The Tea Detective
Uncovering and Exploring the Facts About Tea
Uncovering and Exploring the Facts About Tea
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| Sri Lanka - Small But Mighty |
| Fifty-five miles from the southern tip of India lies the small pear shaped tropical island of Sri Lanka. Although it is only 271 miles long and 137 miles wide, and smaller than the state of Indiana, Sri Lanka is one of the world's top tea exporters and fourth largest producer, an amazing feat considering its size. |
| Tea is not indigenous to Sri Lanka but rather was brought there to replace the blighted coffee plant- ations, devastated by the coffee-rust fungus (Hemileia vastatrix) in 1869. After seizing control of Sri Lanka (then called Cey- lon) in 1815, the British brought the first tea plants to the island shortly after establishing plantations in Assam at the end of the 1830's. Tea had been considered as an alternative to coff- ee as early as the 1850's and at the Loolecondera Estate in the Hewaheta district in Kandy, an enter- prising, hard working, and determined Scotsman by the name of James Taylor was hired to oversee the first test planting of tea with Assam seed. At the same time Solomon and Gabriel de Worms |
| planted test gardens with Chinese tea seed in the Labookellie Garden in the Nuwara Eliya dis- trict. These two early test gardens set the stage for the massive tea gardens that were to come. From that point on the Ceylon tea industry grew rapidly, from 23 pounds of tea produced in 1880 to 23 tons, ten years later in 1890. Today Sri Lanka produces nearly 300,000 tons of tea a year, grown on approximately 650 tea estates, covering close to half a million acres of land. Ceylon tea is marketed in several different ways. Sri Lanka's ctc tea that is used in blends is marked 100% Ceylon tea. Other teas are marketed by the region, such as Uva or Nuwara Eliya teas, or they are marked with the estate, such as Kenilworth Estate tea. Still others are marketed as specific garden estate teas, for example Bogawantalawa Estate, Loinorn Garden. Sri Lanka's unique geography and climate provide for three types of tea, which rather than being determined by the season, such as spring flush, summer flush, etc., are rather determined by the altitude. The three types are; low-grown tea, grown at elevations below 2,000 feet, mid or medium-grown teas, grown at elevations of 2,000 to 4,000 feet, and high-grown teas, grown between 4,000 and 6,000 feet. Sri Lanka is divided into six main growing areas; Ratnapura, a low to mid-growing area about 50 miles east of the capital of Colombo; Galle, also a low-growing region to the south; Kandy, a mid-growing area where the first tea plantations were established near Polonnaruwa, the ancient capital of Ceylon; Dimbula, a high-growing area west of the Central Mountains; Uva, also a high-growing area west of Dimbula; and Nuwara Eliya, the highest tea growing region that produces some of the best Ceylon teas. Each of these areas has its own unique climate and geography, giving the teas their individual characteristics, flavors, and aromas. Because of the heat and humidity most low-grown teas are un- remarkable and used mainly for blends and tea bags. Medium teas grow in a drier, cooler climate and produce more mellow and fruity teas, and high-grown teas are what makes Ceylon teas famous, with the high altitude air producing exquisite teas with deep golden to deep rose liquor and intense flavors. The small island nation won independence from Britain in 1948, changing its name from Ceylon to Sri Lanka. But for marketing purposes and continued brand recognizability it retained the name Ceylon for its teas. Most of Sri Lanka's tea production is orthodox black tea from single estates or is added to English style black tea blends or as a base for flavored teas. Orthodox tea is more expensive to produce, but is becoming more and more in demand by tea drinkers worldwide, who are discovering the exquisite flavors available in loose leaf artisan made specialty teas. In 1993 the Sri Lanka Tea Board offered incentives to tea factories willing to convert to CTC pro- duction from orthodox. The idea behind this move was to give Sri Lanka the opportunity to com- pete for their share of the huge CTC market with factories in India, Kenya, and Malawi. The move was a giant failure. By temporarily focusing on CTC production, the Sri Lanka tea pro- ducers not only lost sales, but also lost their status as a world class producer of luxury teas. Most made the decision to return back to orthodox production posthaste. |
| Today Sri Lanka has regained its status as a premier would tea producer, once again putting their emphasis on quality and style, as well as bringing new teas to market, such as Ceylon Silver Tips. This is one of the few exquisite white teas found outside of China and it is holding its own against their Silver Needle, or Bai Hao Yin Zhen, with a subtly sweet, soft citrus flavor reminiscent of an orange pierced with cloves. To ensure you are buying 100% Ceylon tea look for the logo of the Sri Lanka Tea Board, which is a stamp mark of a stylized lion holding a sword. Enjoy. |
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| For more information or to learn more about tea, visit our other pages. What type of tea is Golden Monkey and where is it made? Learn all about Golden Monkey tea, the type of tea it is, what it tastes like, where it's made, and even how it got its name, along with availability in and outside the U.S., and online. (Try Golden Monkey from Silver Leaf Tea-full bodied, rich, spicy exotic characters, sweet undertones, and a clean finish. Good any time of day). Where in China do their chocolaty flavored black teas come from? Learn about China's Anhui province, its climate, terrain, special features, and which teas, including those with a naturally light and sweet chocolate flavor are produced. What is CTC tea and why is it the main type of tea grown in the Nilgiri region of India? Find out what CTC tea is and why you've likely been drinking it for years. Also learn why Nilgiri tea grow- ers are working hard to change that. Why are Darjeeling teas more expensive? India's Darjeeling tea growing region is one of the highest altitude growing regions in the world. Learn about this and other problems facing the growers and producers of this unique and complex area. Which of India's three major growing regions is called "the tea basket?" Learn about India's largest tea growing region and the types and styles of tea grown there, as well as the growing season, climate, and which teas are exported. How much loose tea should I use for my 24 ounce travel mug? How to calculate the amount of loose tea to use for different sized cups and large mugs, and also how to measure tea by volume and weight. Which of Japan's teas is prized by connoisseurs? Find out which tea is Japan's most treasured and why it is so prized by connoisseurs that there are year- ly competitions, crowning the best producer of this special tea. (For a special treat try Rose Sencha Tea from Silver Leaf Tea-a delicate, flowery flavor and rich in vitamin C, it's a good tea to relax with). |