Fannings (F) Very small broken leaves, about the size of a pinhead.  Fannings may be produced by either orthodox or CTC methods.  CTC fannings are chunkier in space. 

Dust  (D) Literally the bottom of the chest or barrel.  The smallest broken leaf left over in the manufacturing and sifting process.  Also known as “sweepings”  (although, contrary to rumor, not swept off  the floor). 

Pekoe Fannings (PF) and Pekoe Dust (PD)  Both terms describe tea produced using the CTC method specifically for better – quality tea bags.  They are grainy or even chunky, infuse and colour quickly, and tend to be quite aromatic.

Storing Tea  The taste of tea deteriorates over time as the essential oils – volatile compounds that give tea its fragrance- evaporate from the leaves.  Most well – manufactured black teas will remain flavorful  for 18 to 24 months from the time they were harvested.   Delicate, first – flush teas, like those from Darjeeling, loose there best notes only a few months after picking.  Cut fannings and tea dust used in tea bags tend to go stale even faster.  (Keemun, an exception here as elsewhere, seems to develop new flavor characteristics over time and can actually improve with age, which is why it is sometimes called “winy”. )

Green teas are shorter – lived; they are best drunk in the first 6 months after harvest.