In article .com>,
"Marge" > wrote:

> I seem to remember seeing a show that said Pekoe with tea referred to
> the size of the leaves, pekoe is the term for the more ground up
> (cheaper) leaves that regular store brands usually use. Thought that
> was interesting, since I always thought it was a flavor.
>

From the rec.food.drink.tea FAQ:
<http://www.faqs.org/faqs/drink/tea/faq/>

'Pekoe' (pronounced 'PECK-oh') is derived from a Chinese word meaning
'white'; this referred to the white hair on the leaf bud. Early Western
merchants used the word to mean that the leaves so graded were
exclusively plucked from the tip of the branch: the leaf bud and the two
leaves below the bud. Its use in India and Sri Lanka broadened to mean
whole leaves of a uniform size, and this is what it generally means now.
This may include leaves picked from lower on the branch.

'Flowery Orange Pekoe' is often abbreviated 'FOP'. The term 'flowery'
apparently refers to the leaf bud, since actual tea flowers are not used
in the preparation of the drink.

'Orange' is variously described as a reference to the Dutch House of
Orange or as a reference to an old Chinese practice of including orange
blossoms as a flavoring agent. Whichever story is true, Orange Pekoe
leaves are higher quality than Pekoe leaves.

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