When you hear "Ceylon", maybe you think of a refreshing cup of black tea ? Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, has a deep-rooted tea culture, but how did it all start? And how does tea from the green hillsides of Bangladesh and the high peaks of Nepal differ from the rest? Join us on a journey through the mountains and valleys of South Asia.
It was in Sri Lanka that the first tea was produced by the British man named James Taylor in 1867 with the aim of supplying tea to the English. This event marked the beginning of Sri Lanka's journey as one of the world's largest tea producers.
Sri Lanka, located to the south of India, has for decades been known for its production of black tea , but a small amount of green and white tea is also grown. The eastern state ranks as the world's fourth largest producer of tea. Although the CTC (Cut Tear Curl) technique that automates tea processing was introduced in the 1990s, 90% of tea is still produced using traditional methods. A large part of the tea produced, as much as 95%, is exported abroad and delights tea lovers all over the world.
Despite the fact that the statistics show an increasing consumption of tea among the inhabitants, there are no particularly prominent tea traditions in the country. However, it is customary to serve tea to guests and on festive occasions such as festivals and the like. For a long time, coffee was more popular than tea on the island, but today tea is experiencing increasing popularity – as in many other parts of the world.
Tea from Sri Lanka is characterized by the altitudes where the tea is grown, rather than specific localities. The tea plantations are classified as "low-grown," "mid-grown" or "high-grown" depending on their altitude above sea level. The six best known production sites on the island are Galle, Ratnapura, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula and Uva. These areas have different climatic conditions and terrain that affect the taste and character of the tea grown there.
We love green tea at Nordic Tea - primarily because of the tea's clean, delicate taste and beautiful colour. But is green tea healthy? A new study indicates that there may be something to the matter.
