Orange pekoe (also spelt pecco) is a term mainly used to describe a grade found in the grading system of the same name used for sorting Black teas. The system is based solely upon the size of the processed and dried black tea leaves.
The term "Orange Pekoe" is used in the tea industry to describe a basic medium grade black tea consisting of many single whole tea leaves of a specific size; however, it is usually used in popular Western culture to describe any generic black tea, or in some cases, even a specific variety of black tea. Black teas to be graded in this system must be obtained from new flushes, which are the terminal leaf bud along with a few of the youngest tea leaves. Grading is based solely on the size of the individual leaves and flushes, which is determined by their ability to fall through screens of specific meshes ranging from 8–30 mesh. This parameter also determines loosely the wholeness, or level of breakage, of each leaf, which is also part of the grading system. Although the grading system is not an indicator of quality, the size of the leaves will, more often than not, influence the taste and clarity of the resulting brew. Black teas of the basic grade (Orange Pekoe) are highly fragrant, with strong floral and fruity aromas, as well as a pleasant woody note. The taste should be slightly bitter with no astringency, and a sweet aftertaste.
When used outside the context of black tea grading, the term "Pekoe", or occasionally "Orange pekoe", describes the unopened terminal leaf bud (tips) in tea flushes. As such, terms such as "a bud and a leaf" or "a bud and two leaves", used to describe the "leafiness" of picked flush, are often used interchangeably with "pekoe and a leaf" or "pekoe and two leaves", respectively.