the Chinese pek, meaning “white,” and ho, which means “down or feathers.” It is a reference to the fine white hairs which appear on tightly furled young tea buds when they are harvested to make Pekoe Tea.

The individual pekoe leaves tend to be rather small and fine, and they will become wispy when they unfold in hot water. Pekoe itself is also graded, with the highest grade including two tea leaves around a tight tea bud.

India, Sri Lanka, and Java all produce this tea, which is sometimes labeled as “Bud and Leaf Tea,” in a reference to the highest available grade. Once harvested, the pekoe can be treated in various ways to create a finished tea. It is usually bruised and allowed to oxidize so that it turns into black tea, although green pekoe tea is also produced in some places.

Once the tea is finished, it may be packaged in loose leaf form or broken so that it will fit into teabags. The loose leaf tea contains only buds and leaves, and does not include stems and fannings from the sorting process. Since the leaves like a great deal of room to unfold, a French press is a great tool for brewing pekoe tea, as it will allow the flavor to mature.

NOTICE: Though this tea usually remains light in color, if brewed too long, the flavor will be bitter and tannic, so do not over-steep.

Many people are familiar with Orange Pekoe, a rather confusingly labeled form of Pekoe Tea. Orange Pekoe is not flavored with orange, as one might expect from the name. Rather, the tea is named for the royal Dutch House of Orange, which was in power when the Dutch East India Company first began importing tea. The company wanted to imply that, making Orange Pekoe Tea quite popular.

Pekoe Tea General Brewing Guidelines

Brewing Temperature: 212° (rolling boil)

Brewing Time: 3-5 minutes
1 tsp loose tea per 8oz cup

Recommended Pekoe Teas:

Check out my review of green pekoe tea here!