Become a Tea Connoisseur? (Part 1: The Basics)
A guide by Themis-Athena, tea aficionada since I was a teen

Tea History
In China, compressed tea bricks like the above 'Square Tea Brick Pu-erh 500g' were used as a medium of monetary exchange by nomads beyond the Great Wall as early as AD 476; and in the north of mountain-encased Yunnan province (the alleged location of mythical Shangri-La), as well as in eastern Zhejiang (south of the Yangtse River Delta; the home of 'Gunpowder' green tea), tea culture has been known at least since the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), when tea was also first introduced to Japan.

'Russian Caravan' tea - the Russian aristocracy's perennial favorite - stems from the importation of Chinese teas to Russia by camel caravan, beginning with the 18th century.

In 'Darjeeling', now the origin of the world's finest teas, commercial production only began in the mid-19th century; and the same is true for Ceylon (Sri Lanka), where tea was introduced after a fungus had destroyed virtually all of the island's coffee plantations.

In Britain, tea was known at least since the 16th century; King Charles II (1660-1685) first made it popular as an all-day beverage. Contrary to popular belief, however, for a long time it was not consumed at a particular time of day. The person credited with invention of 'Afternoon Tea, 125g' is Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford (1783-1857), lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, who one afternoon had her servants bring her tea and little cakes to conquer the "sinking feeling" she often experienced around this time - and enjoyed it so much that she not only repeated the exercise on a daily basis herself but also began to serve afternoon tea to friends and fellow courtiers, who soon took to the practice as well. 'English Breakfast', finally, originates with 19th century Scottish (!) tea master Drysdale's "breakfast tea;" when blend gained popularity, tea houses eventually added the word "English."

Fermented and Unfermented Teas
Teas are distinguished by their degree of fermentation.

BLACK TEAS:
Fully fermented; dried (and sometimes smoked) only after fermentation is complete.
Examples:
'Darjeeling Fancy F.O.P.'
'Assam Harmutty Full Leaf TGFOP-1, 1/2lb.'
'Taylors of Harrogate Special Rare Ceylon Dimbula, Loose Tea in 125g Caddy'
'Lapsang Souchong Tea, 125g'
'Keemun Congou'
'Milima Estate Tea GFBOP Bulk Tea'

OOLONG:
Part-fermented or "brown" tea; fermentation is stopped when the tea leaves are 30% red and 70% green.
Examples:
'Golden Dragon Oolong'
'Ti Quan Yin'
'Cloud Above The Stars Oolong'

GREEN TEA:
Unfermented; processed so as to maintain its green color and distinct flavor. In Japan, rolled green tea (sencha) accounts for 80% of all tea consumed and is known as "nichijo-sahan-ji" ("everyday tea meal affair").
Examples:
'Imperial Gunpowder Green Tea (Whole Leaf) 125 Grams'
'Green Japanese Sencha Tea, 125g'
'Genmai Cha'
'Hoji-Cha'

Tea Grades
Loose-leaf black teas are either whole leaf or broken grades; top quality within a grade is denoted by adding the number 1. "Fannings" and "dust" are the lower-grade remainders usually found in tea bags.

Whole leaf tea grades:

ORANGE PEKOE (OP):
Long, pointed leaves (larger than FOP, see below), rolled lengthwise and picked when the final buds open into leaf. Rarely contains "tips," i.e. the very ends of the bud's leaves, which constitute a guarantee of quality. Produces a light/pale color. Predominant whole leaf grade in Ceylon and Java.
Examples: 'Orange Pekoe Tea, 125g'
'Twinings Ceylon Orange Pekoe Loose Leaf Tea'

PEKOE (P) and FLOWERY PEKOE (FP):
Short, fleshier, less refined leaves without tips. Produces a stronger color than OP; found mainly in Ceylon and Southern India, but also in parts of China and Kenya.
Example: 'Plain Pekoe Iced Tea, 30 Quart Bags'

FLOWERY ORANGE PEKOE (FOP):
Fine, delicate, young leaves with a certainproportion of tips. Second grade tea in India, but top grade in most Chinese regions.
Example: 'Darjeeling Fancy F.O.P.'

GOLDEN FLOWERY ORANGE PEKOE (GFOP):
FOP with "golden" tips (tips of the particularly fine, golden-orange variety).
Example: 'Kenya GFOP Milima Estate, 1/4lb.'

TIPPY GOLDEN FLOWERY ORANGE PEKOE (TGFOP):
FOP with many golden tips; predominant grade in Darjeeling and Assam.
Example: 'Assam Harmutty Full Leaf TGFOP-1, 1/2lb.'

FINEST TIPPY GOLDEN FLOWERY ORANGE PEKOE (FTGFOP):
Outstanding golden-tipped FOP.
Examples: 'Manjushree Estate Assam FTGFOP'
'Milikthong Estate Darjeeling FTGFOP 1'

SPECIAL FINEST TIPPY GOLDEN FLOWERY ORANGE PEKOE (SFTGFOP):
Highest grade FOP with a large share of golden-tipped leaves; very rare.
Example: 'Darjeeling Castleton Second Flush SFTGFOP-1, 1/4lb.'

Broken leaf grades:

BROKEN ORANGE PEKOE (BOP):
Less refined black leaf tea; main broken grade in Ceylon, Southern India, Java and China. Produces a rich color and full-bodied taste. BOP1 (sometimes designated FBOPF - Finest Broken Orange Pekoe Flowery; approximately 40 % OP and 60 % Pekoe and/or BOP) is primarily found in the lower districts of Ceylon's tea-growing areas.
Example: 'Makaibari Estate BOP'

GOLDEN BROKEN ORANGE PEKOE (GBOP):
Less refined broken grade; inhomogeneous leaves, some tips.

FLOWERY BROKEN ORANGE PEKOE (FBOP):
Less refined broken tea with some tips from Assam, Ceylon, Indonesia, China or Bangladesh.
Example: 'Assam Tea Malty FBOP, 1 lb.'

TIPPY GOLDEN BROKEN ORANGE PEKOE (TGBOP):
Refined broken grade with a substantial number of golden tips.

GOLDEN FLOWERY BROKEN ORANGE PEKOE (GFBOP):
Top broken grade in Assam; only broken grade in Kenya.
Examples:
'Assam Harmutty Broken Leaf GFBOP, 1/4lb.'
'Milima Estate Tea GFBOP Bulk Tea'

TIPPY GOLDEN FLOWERY BROKEN ORANGE PEKOE (TGFBOP):
Highest-grade broken leaves in Darjeeling and some parts of Assam. High tip content and uniform leaves.
Example: 'Assam Hajua Broken Leaf TGFBOP, 1/4lb.'

Scones and other Afternoon Tea Goodies
'Tea with Friends'
A great place to start any tea party: Lots of information, recipes and suggestions for specifically-themed get-togethers.
'Simply Scones : Quick and Easy Recipes for More than 70 Delicious Scones and Spreads'
*The* traditional English tea time biscuits.
'The Book of Afternoon Tea (Book of...)'
More tea time goodies.
'The Totally Teatime Cookbook (Totally Cookbooks)'
Yet more goodies, plus amusing stories and background info.
'The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea'
Tea at the Ritz, with recipes and history to match ... and
'Taking Tea at the Savoy', as presented by the hotel's very own chef de cuisine.

For Lovers of the Chinese and Japanese Tea Tradition(s)
'The Book of Tea: The Illustrated Classic Edition'
The classic treatise from 1906.
'The Japanese Way of Tea: From Its Origins in China to Sen Rikyu'
'The Tea Ceremony (Origami Classroom)'
'CHINESE ART OF TEA'
'The Book of Green Tea'

Tea Sets and Accessories
Whether with tea bags or loose leaf tea, *never* use your coffee maker to make tea. Besides being a near-sacrilege, it just won't get the job done properly. A tea kettle should be standard equipment in every true tea lover's kitchen.
'Farberware Classic 1-1/2 Quart Sausalito Stainless Steel Teakettle'

For steeping, many people use strainers with loose leaf tea, but I prefer infusers and tea balls.
'FORLIFE WholeLeaf Stainless-steel Tea Infuser & Lid'
'Mesh Tea Ball'

As far as cups are concerned, for everyday use something like the
'Bodum Chambord Tea Cup, Set of 2'
will do fine, I guess - but doesn't the Japanese (or Chinese) variety have much more style?
'5 piece Japanese Plum Tree Tea Set (1 pot & 4 cups)'
'5 piece Japanese Kanji Tea Set (1 pot & 4 cups)'
'3 piece Japanese Tea set with Tea'

Most tea sets come with matching warmers, but just in case, since you'll need one anyway:
'Villeroy & Boch Home Elements Teapot Warmer'

And for iced tea, last but not least ...
'Libbey Carolina 7-Piece Iced Tea Set'