History of Tea

By 1880, tea production in Ceylon had increased rapidly, and by 1888, tea had been grown on approximately 400,000 acres of land, surpassing that of coffee, by 1899. Charles Henry de Zoysa was the only early Sri Lankan to venture into tea production. Estates such as Poyston, near Nuwara Eliya, which was the centre of coffee cultivation at the time, were purchased by individuals such as Henry Randolph Trafford, who arrived in the country in 1880. By the late 1880s, almost all of the coffee plantations in Sri Lanka had been converted to tea plantations. At the same rate, coffee warehouses were converted into tea factories to meet the growing demand.

Tea production technology began to develop rapidly by the 1880s, with essential tools such as Samuel Cleland Davidson's 'Sirocco' tea dryer in 1877 and the tea rolling machine manufactured by John Walker and Company in 1880 making commercial tea cultivation a reality. This commercial production reality was further confirmed with the construction of the Central Tea Factory at the Fairyland Estate in Nuwara Eliya in 1884. As tea production in Sri Lanka grew, England built new factories and introduced mechanical innovations. Companies such as Marshall, Sons & Co. of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, Tangies Machinery Company of Birmingham, and Davidson & Co. of Belfast continue to supply machinery to factories to this day.

Types of Tea

Darjeeling Tea

Darjeeling tea is a tea made from Camellia sinensis var. sinensis that is grown and processed in Darjeeling district or Kalimpong district in West Bengal, India. Since 2004, the term Darjeeling tea has been a registered geographical indication referring to products produced on certain estates within Darjeeling and Kalimpong. The tea leaves are processed as black tea, though some estates have expanded their product offerings to include leaves suitable for making green, white, and oolong teas.

Chai Tea

Chai is steeped in a rich history. The name “chai” is actually the Hindi word for “tea”, which was derived from “cha”, the Chinese word for “tea”. In this case, the Hindi term chai means a mix of spices steeped into a tea-like beverage. Recipes for chai vary across continents, cultures, towns and families. But the traditional ingredients of a spiced tea blend usually include black tea mixed with strong spices, like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger and black peppercorns. The spiced tea mixture is typically brewed strong with milk and sweetened with sugar or honey. However, the milky sweet tea treat we order in coffee and tea shops today has very little in common with the origins of Indian chai.

English Breakfast tea

English breakfast tea or simply breakfast tea is a traditional blend of black teas originating from Assam, Ceylon and Kenya. It is one of the most popular blended teas, common in British and Irish tea culture, which developed since their exposure to Asian tea culture.English breakfast tea is a black tea blend usually described as full-bodied, robust, rich and blended to go well with milk and sugar, in a style traditionally associated with a hearty full English breakfast. The black teas included in the blend vary, with Assam, Ceylon and Kenyan teas predominating, and Keemun sometimes included in more expensive blends.

Earl Grey Tea

Earl Grey tea is a tea blend which has been flavoured with oil of bergamot. The rind's fragrant oil is added to black tea to give Earl Grey its unique taste. However, many, if not most, Earl Greys use artificial bergamot flavour as this is cheaper and it has a longer shelf-life, however the taste is less well-balanced compared to the naturally flavoured teaEarl Grey tea is a tea blend which has been flavoured with oil of bergamot. The rind's fragrant oil is added to black tea to give Earl Grey its unique taste. However, many, if not most, Earl Greys use artificial bergamot flavour as this is cheaper and it has a longer shelf-life, however the taste is less well-balanced compared to the naturally flavoured tea. Traditionally, Earl Grey was made from black teas such as Chinese keemun, and therefore intended to be served without milk. Sometimes it is blended with lapsang souchong tea, which lends a smoky character. Other varieties have been introduced as well, such as green or oolong.

Green Tea

Green tea is a type of tea made from the leaves and buds of the Camellia sinensis that have not undergone the withering and oxidation process that creates oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated in China in the late 1st millennium BC, and since then its production and manufacture has spread to other countries in East Asia.Several varieties of green tea exist, which differ substantially based on the variety of C. sinensis used, growing conditions, horticultural methods, production processing, and time of harvest. While it may slightly lower blood pressure and improve alertness, current scientific evidence does not support most health benefit claims, and excessive intake of green tea extracts can cause liver damage and other side effects.

Matcha Tea

Matcha is a finely ground powder made from shade-grown green tea leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Unlike regular green tea, the entire leaf is consumed, making it more potent in antioxidants and giving it a vibrant green color. It is traditionally whisked with hot water for a smooth, grassy, and slightly bitter drink, and it is a cornerstone of the Japanese tea ceremony. Matcha is also popular as a versatile ingredient in lattes, smoothies, and desserts.

Oolong Tea

Oolong is a traditional semi-oxidized Chinese tea (Camellia sinensis) produced through a process that includes withering the leaves under strong sun and allowing some oxidation to occur before curling and twisting. Most oolong teas, especially those of fine quality, involve unique tea plant cultivars that are exclusively used for particular varieties. The degree of oxidation, which is controlled by the length of time between picking and final drying, can range from 8% to 85% depending on the variety and production style. Oolong is especially popular in southeastern China and among ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia, as is the Fujian preparation process known as the gongfu tea ceremony.

Celong Tea

Ceylon tea is both the brand of tea which is produced in Sri Lanka and a historic term describing black tea from that land. Ceylon tea has been described as not only a geographical descriptor but also a pillar of Sri Lankan culture, heritage, and identity. The Sri Lanka Tea Board is the legal proprietor of the Lion Logo of Ceylon tea. In 2019, Sri Lanka was the fourth largest tea producer and the third largest tea exporter in the world. The Lion Logo has been registered in 98 countries as of 2016. Ceylon tea increasingly faces rising production costs, mainly due to increasing wages, fuel prices, and utility costs.

White Tea

Currently there is no generally accepted definition of white tea and very little international agreement on how it can be defined. Some sources use the term to refer tea that is merely dried with no additional processing. Therefore, white tea is very close to the natural state of the tea plant. Other sources use the term to refer to tea made from the buds and immature tea leaves picked shortly before the buds have fully opened and traditionally allowed to wither and dry under the sun, while others include tea buds and very young leaves which have been steamed or fired before drying. Most definitions agree, however, that white tea is not rolled or oxidized resulting in a flavor characterized as lighter than most green or traditional black teas.

Turmeric Tea

Turmeric, or Curcuma longa , is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between 20 and 30 °C and high annual rainfall to thrive. Plants are gathered each year for their rhizomes, some for propagation in the following season and some for consumption or dyeing.

Factories in Sri Lanka

Dambatenne Tea Factory

The world-famous Lipton tea, pioneered by Sir Thomas Lipton, was born in the Central Hills of Sri Lanka. Dambetenna, in Haputale, was the first of many plantations acquired by the Scottish tea baron. It is also the site of the Lipton Seat, his favourite lookout, which offers sweeping views of miles of tea-laden hills. On a clear day, the view stretches across seven different provinces. You can tour the beautiful estate, one of the oldest in the country. The factory, built in 1890 by Lipton, is still operated by machinery from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Loolkandura Tea factory

The story of Ceylon Tea is incomplete without mentioning James Taylor, who, along with Thomas Lipton, forged the island’s tea legacy that continues. Loolkandura, in southeast Kandy, is considered the birthplace of Ceylon Tea. Founded in 1867 by James Taylor, the estate is also known as Loolecondera Estate. It became the first commercial tea plantation on the island. It still has the first tea patch planted by Taylor and the rock seat, frequented by Taylor, affording mesmerising views of the surrounding mountain ranges. Additionally, the estate has one of the longest tea factories in the country (325 ft).

Halpewatte Tea Factory

Damro Labookellie Tea Factory

Considered the second oldest tea plantation on the island, Damro’s Labookellie (formerly Mackwoods) estate thrives in the cool climes of Nuwara Eliya. The free guided tours take you through the production process, from tea plucking to grading. The Tea Lounge offers an impressive selection of tea varieties and snacks. You can buy exclusive Damro teas at the gift shop.

International Markets and Prices

The Sri Lankan tea industry enjoyed continued success into the 2000s. Despite a decline in tea prices in all major tea exporting countries in 2001, Sri Lanka continued to be the world's leading exporter, with a record 294 million kilograms (648.16 million pounds) of tea exported in 2001, compared to 288 million kilograms (634.93 million pounds) in 2000. World tea production in 2001 increased to 3.022 million tonnes (down from 3.331 million tonnes), but Sri Lanka's exports increased to 658 million from $595 million the previous year. However, Sri Lanka remains the world's largest exporter, but lags behind India and China in terms of total production.

Benefits of tea cultivation

Tea cultivation provides economic benefits through employment, foreign exchange, and rural development, while also offering environmental advantages like carbon sequestration and biodiversity support, especially with organic and sustainable farming practices. It can also enhance soil health and reduce chemical runoff, supporting sustainable agriculture and the well-being of farmers and their communities.