David Byrne took the somewhat odd name 'Luaka Bop' for his record label from the inner packaging of a speciality tea which is sold in England.

Luaka is the name of a tea importer. Their finest tea is Broken Orange Pekoe, which is a a delicate, distinctive leaf grown at very high altitudes in the Himalayas. It is sometimes known as the 'Champagne' of teas. Only the smallest leaves at the end of the branches (the 'tips') are used.

Luaka's Broken Orange Pekoe is packaged in a silver foil block with a distinctive royal-blue sleeve around it. The writing on the sleeve is in gold. When the sleeve is removed, it reveals a white label stuck to the foil. The label reads simply, "Luaka BOP".