Fannings are small leaf particles — a grade within tea classification systems — produced as a by-product of both orthodox and CTC processing when whole or large leaves are sorted and the smaller pieces fall through grading sieves. They are smaller than broken leaf grades but larger than dust (the finest commercial grade). Fannings are widely used in commercial tea bags because their small particle size produces rapid, high-extraction brews with strong colour and bold flavour in short steeping times.

In-Depth Explanation

Fannings occupy the lower end of the leaf-particle-size spectrum in orthodox grading systems — understanding their grade position explains their commercial role and brewing behaviour.

Tea grading system

Black tea — particularly orthodox teas from India and Sri Lanka — is graded by leaf size and appearance using a standardized nomenclature. The major grades from largest to smallest:

Fannings sit at the lower end of the leaf-particle-size spectrum, above dust. They are sometimes designated more specifically as BOPF or simply F depending on the origin and classification system used.

Why fannings brew quickly

The rapid brewing speed of fannings is a function of surface-area-to-volume ratio: broken particles expose more surface area per gram of tea than whole leaves, allowing hot water to extract flavor compounds (catechins, theaflavins, caffeine) and color (theaflavins, thearubigins) faster. A tea bag filled with fannings typically produces a fully brewed cup in 2–3 minutes; the same extraction from whole leaf would take significantly longer.

Production source

Fannings arise from:

1. Sifting and sorting: During orthodox processing, leaves are mechanically sorted through graduated mesh sieves. Particles small enough to fall through medium-gauge sieves are fannings or dust.
2. CTC production by-product: CTC (Cut-Tear-Curl) is specifically designed to produce granular particles, many of which fall near or within the fannings grade.
3. Intentional production: Some factories produce fannings-grade product deliberately for tea bag supply chains where particle consistency is specified.

Regional fannings producers

Fannings-grade teas are produced in every major black tea region but dominate production in:

• Kenya (CTC Kenyan fannings — the backbone of many British, Irish, and East African tea bags)
• Assam (CTC Assam fannings — strong, malty tea bag content)
• Sri Lanka (Ceylon BOP and BOPF — lighter-bodied than Assam/Kenya)

History

The commercial importance of fannings grew dramatically with the mass adoption of the tea bag in the 20th century. Tea bags were introduced commercially in the United States around 1908 (Thomas Sullivan, silk sachets) and spread rapidly in the post-WWII period. The industrial CTC processing method, developed in Assam in 1930, was ideally suited to produce consistent fannings-grade output for the fast-growing tea bag market. By the late 20th century, the majority of tea consumed in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and much of the world was fannings or dust-grade in tea bag format. Whole-leaf tea consumption remains a minority of the global market even today.

Brewing Guide

Fannings brew significantly faster than whole or broken leaf — use a shorter steep time, particularly when brewing loose without a tea bag.

Common Misconceptions

• “Fannings are always low quality.” Fannings are small-particle tea — quality within fannings grade varies significantly. High-elevation Sri Lankan or spring-flush Kenyan fannings from quality factories produce genuinely good tea; poor-quality fannings from inferior raw material produce inferior tea. Grade describes particle size, not absolute quality.
• “Tea bags are fannings; loose leaf is whole leaf.” Some premium loose-leaf CTC producers intentionally sell fannings-grade tea for use without bags. Conversely, some premium tea bag products use crushed whole leaf (pyramid bags) rather than true fannings or dust.
• “Fannings can’t be brewed without a bag.” Fannings can be brewed in a fine mesh strainer, a pot with a strainer lid, or discarded with conventional flat strainer. They are difficult to brew in a standard basket infuser with large holes.

Social Media Sentiment

Fannings appear in tea education content primarily in discussions of tea quality and grading vs. tea bag industry economics. Single-origin tea specialists and third-wave tea culture critique heavy reliance on fannings-grade tea as representing a race-to-the-bottom in commercial tea, contrasted with whole-leaf specialty tea. Tea bag defenders respond that quality fannings brewed correctly produce reliably good cups. Pyramid bag innovation (larger bags with crushed whole leaf) represents an industry response to quality concerns.

Last updated: 2026-04

Practical Application

• Reading grades on packaging: BOP and BOPF designations on Sri Lankan, Indian, and Kenyan teas indicate broken/fannings grades. OP and FOP indicate whole leaf. This helps evaluate what a product actually contains.
• Brewing fannings loose: Fannings brewed loose require a fine-mesh filter (Japanese-style kyusu with fine mesh, a tea sock, or a paper filter). Western-style basket strainers with large holes will pass particles into the cup.
• Tea bag selection: Higher-end pyramid bags and sachets typically contain larger-broken-leaf to whole-leaf material; standard flat tea bags contain fannings or dust. Pyramid bags in the right shape allow more expansion and generally deliver better quality from the same grade of leaf.

Related Terms

• CTC
• Orthodox Processing
• Tea Blending

See Also

• Sakubo – Study Japanese

Research

• Heiss, M.L. & Heiss, R.J. (2007). The Story of Tea. Ten Speed Press.
  Summary: Comprehensive reference for tea grades, processing, and industry structure — covers the full grading nomenclature for orthodox and CTC teas including BOPF and dust grade definitions.
• Harler, C.R. (1963). The Culture and Marketing of Tea. Oxford University Press.
  Summary: Classic industry reference for tea grading systems including fannings and dust grade definitions and their commercial uses in the British and global tea trade.
• Mair, V. & Hoh, E. (2009). The True History of Tea. Thames & Hudson.
  Summary: Covers the 20th-century industrialization of tea including CTC development and the tea bag revolution that made fannings the dominant commercial tea grade globally.