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Ceylon Tea

It’s not an empty boast when people from Sri Lanka claim that their tea is the best in the world and most experts agree with them. But if that’s all you know about the acclaimed Ceylon Tea then here are just a few more facts to help you get better acquainted with the world’s best-tasting tea.

Coffee, and not tea, was originally the primary crop produced and exported by Sri Lanka. A deadly virus, however, had devastated most coffee plants in the country during the 1860’s, forcing plantation owners to look for other crops to produce and prevent financial ruin.

It was in these critical times that James Taylor of Scotland entered the picture and introduced tea planting to Sri Lankans. Using the knowledge he had acquired from India, Taylor began the first experiments of tea planting in Sri Lanka. They produced successful results, and there was no looking back for Taylor or Sri Lanka since then. By 1890, tea production in Sri Lanka had been estimated to be at almost 23,000 tons.

Ceylon tea is a type of black tea.

The Ceylon tea served at restaurants or those that come in packages you buy at grocery stores are actually a type of black tea. It is so named because of the method used to process and prepare the tea.

After they are picked, black Ceylon tea leaves are semi-dried so they retain enough moisture to allow them to remain supple. The leaves are then allowed to oxidize, exposing them to the air, which produces their dark color. The remaining moisture in the leaves then hastens the fermentation process.

Before they totally break down and lose their flavor, the leaves are fired to prevent further fermentation and then packaged. This process allows tea manufacturers to bring out and retain the leaves’ flavor and aroma.