Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Tea

By Mark “Dr. Tea” Ukra, Tea Expert

History of Ceylon Tea

1. Until the 1860’s THE MAIN CROP PRODUCED on the island of Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, was coffee. But in 1869, the coffee-rust fungus, Hemileia vastatrix, killed the majority of of the coffee plants and estate owners had to diversify into other crops in order to avoid total ruin. The owners of Loolecondera Estate had been interested in tea since the late 1850’s and in 1866, James Taylor, a recently arrived Scot, was selected to be in charge of the first sowing of tea seeds in 1867, on 19 acres of land.

2. Taylor had acquired some basic knowledge of tea cultivation in North India and made some initial experiments in manufacture, using his bungalow verandah as the factory and rolling the leaf by hand on tables. Firing of the oxidized leaf was carried out on clay stoves over charcoal fires with the leaf on wire trays. His first teas were sold locally and were declared delicious. By 1872, Taylor had a fully equipped factory, and, in 1873, his first quality teas were sold for a very good price at the London auction. Through his dedication and determination, Taylor was largely responsible for the early success of the tea crop in Ceylon. Between 1873 and 1880, production rose from just 23 pounds to 81.3 tons, and by 1890, to 22,899.8 tons.

3. Most of the Ceylon tea gardens are situated at elevations between 3,000 and 8,000 feet in two areas of the southwestern part of the island, to the east of Colombo and in the Galle district on the southern point. In the hot, steamy plains and foothills, the tea bushes flush every seven or eight days and are picked all year round. The finest teas are gathered from late June to the end of August in eastern districts and from the beginning of February to mid-March in the western parts.

4. Until 1971, more than 80 percent of the island’s tea estates were owned and managed by British companies. In 1971, the Sri Lankan government introduced a Land Reform Act which gave the state control of the majority of the plantations (which also grow rubber and coconuts for export) leaving about one-third in private hands. Since 1990, a restructuring program has been going on to involve the private sector companies (both Sri Lankan and foreign) as Managing Agents of the state-owned plantations. The long-term aim is for the private managing companies to take on most, if not all, of the financial responsibility and control of the estates, with the government retaining ownership.

Types of Ceylon Teas:

1. There are six main tea-producing areas. Galle, to the south of the island; Ratnapura, about 55 miles east of the capital Colombo; Kandy, the low region near the ancient royal capital; Nuwara Eliya, the highest area that produces the finest teas; Dimbula, west of the central mountains; and Uva, located east of Dimbula.

2. The teas produced in each region have their own individual characteristics of flavor, aroma, and color. Low-grown teas, produced at 1,500 to 1,800 feet, are of good quality and give good color and strength but lack the distinctive flavor and bright fresh taste of the higher-grown teas and are usually used in blending. Mid-grown teas, grown between 1,800 and 3,500 feet, are rich in flavor and give good color. High-grown teas, from heights of between 3,500 and 7,500 feet, are the very best that Sri Lanka produces, giving a beautiful golden liquor and an intense powerful flavor As well as the wonderful black teas, some estates also produce silver tip white tea that gives a very pale straw-colored liquor and should be drunk without milk All Sri Lanka’s black teas are best drunk with a little milk.

DIMBULA

1. Like Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula is drenched by the monsoon during August and September and produces its best teas during the dry months of January and February. The teas are noted for their body and strength, and a powerful aroma.

2. Characteristics: Long wiry beautiful leaves that give an exquisite taste, almost oaky, with body and strength.

GALLE
1. This area, in the south of the island, specializes in Flowery Orange Pekoes and Orange Pekoes that have well-produced, regular-size leaf and give an amber golden liquor with a scented aroma and a fine, gentle, subtle taste.

2. Characteristics: Beautiful leaf that gives a smooth, perfumed liquor.

NUWARA ELLYA
1. Teas from the highest region on the island are often described as the “champagne” of Ceylon teas. The leaf is gathered all year round, but the finest teas are made from that plucked in January and February. The best teas of the area give a rich, golden, excellent quality liquor that is smooth, bright, and delicately perfumed.

Characteristics: Bright brisk flavour and wonderful perfume.

RATNAPURA
1. Ratnapura produces low-grown teas that are mainly used in blends, but also drink well alone with a little milk.

2. Characteristics: Long-leafed tea that gives a slightly sweet aroma and a gentle smooth taste.

UVA
1. Uva, on the eastern slopes of the central mountains, produces teas with a distinctive mellow flavor whose reputation stretches world-wide. The best teas are plucked between June and September The dry wind that blows towards Uva during this period gives the teas their fine taste and aroma.

2. Charateristics: Copper-colored infusion with a very smooth, pronounced taste and wonderful aroma.

CEYLON BLENDS
1. Following a tradition that was established at the end of the nineteenth century by Sir Thomas Lipton, several companies still market blended Ceylon teas as Ceylon Orange Pekoe or Ceylon BOP sometimes also by estate name, sometimes not. A good blend will give a bright, rich, coppery liquor with a brisk fresh flavor. In order to be sure of buying 100 percent Ceylon blended teas when buying pre-packed teas, look for the Ceylon Tea Board Lion logo.

2. The principal production of tea in Ceylon (Sri Lanka, but the tea is referred to as Ceylon) is of black or fully oxidized tea. It is produced throughout the year, but the finest pluckings are in February and March, and again in August and September. The larger yield, though lower in quality, occurs during April, May, and June and again in October, November and December. In January the quality drops dramatically.

3. Ceylon teas are divided into high, medium, and low grown. Of these, the high grown are of the very best quality and when coupled with the specific times of year (above paragraph) they can be stunning. Low to medium grown Ceylons have no particular distinction as far as leaf style is concerned but they do show (dependent upon leaf grade) good cup strength and color. The high grown leaf picked at peak times of the year also have these characteristics but there is much more delicacy in their flavor.