Ceylon tea is the name given to tea grown on the island. Sri Lanka, formerly called Ceylon. Black tea is mainly produced here, famous for its bright aroma and spicy notes in taste, with an amber-colored infusion. The island of Sri Lanka has some of the cleanest highland areas. Tea leaves are harvested here throughout the year, resulting in high-quality, world-famous Ceylon tea.
Sri Lanka has six agroclimatic zones for tea cultivation, each characterized by certain geographical and climatic features, different air humidity and soil properties. Therefore, tea grown in each region has its own characteristic shades of taste, aroma, strength and color of the infusion.
Ceylon tea leaves are collected and sorted by hand. Tea picking begins early in the morning, when the night fog has not yet melted.

Brewing Ceylon tea

It is recommended to brew tea at a temperature of 95 ºС, pouring 1/3 of the cup volume, after which after 2 minutes the remaining 2/3 is poured and space is left for foam. The formation of foam indicates the high quality of the product. After brewing, the tea leaves are removed to prevent the drink from acquiring a bitter taste.

Ceylon tea is harvested in the country of Sri Lanka. This tea is in third place in tea exports after India and China. The island is a favorable place for growing tea varieties with different properties. 1/5 of adults work on this. Previously, tea from Ceylon was supplied only to the eastern part of the world. But at the end of the 20th century, other countries began to buy varieties from Sri Lanka. Tea began to be grown on the island in the 19th century, when it was introduced by the inhabitants of England.

The country is divided into seven parts according to the growing varieties:

1. Kandy;
2. Nuwara Eliya;
3. Sabaragamuwa;
4. Dimbula;
5. Ruhuna;
6. Uda Pussellava.

Each territory has different natural conditions. This is what the varieties of Ceylon tea depend on. Each has a different color, taste, strength and aroma.

Tea picking in Sri Lanka

Tea leaves are collected and processed all year round. More than 300 thousand people work for this. To produce tea of ​​the highest quality, only young shoots are needed; no more than three leaves and a bud are plucked from tea bushes. For the best type of tea, take two leaves and a closed bud. This type of tea is produced under the name Golden.

For one of the varieties, buds are collected. It is called Silver Tips. These two varieties are considered the best in Ceylon.

Tea picking occurs without the use of machines, everything is done by hand. The work of collecting leaves begins early in the morning. This difficult profession is engaged in by the female part of the population. When picking tea leaves, care is important to keep them intact. Collecting leaves in Sri Lanka takes a lot of time and hard work.

To prepare one kilogram of tea, you need to collect 4 kilograms of leaves. In one working day, each worker must collect 30 kg of collected leaves, monitoring whether the necessary leaves are picked and whether they are damaged. This is done to ensure compliance with all quality standards. The tea bushes are located on different plantations, which forces women to walk around the entire mountain slope.

Types of Ceylon tea

There are 3 types of tea growing on the island of Sri Lanka. They are divided into:

1. High mountain tea. It is more expensive than all the others and has the highest quality. Teas such as “Uva”, “Nuwara Eliya”, “Dimbula” are made from it. These varieties have a distinctive and unmatched taste. Nuwara Eliya tea is even called “Ceylon champagne”. Teas collected from the top of the mountains have a distinctive taste and a bright brown hue.
2. Tea from the plains. These types of tea are collected at altitudes of up to 600 meters. It is known for its strength and very dark color.
3. Tea from medium height. The places where this tea is grown are located at an altitude of up to 1.2 km above sea level. The properties and quality of this tea are better than plain tea. The color when brewed is much lighter and the taste is much lighter.

Ceylon tea from different plantations

1. Nuwara Eliya. Located at an altitude of 2 km above sea level. Nuwara Eliya is above all others. It is because of this that tea is more expensive and better quality than other varieties. The richness and distinctive aroma tastefully confirm its quality. Around the growing site there are exotic trees and mint bushes, which imbue the tea leaves with an additional aroma.
2. Uda Pussellava. This variety is harvested 200 meters below Nuwara Eliya. Tea based on these leaves is medium in strength and has a distinctive mild taste.
   Dimbula. Ruhuma Park is located on the southern side of the country of Sri Lanka. At an altitude of 600 m in this park there is a place from which the strongest tea is collected. In terms of its strength, it has no competitors in any other country. The strength level is explained by the composition of the soil. The tea leaves become very dark, and the drink based on them gives off a floral aftertaste.
3. Uva. Tea plantations are located in the center of the island above 1500 m above sea level. Uva is used to make blends. After adding it, the blend acquires a memorable taste and pleasant aroma.
4. Kandy. This type of tea is collected in the north of Mount Pidurutalagala. The mountain is named after the ancient capital of Sri Lanka. Kandy will definitely appeal to those who like stronger tea. The drink based on the leaves of this variety stands out for its invigorating and wonderful aroma.
5. Ruhuna. Ruhuna National Park is located on the southern side of the island of Ceylon. On it, at an altitude of 600 m, tea leaves are collected. The variety is the strongest of all varieties. This is due to the properties of the soil. The tea leaves take on a dark color, the infusion becomes pleasantly pungent and the flavor takes on floral notes from the plant.

How is Ceylon tea labeled?

1. Orange Pekoe. The tea is processed by Kenilworth and Pettiagalla. The variety has the thinnest and most elongated leaves. The drink, certified on the basis of these leaves, acquires a taste and aroma with notes of fruit.
2. Flowery Orange Pekoe. Prepared by Allen Valley and Berubeula. The leaves are specially selected with a bright yellow tip. The drink acquires an unusual aroma and gives off a sweet taste.
3. Flowery Pekoe. This variety is produced by Uva Highlands and Dyraaba. It can be called standard black tea, which had a relative strength and a taste familiar to everyone.
4. Broken Orange Pekoe. Made by Uva Highlands and Saint James. The distinctive properties of the variety are excellent taste, balance of strength and unique aroma.
5. Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings. The collection sites of the variety are in the high mountains of Uva and in Diraab. The variety has the highest degree of strength, the properties of which are very similar to those of coffee and may well replace it.
6. Dust. The variety cannot boast of its quality. It is collected in the high mountains. Tea leaves are highly fermented, resulting in a drink based on them that has a high degree of strength. The price of the presented tea is the lowest among the others.
7. Green Tea. Although in the country of Sri Lanka there are only varieties of black tea, there was a place for green tea. The marking of this variety corresponds to its leaves.

To find the original tea, collected in the country of Sri Lanka, among many fakes, you need to look for packaging with the symbol of a lion with a sword. Other manufacturers of various teas do not have the right to make their packaging with the presented symbol.

"The tea plantations of Ceylon are as much monuments to the courage and bravery of the planters as the statue of a lion in the field near Waterloo."
Arthur Conan Doyle

Tea from Sri Lanka is supplied all over the world - to more than 145 countries. This small country produces more than 305 million kg per year. tea of ​​a wide variety of varieties, which accounts for 10% of the world production of tea products.

Tea Museum

3 miles from Kandy, in the town of Hantan, near the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya, a four-story tea factory was built in 1925. After some time, it fell into disrepair and remained abandoned and useless for about ten years, until on January 9, 1998, the Tea Bureau and the Sri Lanka Farmers Association decided to create a Tea Museum on this site. On December 1, 2001, the museum was opened to visitors and still remains a monument to the history of Ceylon tea - rightfully considered one of the best in the world thanks to the manual collection of tea leaves and the special technology for their processing. For 8 years in a row, Russia has been the leader in the consumption of Ceylon tea in the world.

On the ground floor of the museum there are ancient machines used in the tea industry, mainly for drying tea leaves. Here you can find the "Little Giant" - a 100-year-old tea press that was manually driven by workers. On the second floor there is a library and an auditorium for a video presentation about the history of tea, where you can see a photo of the largest tea bush. The third floor is a huge tea shop, and the fourth floor of the museum is a chic restaurant with panoramic views of the Kandy area. And through a telescope you can see stunning views of the hills of the Matale region. Around the museum building you can see plantings of various varieties of tea.

The museum is open from 8.15 to 16.45 all days except Monday.

Symbol "Lion with Sword", which can be found on retail packaging.

This is a guarantee given by the Government of Sri Lanka that the tea purchased by customers is high quality 100% Ceylon tea packaged in Sri Lanka.

Foreign importers and manufacturers of tea cannot display the Lion with Sword Logo on their tea packaging, even if the tea is 100% Ceylon. Brands with the "Lion with a Sword" logo on their packaging comply with the quality standards set by the Sri Lanka Tea Board.

A little history

The first tea tree seeds and young tea bushes were brought to Sri Lanka in 1839 from the Botanical Garden of Calcutta (India).

Tea was first planted for commercial production by a Scottish planter, James Taylor, in 1867—at just the right time, as it turned out. The British began growing coffee in the first half of the 19th century, to complement the traditional spice exports that already existed on the island. However, by 1869, leaf blight decimated the coffee plantations and the industry collapsed.

Planter James Taylor's archives have also been brought under the welcoming roof of the Hantan Tea Museum.

In order to revive the plantations, the population had no choice but to replace coffee plantings with tea ones. The Loolecondera estate, where Taylor established his first commercial plantations, became a model for the future development of the tea industry, not only in terms of tea cultivation, but also as an example of the first tea factory. The production of Ceylon tea began to develop rapidly during the 1870s and 1880s, which attracted huge interest from large British companies who began to acquire ownership of the estates. Thus, from 400 hectares in 1875, the volume of tea plantations increased to 120,000 hectares in 1900. Today, plantations occupy about 220,000 hectares of the highland and southern lowland regions of the country.

Sri Lanka produces predominantly black tea and is today the world's largest exporter of orthodox tea (traditionally produced tea) with a 20% market share. Tea from Sri Lanka is supplied all over the world - to more than 145 countries. This small-sized country produces more than 305 million kg of tea of ​​a wide variety of varieties per year, which accounts for 10% of world tea production.

Tea production process

Tea leaf collection

The process of harvesting green tea leaves is called picking. This work is traditionally done by women. They walk between the rows of tea bushes, collecting the top two leaves and the unopened bud. Leaflets are collected every seven to ten days.

Withering

After the leaves are trucked to the factory, they are laid out in drying facilities located on the upper floors, allowing air to circulate freely between the leaves. During the rainy season, additional control of the withering process is necessary, which is provided by supplying warm air with powerful electric fans. The withering process takes 8-10 hours.

Twisting

The dried leaves are fed into rolling machines located on the ground floor. They influence the cellular structure of the leaves, and extract natural juices and enzymes that give the tea its characteristic aroma. The result of this stage is the production of curled leaves.

Fermentation

The next stage is known as "fermentation" or "oxidation". The rolled tea leaves are placed back on the racks in a cool and humid atmosphere, which gives them a copper-brown hue over the course of nearly three hours due to the absorption of oxygen.

Drying

Fermentation ends at the stage when the tea is slowly passed through a chamber with hot air. This process is called drying. The green leaves have now shrunk to about a quarter of their original size and have taken on the familiar black color. When producing green tea, the oxidation process is bypassed, and the freshly picked leaves undergo a drying process, either by steam or by heating the container in which they are placed.

Sorting

The final stage of production is grading, or "screening", where the tea is separated into different grades based on the size of the tea leaves. This is achieved by passing dried tea leaves through vibrating meshes. These varieties have little effect on the quality of the tea, but are very important in the process of consistently blending the product for sale to a potential buyer.

After sifting, each variety is weighed and packaged separately for shipment to the tea auction.

To obtain 1 kg. black tea you need 4.5 kg. green leaf.

The main varieties of tea produced commercially in Sri Lanka are:

Pekoe- Twisted leaves producing weak tea with a delicate taste and aroma.

Orange Pekoe- Tea made from broken leaves and leaf buds with a mild taste and aroma.

BP1 Broken Pekoe 1- Granulated tea obtained using the “cut”, “tear”, “twist” technology. Round, smooth granules that, when brewed, produce a strong tea with a distinct taste.

PF1 Pekoe Fannings 1- Small granules. A strong drink, ideal for packaging in bags.

BOP1 Broken Orange Pekoe 1- Rolled broken leaf, mainly from the plains, giving a mild hop aroma.

BOPF Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings- High mountain tea made from smaller leaves than BOP. Has a stronger taste than VOR.

FBOPF Ex. Sp Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings Extra Special- One-piece sheet with many “tips”. Excellent soft taste with caramel aroma.

FBOPF1 Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings 1- Medium leaf plain tea, strong and sweetish in taste.

Dust- Tea crumbs. Gives tea of ​​optimal strength. Ideal for commercial use.

Silver Tips- Selected leaf buds that acquire a velvety silver color when dried. Exquisite aromatic tea with mystical healing properties.

Gun Powder Green tea made using a special technology of calcination in a Chinese frying pan. Sencha Green tea made using Japanese evaporation technology. The drink has a delicate taste and “Japanese” character.

Rules for making tea

Tea is one of the greatest pleasures of our life. It improves mood, perception and blood pressure.

• Always use high quality Ceylon tea and store it in an airtight container. Never store tea together with other strong-smelling foods or aromatic substances.
• For brewing, use freshly boiled water (preferably water from natural sources with the least amount of minerals). Never use previously boiled water that has been boiling for a long period of time. Tea should be brewed when the water has barely reached boiling point. Boiling water for a long time will not give the taste of real tea due to lack of oxygen.
• Pre-warm the kettle and other utensils used for brewing tea with hot water.
• Use one teaspoon of tea leaves per person, and one for the teapot, or one tea bag per person.
• Let the tea steep for 3 to 5 minutes to allow its aroma and strength to develop. Stir the tea in the teapot before pouring it into the cup.
• If you drink tea with milk, first pour the milk into the cup.

Sri Lanka has six agroclimatic zones for tea cultivation,

and each of them is able to offer tea connoisseurs a variety of variations of its properties to satisfy their discerning taste:

Nuwara Eliya (altitude 2000 m above sea level). The aromas of cypress trees, wild mint and eucalyptus trees envelop the tea bushes, adding a distinctive aroma to the characteristic taste of tea. The light tone of the brew suggests: the tea is very soft, not astringent, and with the addition of ice it turns into a refined and refreshing drink.

Uda Pussellawa. It has a delicate taste of medium strength.

Dimbula (altitude 1050-1650 m above sea level). Monsoons and a cool climate give the drink a vibrant flavor that ranges from rich to delicate with medium strength.

Uva (altitude 900 – 1500 m above sea level). It is used for a variety of blends, each highlighting different facets of its character.

Kandy (altitude 600 – 120 m above sea level). Rich, pronounced. Ideal for lovers of strong and rich-tasting tea. And with milk it’s just a pleasure!

Ruhuna (altitude 600 m above sea level). The special soil conditions of Ruhuna give the tea leaves astringency and a characteristic special taste, which is fully revealed when brewed. An ideal choice for lovers of colorful tea with a hint of sweetness.

More detailed information you can find:
Tea Museum www.pureceylontea.com
Tea Bureau at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the Russian Federation www.ceylonteaunit.ru

Tourist Department of the Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka in the Russian Federation
Wishing you a pleasant tea party

Tea plantations
Tea houses
Kandy
Tea varieties
Where to buy

If you remember that 45 years ago Sri Lanka was called Ceylon, then the phrase “Ceylon tea” will immediately pop up in your head. Ironically, Sri Lankans, like residents of the USSR, drink the smallest, lowest-grade tea, although they really do have it from Ceylon;)

Where to see tea plantations in Sri Lanka

Before the colonization of Sri Lanka, neither tea nor coffee grew on the island. In the first decades, Europeans unsuccessfully tried to grow coffee here, but the climate of Sri Lanka was not suitable for this energy. The next attempt was tea, and the Golden Age of Ceylon tea began.

Plantations cover a significant part of the island; they are located in the center, in the highlands. The higher the height, the better the tea. To see the tea plantations as close as possible to Colombo, you need to go to the outskirts of Kandy. Well, the main plantations are located in Nuwara Eliya. By the way, one of the most beautiful railway routes is located between Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. So if you have time, I highly recommend using it.

We were limited in time, so we enjoyed tea near Kandy. The photo below shows a tea flower; unlike the leaves, it has a distinct scent of tea with bergamot. And the leaves don't smell like anything.

Tea berries are inedible. Tea blooms and bears fruit all year round, and in general, tea is a tree, only, as in the joke about another valuable product, it is not allowed to grow :)

Every day, thousands of tea pickers go to tea plantations, plucking the best, youngest and most tender tea leaves. In a 12-hour working day, one woman can collect up to 7 kg of fresh leaves. The work is hellish: I tried it, and my speed was 10 times lower than that of the professionals.

Our guide shows you exactly which leaves are suitable for collecting. The first bunched leaf after drying and fermentation turns into white tea, the most expensive and exclusively export-tourist option. Golden needles, silver needles - this is the first leaf.

The second and third leaves are turned into black and green tea, also exported. But the hard bottom leaves are what the Sri Lankans themselves (and former residents of the USSR) drink. It is turned into dust, which when brewed becomes very strong.

Look, the height of a tea tree can exceed 2-3 meters, but on plantations the trees are no higher than a meter, and all young leaves are regularly plucked off.

The plantations near Kandy are not very impressive and are highly targeted for tourist visits. For a quick glance, this is ok, but for real beauty you need to climb higher in years, of course.

But you can feel the contrast between what tourists buy and what Sri Lankans drink. Do you want this kind of tea? Don’t rush to answer; I’ll tell you about tea categories and flavors a little later.

Tours of Kandy tea houses

Kandy, one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, has several tea houses. They produce tea, while at the same time conducting excursions and tastings for tourists.

The tour itself is free, but you are expected to visit a shop at the end and buy some very overpriced tea. And leave a small financial thank you to the person who gave you the tour.

This is how hand-picked tea is dried.

And this is how it is fermented. The fermentation process is a process of rotting :) This is how the tea leaves rot and rot, turning into black tea.

And if it does not rot or rot, then after drying it will become green tea.

Below is the sorting machine. Small particles are for domestic consumption, large leaves are for export.

Tea classifier. Now it's time to tell what is what:
BPOF - tea dust, small pieces of tea leaves.
BOP is a tea made from pieces of leaves rather than whole leaves. Also strong, the taste of the tea is very pronounced.
FP - Coarse but whole leaves rolled into balls.
OP - first three sheets rolled into balls.

I became a fan of BOP and BOPF - when brewed, they give a strong, rich taste; BOPF is generally drunk only with milk.

There is only one type of tea offered at the tasting, and that is BOP. It’s strange that I liked the cheapest varieties and absolutely did not like the elite needles (white tea). Light yellow liquid, what kind of tea is this?

Where to buy inexpensive Ceylon tea in Sri Lanka

There is also a store in the tasting room. The prices are high, the tea is very good (already tried at home and in the families of friends and relatives). But in the future I will not buy tea in tea houses - the prices there are higher than in duty-free, but the assortment is the same.

It is cheaper to buy teas in gift wrapping in tourist shops in Negombo, and you can save a lot if you buy tea in shops for Sri Lankans. But it will be a BOPF grade.

Few people know that all products manufactured in Sri Lanka must have their price printed on them, and if you have this fact in your piggy bank, you will not overpay for being a tourist.

So, on the teas bought in Kandy, the price was not indicated, but on the packaging of ordinary tea from a regular store, it was printed on the back. Need I say that a half-kilogram bag was cheaper than a 30-gram bag with a tourist design?;)

What kind of tea do they drink in Sri Lanka?

According to our guide, Sri Lankans usually buy huge bags of BOPF tea around Nuwara Eliya. But here, too, the modern world takes its toll, and increasingly, in a tea-producing country, local residents opt for packaged tea from a regular supermarket.

There are both global and local brands; I liked Highline tea the most.

It is almost impossible to try freshly brewed loose leaf tea in mid-price cafes and restaurants; there are bags everywhere. Elite varieties are served in expensive restaurants and tea houses, cheap varieties in very simple eateries for locals.

Finally, I want to talk about whether it is possible to collect and dry tea yourself. I collected these leaves at a tea plantation in a race with a picker and carefully dried them throughout the trip.

What can I tell you... Herb by herb, properly drying tea leaves and turning them into normal green tea is not so easy.

A taste that is familiar and loved by many is Ceylon tea. It is this product that was and is being supplied today to all CIS countries, and in total to 145 countries, accounting for 10% of the total volume of exported product. Several varieties of black and green tea are grown in Sri Lanka, and camellia plantations cover all the mountainous regions of the island and the southern plains, amounting to more than 200,000 hectares of green bushes.

Plantations and producers

Ceylon tea from Sri Lanka is a classic black tea that is produced using traditional technology. Green tea is also produced on the island, but its share is low, as is its quality.

Such plantations occupy vast areas of the island

The island's tea plantations are spread across the foothills, highlands and plains in the south of the country. There are several tea regions, which are characterized by certain.

• Nuwara Eliya is a highland region where the best black tea is grown. It always gives a light infusion, soft taste with a light aroma of spices, cypress and wild herbs.
• Uda Pusselava - here the plantations are distributed between levels of 1600-1800 m. They produce a product of delicate taste and moderate strength.
• Dimbula is a climatic zone located at an altitude of 1000 to 1650 meters with high humidity due to monsoon rains. Here the tea is also moderately strong, but with a pronounced tart taste.
• Uva – the plantations here are spread within 900 – 1500 meters. This is a medium quality tea that is produced for further blending.
• Kandy - strong classic tea is collected from the plantations of this region; it shows its best qualities in combination with milk
• Ruhuna – strong, rich tea with a slight sweetness is collected here. Product of average quality and similar price.

It is very difficult to list all the companies involved in growing and selling tea located on the island. This is a huge number of factories that produce tea both in the old traditional way and using the latest technologies.

National quality mark

The best manufacturers whose products are highly valued on the world market are Mlesna Tea, Hyson, Basilur and Gilbert Premium Tea. They are the owners of large plantations, standing at the origins of the tea business. All their products bear a special symbol - a lion with a sword (shown in the photo), confirming the high quality of the Ceylon product. This mark is issued by the Sri Lankan government only to those companies that produce and package tea within the island.

Varieties of Ceylon tea

Ceylon tea has its own labeling, which reflects its variety, quality and other information. If you know the interpretation of each designation, you can easily choose a product according to taste and quality.

• Pekoe – this is the designation for the twisted whole leaves, which give the infusion a strong and rich color with a traditional aroma and delicate taste;
• Orange Pekoe - means that the pack does not contain a whole leaf combined with buds, characterized by a rather delicate aroma and taste;
• BP1 Broken Pekoe 1 is a product in medium granules, optimal for fast and intensive brewing;
• PF1 Pekoe Fannings 1 – denotes a product in fine granules, this is packaged in bags for individual brewing;
• BOP1 Broken Orange Pekoe 1 – this broken twisted tea, collected from lowland plantations, is mild in taste;
• BOPF Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings – highland tea, strong, small leaf;
• FBOPF Ex. Sp Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings Extra Special is a high-quality loose leaf tea with tips that has high taste characteristics;
• FBOPF1 Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings 1 - medium leaf, from lowland plantations, providing natural sweetness;
• Dust is the remains of tea production, the so-called crumbs;
• Silver Tips - the best tea, consisting of silver-colored buds, the infusion is exquisite, aromatic, healing;
• Gun Powder – this is the label for green tea made in the same way as in China;
• Sencha is another type of green tea made using Japanese technology.

Ceylon black tea is considered the best in the world, but green tea is considered medium and even low-grade, as it does not have high aromatic and taste qualities. It's more of a herbal drink.

Sri Lanka, despite its small size, is one of the undisputed leaders in the tea business.

After all, a large part of the population and the prosperity of the state as a whole directly depends on the export of sheets and its prices on the world market. That is why farmers do not change traditions and produce classic tea as close as possible to where it grows in order to preserve its benefits and bring the taste to the end buyer.

One of the best producers in Sri Lanka - Basilur