Ceylon Tea（锡兰茶）

Ceylon Tea Introduction

Ceylon tea is tea from Sri Lanka, a nation which was formerly known as "Ceylon." Although some Sri Lankan producers are branching out in their offerings to include green tea and other tea types, most Ceylon teas are black tea. Sri Lanka is a small island, but it has an enormous range in elevation, so the flavors of the teas produced there range quite widely. However, a "classic Ceylon flavor" is generally thought to be bold, full and brisk, with medium-to-full tannins and some notes of citrus and spice. Ceylon leaves are often "wiry" (they are long and thin, like wires).

History of Ceylon Tea

Until the 1860s, coffee was the main crop of what was then known as Ceylon, and no one was much interested in growing tea. Then, in 1869, a coffee-rust fungus devastated the island's coffee plantations and estate owners began to look for an alternative crop. They decided to follow the lead of a young Scot named James Taylor, who had started the first commercial planting of tea on the island in 1867. From a mere 400 hectares planted in tea in 1875, the island's plantations grew to 120,000 hectares of tea by 1900. Today, Sri Lanka dedicates nearly 220,000 hectares of land to tea production.

Ceylon Tea Producing Areas

Finest Ceylon teas are produced mainly from bushes that grow above 4,000 feet. The bushes grow more slowly in the cooler, mistier climate, and are harder to be harvested because of the steep angle of the slopes on which they are planted.

There are six main tea-producing areas in Sri Lanka. 
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;
Uva: located east of Dimbula.

The teas produced in each region have their own 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 best among Ceylon Teas, giving a beautiful golden liquor and an intense and complex flavor. As well as black tea, some estates also produce silver tip white tea that gives a very pale straw-colored liquor and should be drunk without milk. All Ceylon black teas are best drunk with a little milk.

	Nuwara eliya OP	Kandy OP	Kandy BOP	Uva BOP

About Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, though relatively small in size, is the world' s third largest tea producer in the world. Its' annual tea production is about 320 million kgs, which accounts for 11% of the world tea production. Sri Lanka exports most of its tea, making it the world’s largest exporter of tea. The annual tea export volume of Sri Lanka is over 315 million kgs. It has a share of 21% in the global tea exports market. In other words, Sri Lanka teas have been developed to cater to the tastes of tea drinkers all around the world.

Ceylon Tea Plantation