The best tea in Sri Lanka. How tea is made, sri lanka

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

Plantations and growers

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 the quality.

Such plantations occupy vast areas of the island.

The tea plantations of the island are located on the foothills, highlands and flat areas in the south of the country. There are several tea regions, which are characterized by certain ones.

Nuwara Eliya is a highland region where the best black tea is grown. It always gives a light infusion, mild taste with a slight aroma of spices, cypress and wild herbs.
Uda Pusselava – here the plantations are distributed between the 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, tea is also distinguished by moderate strength, but with a pronounced tart taste.
Uva - plantations are spread here within 900 - 1500 meters. This is a medium quality tea, which is produced for the purpose of further blending.
Kandy - strong classic tea is harvested from the plantations of this region, it shows its best qualities in combination with milk
Ruhuna - here they collect strong rich tea with a slight sweetness. Product of average quality and similar price.

It is very difficult to list all the companies involved in the cultivation and sale of tea, located on the territory of the island. This is a huge number of factories that have established the production of tea both in the old traditional way and using the latest technologies.

National Quality Mark

The best producers whose products are highly valued in 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 carry a special symbol - a lion with a sword (see photo), confirming the high quality of the Ceylon product. This mark is issued by the Government of Sri Lanka only to those companies that produce and package tea within the island.

Ceylon tea varieties

Ceylon tea has its own marking, 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 how the twisted whole leaves are designated, which give the infusion a strong and rich color with a traditional aroma and delicate taste;
Orange Pekoe - indicates that the pack contains a non-solid leaf in combination with buds, which is distinguished by a rather delicate aroma and taste;
BP1 Broken Pekoe 1 is a medium granule product, ideal for fast and intensive brewing;
PF1 Pekoe Fannings 1 - indicates a product in granules of a fine fraction, this goes for packaging in bags for individual tea leaves;
BOP1 Broken Orange Pekoe 1 - This broken, rolled tea, picked from lowland plantations, is mild on the palate;
BOPF Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings - tea from the highlands, strong, small leaves;
FBOPF Ex. Sp Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings Extra Special is a high quality loose leaf tea with tips and a high taste profile;
FBOPF1 Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings 1 - medium leaf, from lowland plantations, giving a natural sweetness;
Dust is the remains of tea production, the so-called crumb;
Silver Tips - the best tea, consisting of silver-colored buds, the infusion is exquisite, fragrant, healing;
Gun Powder - this is how green tea is labeled, 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 medium and even low-grade, as it does not have high aromatic and taste qualities. It's more of an herbal drink.

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

After all, most of the population and the prosperity of the state as a whole directly depends on the export of the sheet and its prices on the world market. That is why farmers do not change traditions and produce classic tea as close as possible to its growth in order to preserve its benefits and bring taste to the end customer.

One of the best producers of Sri Lanka - Basilur

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

Around the world - in more than 145 countries - tea is supplied from Sri Lanka. This small country produces more than 305 million kg per year. tea of a wide variety of varieties, which is 10% of the world production of tea products.

Tea Museum

3 miles from Kandy, in the town of Hantane, not far from 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 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 due to the manual assembly of tea leaves and the special technology of their processing. For 8 years in a row, Russia has been holding the palm for the consumption of Ceylon tea in the world.

On the first floor of the museum there are old machines used in the tea industry, mainly for drying tea leaves. Here you can find the "Little Giant" - a 100 year old tea press, which was set in motion by workers manually. On the second floor there is a library and an auditorium for a video presentation on 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 the telescope you can see the mesmerizing 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 every day except Monday.

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

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 packages, even if the tea is 100% Ceylon. Brands with the "Lion with Sword" logo printed on the packaging meet the quality standards set by the Tea Council of Sri Lanka.

A bit of history

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

Tea was first planted for commercial production by a Scottish planter, James Taylor, in 1867 - just in time, as it turned out. The British began to grow coffee in the first half of the 19th century, in addition to the traditional spice export that already existed on the island. However, by 1869, small pests that caused leaf disease had destroyed coffee plantations and the industry collapsed.

The archive of planter James Taylor has also been moved under the welcoming roof of the Tea Museum in Hantana.

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 growing tea, but also as a model for the first tea factory. The production of Ceylon tea began to develop rapidly during the 1870s and 1880s, which aroused great interest from large British companies who began to acquire 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 highlands and southern plains of the country.

Sri Lanka produces predominantly black tea and is by far the world's largest exporter of orthodox (traditional tea) teas with a 20% market share. Around the world - in more than 145 countries - tea is supplied from Sri Lanka. This small country produces more than 305 million kg of tea of a wide variety of varieties per year, which is 10% of the world's tea production.

Tea production process

Collection of tea leaves

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

withering

After the leaves are transported to the factory by trucks, they are laid out for withering, located on the upper floors, which allows the air flow to freely circulate between the leaves. During the rainy season, additional control of the withering process is required, which is provided by the supply of warm air by powerful electric fans. The withering process takes 8-10 hours.

Twisting

Dried leaves are fed into rolling machines located on the ground floor. They act on the cellular structure of the leaves, and extract natural juices and enzymes that give the tea a characteristic aroma. The result of this stage is to obtain twisted leaves.

Fermentation

The next step is known as "fermentation" or "oxidation". The rolled tea leaves are re-arranged on the racks in a cool and humid atmosphere, which turns them copper-brown for almost three hours due to the absorption of oxygen.

Drying

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

Sorting

The final stage of production is sorting, or "sifting", where the tea is separated into different grades depending on the size of the tea leaf. This is achieved by passing the dried tea leaf through vibrating nets. 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 individually packaged to be sent to the tea auction.

For 1 kg. black tea needs 4.5 kg. green leaf.

The main varieties of tea produced in Sri Lanka for commercial purposes:

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

Orange Pekoe- Broken leaf and leaf bud tea with mild flavor and aroma.

BP1 Broken Pekoe 1- Granulated tea obtained by the "cut", "break", "twist" technology. Round, smooth granules that, when brewed, give a strong tea with a pronounced taste.

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

BOP1 Broken Orange Pekoe 1- Twisted broken leaf, predominantly from the plains, giving a mild hoppy aroma.

BOPF Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings- Alpine tea from a leaf smaller than BOP. Has a stronger taste than BOP.

FBOPF Ex. Sp Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings Extra Special- A single sheet with many "tips". Magnificent soft taste with aroma of caramel.

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

dust- Tea crumb. 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 mystically healing properties.

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

Tea making rules

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

Always use high quality Ceylon tea and keep it in an airtight container. Never store tea together with other pungent-smelling foods and aromatics.
Use freshly boiled water for brewing (preferably water from natural sources with the lowest mineral content). Never use previously boiled water that has been boiled for a long time. Tea should be brewed when the water has barely reached the boiling point. Boiling water for a long time will not give the taste of real tea due to lack of oxygen.
Preheat the teapot and other utensils used to make tea with hot water.
Use one teaspoon per person and one teaspoon per teapot, or one teaspoon per person.
Let the tea brew for 3 to 5 minutes to bring out its aroma and strength. Stir the tea in the teapot before pouring it into the cup.
If you drink tea with milk, first pour the milk into a cup.

Sri Lanka has six agro-climatic zones for tea cultivation,

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

Nuwara Eliya (altitude 2000 m above sea level). Aromas of cypress trees, wild mint and eucalyptus trees envelop the tea bushes, adding a specific aroma to the characteristic taste of tea. The light tone of the brew suggests that the tea is very soft, intolerant, and with the addition of ice it turns into an exquisite and refreshing drink.

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

Dimbula (height 1050-1650 m above sea level). Monsoons and a cool climate give the drink a bright taste, ranging from rich to delicate with a medium strength.

Uva (height 900 - 1500 m above sea level). It is used for a variety of blends, each standing out with different facets of its character.

Kandy (height 600 - 120 m above sea level). Saturated, pronounced. Ideal for lovers of strong and rich tea. And with milk - just a delight!

Ruhuna (height 600 m above sea level). The special soil conditions of Ruhuna give the tea leaf astringency and a characteristic special taste, which is fully revealed when brewed. The perfect choice for lovers of colorful tea with a touch of sweetness.

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

Tourism Department of the Embassy of the JSR Sri Lanka in the Russian Federation
Wishing you a pleasant tea

We think that this issue is relevant to everyone who comes to the country where Ceylon aromatic tea is produced. It would be a shame to come from Sri Lanka and not bring tea, so even the most fastidious tea lovers and connoisseurs will find everything they want. It’s a paradox, but it’s not easy to find shops in Ceylon that sell Ceylon tea.

Any tourist who goes on an excursion to tea plantations will be able not only to observe how this very tea is harvested, but also to purchase it on the spot. Overpriced, of course. If you don't mind the money, then buy it.

If money is a pity, then look for specialized licensed stores. For example, Chaplon. There may be others, we didn't know.

Where to buy Ceylon tea in Unawatuna

Right on the main road, near the turn to Jungle Beach, you will see a sign with this name.

Usually two guys work there, adequate and unobtrusive, one of them can tell a little something about tea in Russian. The second guy, like all Sri Lankans, will try to get you 20-30 rupees or even more. So you have to be always on the alert. Photo of an adequate and honest seller:

Where can I order a transfer from the airport?

We use the service - KiwiTaxi
Ordered a taxi online, paid by card. We were greeted at the airport with a sign with our name on it. We were taken to the hotel in a comfortable car. You have already talked about your experience In this article

Nice place, everything is clean, and most importantly the prices are reasonable. On any excursion, everything is 2-3 times more expensive than in a regular store, so if you want to save money, it is better to buy in a tea shop in your village. The choice is good, not worse than sightseeing tia-shops. There are many varieties of both green and black tea.

The minimum weight for sale is not less than 50 grams.
Price from 245 rupees for 50 gr

We have already tried the tea which comes from Kandy, nothing special, just good fortified black tea. Dambulla tea was also good. Vanilla, very fragrant and smells like sweets, tasty, but not for every day. The most favorite for the two of us was tea with menthol, the taste of children's medicine, with a chill. Though every day use, unusual, for an amateur, but tasty.

Next in line, we will try jasmine tea and a couple more, probably also something not quite standard. There is enough ordinary tea in Russia!

Also in the store you can take tea in gift boxes.

Free samples

You can ask to pour any tea you want to sample for you. It's free. Moreover, there is enough tea for 3-4 times of brewing. In Sri Lanka, you can get drunk on good tea, even without always paying for it. For example, you can go to different shops and collect 2-3 trial bags in each. Enough for souvenirs. This is such a friendly store. Come in, you won't regret it.

Ceylon tea is harvested in Sri Lanka. This tea is in third place in the export of tea after India and China. The island is a favorable place for cultivation of grades of tea 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 supplied by the inhabitants of England.

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

Kandy;
Nuwara Eliya;
Sabaragamuwa;
Dimbula;
Ruhuna;
Uda Pussellava.

Each area is different natural conditions. It is on this that the varieties of Ceylon tea depend. Each has a different color, taste, strength and aroma.

Tea picking in Sri Lanka

Tea leaves are harvested and processed throughout the year. More than 300 thousand people work for this. For the production of 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 grade of tea, two leaves and a closed bud are taken. A variety of such tea is made under the name Golden (Golden).

For one of the varieties, buds are harvested. It has the name Silver (Silver Tips). These two varieties are considered the best in Ceylon.

Tea is harvested without the use of machines, everything is done by hand. Leaf picking starts early in the morning. The female part of the population is engaged in this difficult profession. 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 keep within 30 kg of collected leaves, observing whether the necessary leaves are torn off and whether they have received damage. This is done to meet all quality standards. Tea bushes are located on different plantations, which forces women to bypass 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:

Alpine 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 unsurpassed taste. Nuwara Eliya tea is even referred to as Ceylon Champagne. Teas picked from the top of the mountains have a distinctive taste and a bright brown hue.
Tea from the plains. Types of such tea are collected at an altitude of up to 600 meters. It is known for its strength and very dark color.
Tea from medium height. Places of cultivation of such tea are located at an altitude of up to 1.2 km above sea level. The properties and quality of this tea are better than those of the plains. The color when brewed is much lighter and the taste is much lighter.

Ceylon tea from different plantations

Nuwara Eliya. It is 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 than other varieties. The richness and distinctive aroma with taste confirm its quality. Around the growing area are exotic trees and mint bushes, saturating the tea leaves with additional aroma.
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 flavor.
Dimbula. Ruhuma Park is located on the south side 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.
Uva. The tea plantations are located in the center of the island above 1500 m above sea level. Uvu is used to make blends. After its addition, the blend acquires a memorable taste and pleasant aroma.
Kandy. In the north of the Pidurutalagala mountain, this variety of tea is collected. The mountain is named after the ancient capital of Sri Lanka. Kandy will definitely appeal to those who like stronger tea. A drink based on the leaves of this variety stands out for its invigorating and wonderful aroma.
Ruhuna. Ruhuna National Park is located on the south side of Ceylon. On it, at an altitude of 600 m, tea leaves are collected. The grade is the strongest in a variety of all grades. This is due to the properties of the soil. Tea leaves take on a dark color, the infusion of which becomes pleasantly sharp and the taste takes on floral notes from plants.

How is Ceylon tea labeled?

Orange Pekoe. The tea is processed by Kenilworth and Pettiagalla. The variety has the thinnest and oblong leaves. The drink, certified on the basis of these leaves, gets a taste and aroma with hints of fruit.
Flowery Orange Pekoe. It is prepared by Allen Valley and Berubeula. The leaves are specially selected with a bright yellow tip. The drink acquires an unusual aroma and gives sweetness in taste.
Flowery Pekoe. This variety is produced by Uva Highlands and Dyraaba. It can be called standard black tea, which had a relative strength and taste familiar to everyone.
Broken Orange Pekoe. Made by Uva Highlands and Saint James. Distinctive properties of the variety are excellent taste, balance of strength and unique aroma.
Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings. The collection sites of the variety are located 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.
dust. The variety cannot boast of its quality. They collect it in the high mountains. Tea leaves are highly fermented, resulting in a drink based on them with a high degree of strength. The cost of the presented tea is the lowest among the rest.
green tea. Although in the country of Sri Lanka there are places only with varieties of black tea, but there was a place for green. The marking of this variety corresponds to its leaves.

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