Many are the attributes
and illustrative phrases befitting to the tea
plant, the leaf, and the beverage. No other
plant has ever qualified for such an acclamation
and refined phraseology. It is regarded a gift
of God to humanity. This benevolent heaven-sent
plant is heeded to be a divine herb, considered
to be the best, safest and pleasantest of the
camellias.
Tea has come a long way to be designated as
the body’s best physician, and as an art
of life. It is a beverage of sobriety, a drink
that cheers but does not intoxicate. It is the
aroma of the “Mystic East,” and
booms of the Orient. It is an elegant and a
popular drink, a symbol of hospitality and determined
as an exotic beverage of the intellectuals.
Consuming tea is one of the undeniable pleasures
of life and considered the most socially correct
beverage for all occasions. It is a sober and
wholesome beverage and a refined stimulant,
a sovereign drink of pleasure and health. It
is a tongue-running, smile-smoothing, heart
opening, wink-tipping drink.
The most remarkable thing about the history
of tea, its origin, and its ultimate success,
has been ascribed to an improbable strike of
good fortune. There is no doubt that a certain
amount of luck was required before the happy
results were achieved, to mix dry leaves with
water and drink the resulting liquid.
The story of this beverage began in 2737 BC,
during the reign of Emperor Chen Nung, referred
to as the divine healer. The discoveries of
the medical properties of many herbs are ascribed
to him. One day as the Emperor was boiling some
water in order to purify it, a few leaves from
a near by tea plant dropped into the imperial
saucepan, giving it a delightful scent and flavour.
On tasting it, he found it to be delicious,
clean and refreshing. A new beverage was discovered.
Tea enjoys the singular distinction of been
discovered by a saintly person, and to the Chinese
it was a special gift from heaven, Shen Nung
is reported to have said that “tea is
better than wine, for it leaded not to intoxication,
neither does it cause a man to say foolish things
and repent thereafter in his sober moments.
It is better than water, for it does not carry
disease; neither does it act as poison, as water
does when wells contain foul and rotten matter."
It was after this event and in the fifth century
that the poet Lu Yo wrote the tea classic, the
“Cha Ching, which unfolded the mysteries
of tea. This publication, part poetry, part
etiquette, and part text book, had a considerable
effect at the time and many centuries later.
According to Lu Yo, tea was perfectly suited
to the Confucian way of life: temperance, moderation,
and calm.
With the unification of China in 221 BC, cultivation
of tea spread from the “Mother Nature’s
Tea Gardens” in the monsoon district of
South Eastern Asia towards the South. The political
boundaries of the various countries where wild
tea has been found were purely imaginary lines
that the public had traced to mark the states
of India, Burma, Siam, Yunnan, and Indo-China.
Before any thought was given to dividing this
land into separate states, it consisted of one
original tea garden where the conditions of
soil, climate, and rainfall were ideal for the
propagation of tea. According to old chronicles,
tea cultivation began in the interior province
of Szechwan about 350 AD, gradually extending
down the Yangtze valley, and then to the seaboard
provinces.
With tea production now taken care of, hand
manufacture of brick tea developed. This came
about during the period 206 BC and 9 AD. Tea
soon became a marketable commodity, to be consumed
in the main by the ruling classes. During the
Tang dynasty (624 AD to 907 AD) tea became popular
with the masses. Tea markets, tea peddlers,
tea stalls, all made their appearance in the
thriving Chinese economy.
During the early days, the use of tea was partly
social and partly medicinal, intended to promote
digestion and to stimulate the appetite, with
the result it came to be served after every
food dish. With the development of tea manufacture,
the more civilised sectors in China witnessed
a complete transformation in their tea drinking
habits. It was always pervaded with an air of
leisure, and attended with pomp and glory. It
became a part of the rich pattern of life in
China. It soon became a symbol of warm welcome
and entertainment, whether this occurs in the
house or in more ceremonial atmosphere.
Tea originated as a beverage for some, food
for still others, and had its third use as money.
In remote parts of China and later in Mongolia,
bank notes or coins were of little use to the
Nomadic tribes from the interior. Compressed
tea in brick form, on the other hand was used
both as an article of consumption and bartering.
Brick tea unlike currency, tends to enhance
its value, the further it was carried from the
tea gardens of China.
Tea became such an important item of merchandise
that by 641 AD Chinese federal rulers implemented
a policy of controlling the borders through
tea. Tea was traded for horses, and came under
the control of the government. It became a state
monopoly, offering the public great many varieties
of tea. The government was confident that the
constant use of tea afforded an effective protection
against epidemics. Production of tea expanded
further thereafter.
Returning to China- the concept of tea grew
beyond the act of tea making. It embraces all
the skills associated with the growing and processing
of tea leaves. It had to be performed so as
to extract the maximum flavour and aroma and
in doing so, cultivating the taste for delightful
ceramics and other accessories to make and serve
the brew. Poems, songs, and stories were written
on tea in ancient times.
Most of all, in the days of yore and even today,
the finest association to tea is the art of
relaxing and savouring the brew, in pleasant
surroundings to shed the stresses and strains
of everyday life. It in fact became a holy thing.
Of all tea’s attributes, the element of
sociability is probably the strongest among
the tea drinking nations in the world. The beverage
symbolises communication, shared moments, sympathy,
harmony and friendship.
The Chinese perfected the art of tea drinking
and placed it beyond the realm of its inborn
natural character. They have raised it to a
higher plane and have made it a ritualistic
function. When partaking in the consumption
of this beverage, the participant should be
in a position to identify and enjoy the hiss
and bubble of the kettle, the spring-time fragrance
in the steam rising from the tea cups and the
gentle stimulation too indistinct to appeal
to a disturbed mind.
Tea moves out of
China
Outside China and Japan,
it was in the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam about
1840 that tea was planted on a commercial scale.
Its progress changed the entire frontier area
of India into a highly developed and prosperous
region. The early history of tea in India is
bound up with the history of British association
of Assam.
The progress of tea cultivation in India is
indeed a romantic story. It reversed the drinking
habits of North America. It penetrated the Latin
American countries and converted them to tea.
Then they moved on to capture the markets of
Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
With the success achieved in India, tea became
the main topic of conversation among the colonists
during the period. It was however the opening
of the first coffee plantation in 1835 in Gampola
in the mid country, that initiated a series
of changes that transformed the country’s
ancient culture based on a subsistence economy
to an outward looking capitalist economy.
The British government provided all the facilities
for their own inverters to undertake the cultivation
of coffee initially, and with its demise in
the 1870’s tea was introduced as a substitute,
which proved a great success.
There were many inconsistencies regarding the
growth of the tea plant in Ceylon. It has been
established that the tea plant was not introduced
into the country as a replacement for coffee
that held sway as the island’s primary
product. Whilst coffee dominated the plantations
for over four decades, two other crops, tea
and cinchona had been tried out as subsidiary
crops. Tea did not occur among Ceylon’s
indigenous vegetation, but was introduced from
India in 1839
The Worm Brothers were regarded the “coffee
kings” in Pussellawa. They were also the
pioneers in the cultivation of tea in the island,
all started with a few cuttings from China.
They no doubt set the stage for the propagation
of tea in the island, but it was James Taylor
who proved that tea could be grown on a commercial
scale to replace coffee that was on its way
out.
The start made by Taylor at Loolecondera paved
the way for the establishment of this great
industry that has remained the bed-rock of the
country’s economy for the past hundred
and thirty years.
Many are the salutations and descriptive phrases
applicable to this beverage. Above all it is
referred to as the aroma of the mystic East,
liquid jade of China, a beverage of sobriety
that cheers but does not inebriate. It is regarded
as the most popular and elegant drink in the
world, and the greatest corroborator of human
strength. A fountain that can cure the ills
of passion, a fragrant gift that does not intoxicate,
and above all a symbol of hospitality. It is
no doubt the latest product of resplendent Lanka.
This long cherished treasure of mother earth
it is hoped, will continue to stimulate the
world and remain the cup of no regrets.
About Ceylon
The Greeks called it Taprobane.
Arab travellers named it Serendib. Portuguese
who arrived in the island in 1505 A. D. called
it Ceilao. The Dutch christened it as Ceylan,
and the British finally titled it Ceylon
“There is no part of this earth’s
surface, perhaps, about which more has been
written than about the Island of Ceylon."
These were the introductory words used by Mr.
J. A Ferguson, at a meeting held at the Whitehall
Rooms, Hotel Metropole on March 8th 1892 to
introduce Ceylon to a distinguished gathering
of prospective investors. Sir Emerson Tennent,
the great historian, opens the first volume
of his fascinating work “Ceylon."
He says most truly, “from whatever direction
it is approached, unfolds a scene of loveliness
and grandeur unsurpassed, if it be rivalled
by any land in the universe,”
Ancient Ceylon, without any reservations, has
enjoyed a very high distinction that only a
few countries can match. From the various narrations
of the many writers, both ancient and modern,
embodying the nature’s conception of its
past history, many spectacular stories have
been moved around. Its beauty, its gems, and
its spices had been well known to the Greeks
and Romans, and so they named it “Taprobane.”
Persian writers have electrified the reader's
fantasy with accounts of its creation, and have
talked wildly of the delights of the country,
where Adam and Eve consoled themselves on the
loss of Paradise.
The past history of the country is well documented,
not merely in song and legend, but in records
that have been verified by monuments, inscriptions,
and coins, some of the columns found in the
ancient cities are only second to the pyramids
of Egypt in vastness and architectural interest.
To the traveller and the visitor, Ceylon offered
alternatives even more than to the capitalist
looking for investment opportunities. It has
been said that the stranger can see on the hills
of Ceylon, the graves of more Britishers than
of Kandyan Kings. No dependency of the British
could have presented more alternatives than
Ceylon, to the intelligent traveller, to the
botanist, to persons of science, or even to
the politician and the sociologist.
The place of Ceylon on the map is unrivalled.
To the traveller, there are abounding attractions
in this beautiful Island, be he an artist, sportsman,
naturalist, or scribe. The low, palm-fringed
shores sink beneath the horizon, and the peak
of Adam cloaks itself afar in a mantle of majestic
mystery.
Ceylon could be regarded a huge tropical garden
and from whatever direction it is approached
it unfolds a scene of loveliness and grandeur
unsurpassed. Ceylon has been pronounced for
its natural beauty, historic and social interest,
to be the showpiece of the universe. During
the monsoon the Island is protected with a coral
reef. The palm trees and other forms of vegetation,
with their spreading leaf, extend from the coastline
to the highest mountain at 8,296 feet above
sea level. On the way to the mountains there
is no spot of ground without its vegetation,
always attractive, interesting, or curious.
Sri Lanka, like all developing countries has
matured well and has faced its own measures
of social, political and economic upheavals.
Despite all these eruptions, this country has
maintained an unbroken record of democracy since
independence in 1945. Governments have changes
on popular vote, but they have always taken
place in a very peaceful manner.
Initially, when the country was referred to
as Ceylon, it was a West-Minister form of government
that prevailed, with a British Monarch as the
head of the state, Executive Powers vested with
the Prime Minister heading a Cabinet and a bicameral
Legislature.
In 1972, the country became a Republic but decided
to remain within the Common-wealth. The country’s
name was then changed from Ceylon to Sri Lanka
and the bicameral legislature became unicameral.
The President remained as the Head of State,
but the executive powers remained with the Prime
Minister.
When these constitutional changes were taking
place, “Ceylon Teas” were making
a breakthrough in world markets under the character
of its original reputation. It was then decided
to retain its original name when promoting the
sale of teas abroad. Ceylon Teas are synonymies
with Sri Lanka Teas
An overview
The plantation sector with
tea leading the way, is the cornerstone of Sri
Lanka’s economy. The British initiated
this project in the country and left it to a
few Agency houses to manage and control it.
In 1972 the government felt that national assets
should be state owned and nationalised them
bringing them under state control. The size
and bureaucratic nature of the organisations
created to manage the plantations as well as
a heavy tax burden placed on the sector led
to an average monthly loss of Rs. 400 million.
In 1992, 450 estates belonging to the state
organisations were given over to the private
sector for management. Since then, the private
sector management has turned the plantations
around, and has proved beyond any reasonable
doubt that with good management the plantations
could be made profitable. Plantations today
are completely privatised.
From the golden days of plantation industry,
the growth in the agricultural sector has been
closely related to the country’s real
GDP. Events in recent times have had a positive
effort on the country’s economy. Among
agricultural exports, tea continues to be the
major export crop accounting for about 60 %
of total agricultural exports and 13 % of total
exports.
“Ceylon Teas”
- A Good Drink For All the Right Reasons
Sri Lanka is the largest
exporter of tea in the world and our sales have
increased by 30% over the past decade. Indications
are that it will continue to rise, with the
future holding out great promise. Today, the
tea world has acquired a special liking to the
inherent qualities found in the teas at different
locations which nature has bestowed. Over the
years each variety of tea has found a special
home, and their qualities are constantly upgraded.
Colombo is the largest auction centre in the
world handling about five million kilos weekly.
It obtains the patronage of over eighty to ninety
buyers each week. It is by virtue of the fact
that Sri Lanka can supply a vast diversity of
teas to satisfy the exact requirements of the
many millions spread over the entire world.
This is our strength that none other can boast
of. The heterogeneity of our teas is protected
and Sri Lanka is well geared to maintaining
her position in this world of vigorous competition.
Tea has remained the life-blood of the country,
from the time “Ceylon Tea” made
an impression in world markets. Sri Lanka today
has gained a niche in every tea consuming country
in the world. Sri Lanka’s position in
the world tea trade is strong. By reason of
its distinctive flavour and quality, “Ceylon
Teas” have succeeded in retaining a supreme
position among connoisseur tea drinkers, and
has enjoyed a reputation synonymous with quality
and purity. Tea is the most important single
industry in the country by almost every single
economic measure, and remains a major foreign
exchange earner, directly contributing an appreciable
percentage to the gross national product. “Ceylon
Tea” however is not a single product,
but a range of them of great diversity.
Two leaves and the bud, has remained a symbol
of mystery, scientific challenge and good taste
for the local tea industry. Sri Lanka treasures
its long history and tradition and tea is considered
a life giving plant gifted by God to humanity.
This benevolent heaven-sent plant is heeded
to be a divine herb considered to be the best,
safest, and pleasantest of the Camellias. Tea
is designated as the body’s best physician
and a drink of sobriety as it only cheers and
does not intoxicate. It is a symbol of hospitality
and determined as an exotic beverage of the
intellectuals. It is regarded the nectar of
the Gods, a healthy drink, and an infallible
means to longevity.
Hidden Mysteries
of “Ceylon Teas”
The rich soil, cool climate,
pure water and above all the terrain of the
land provides the ideal conditions for growing
tea. On a regular basis the country enjoys the
benefits of two monsoons that blow seasonally
each year. The influence of these climatic conditions
imparts to the product a variety of flavours
and aromas that are synonymous with quality.
Ceylon unlike any other countries can produce
a range of delicate teas wanted by the connoisseurs
the world over.
Ceylon teas are a product of infinite variety.
Diversity of mother plant, soil, altitude, climatic
changes, wind velocity and seasons all play
their part in infusing the various degrees of
quality to tea. These are considered gifts of
nature, and the industry over the years has
developed their own skills and technical processes
to produce some of the most sought after teas
in the world. Ceylon tea is like a wine, “A
living commodity.”
The climatic differences caused by elevation
are no less influential. The classification
of Low, Medium and High also creates a marked
difference to the quality of the teas. In addition,
there are “gaps” and passes."
They act as wedges or clefts in the mountains
permitting passages of air from one side of
the range to the other, thus creating special
characteristics to tea.
Tea has a wide variety of hidden substances
that are brought forth through the skilful handling
of the leaves both in field and factory. Sri
Lanka, in a way has been fortunate to grow tea
on sprawling and undulating lands stretching
from sea level to over 6500 feet. The terrain
is such that the scope available for manoeuvres
are numerous, with the result the tea industry
can satisfy the needs of every consumer in any
corner of the world. Ceylon Teas have taken
the world by storm today, and is the undisputed
leader in the quality segment of the international
tea market. The industry has taken a great deal
of pain to explore the concealed secrets in
the vast variety of tea the country can produce
and they are now in a position to offer the
choicest of tea to the more sophisticated tea
drinkers in the world. Sri Lanka teas are held
utmost not just in the volumes handled, but
in the different characteristics of those exported.
Low Grown Teas
These teas are produced
in the Southern part of the country. This area
enjoys unique conditions in the soil that give
blackness to the leaves, and produce liquor
that is strong and crisp. Teas that are produced
at these low elevations are known for their
appearance. They offer a wide range of stylish
whole leaf teas that are improved by the introduction
of gold and silver tips. This tea is ideal for
those who prefer a thick sweet brew with or
without milk.
As we travel further up, through Deniyaya to
Ratnapura, the land of gems, the classification
still remains low grown, but the character of
the teas' changes. The liquor gets much lighter
to most conventional low grown teas but they
come out much brighter. These teas have found
a niche in most European countries.
Medium Grown Teas
It was in these areas that
tea for the first time took root, which ultimately
turned out to be the most conceivable commercial
crop. Today, “Sri Lanka” teas have
penetrated all corners of the world and remain
a boon to the connoisseur.
Teas produced in and around Kandy, Hewaheta,
Pussellawa and Matale, situated within the elevational
limits of 2000 feet and 4000 feet, have remained
a British favourite. These plantations are safeguarded
from strong monsoon winds. This protection offers
them the scope to produce a tea with a good
black appearance and is known to possess strong
coloury liquors. In addition, it has the potential
to acquire some degree of quality during the
Eastern quality season. These teas are notable
for their full bodied character, ideally suited
to wash down a good English breakfast
Western High Grown
Teas
Dimbulla District
As you travel up to higher elevations to the
Dimbulla District through the Queensbury Gap,
we verge upon some of the most famous planting
districts in Sri Lanka covered in an unbroken
mantle of green. All situated at an elevation
of around 3,500 to 5,000 feet above sea level.
They feel the mild effects of the South West
monsoon that lasts from March to May. During
this period they produce a tea that is light
in cup, but bright with a crisp strong flavour
that leaves the mouth feeling fresh and clean.
Dickoya District.
Dickoya holds a cluster of world famous plantations,
all situated at well above 5,500 feet. The enchantment
of the view is in the setting of the water falls,
with its rugged background of rock with the
tea gardens at various elevations towering above
them. During the season, the atmosphere becomes
crisp and refreshing and tea produced during
this time produces a bright flavoury cup, best
taken with milk at breakfast time.
Maskeliya District
Most of the plantations are situated at the
foot of Adam’s Peak, a famous religious
landmark in the island. A moderately heavy tea,
but possess a special character that is unique.
It can offer a tea of a rosy character through
better part of the year.
Bogawantalawa District
Known as the golden valley for its lush vigorous
growth that produces flavoury teas throughout
the year. They are wanted by the more refined
markets in the world. These tea plantations
are guarded from the harsh applications of the
monsoons by the “Horton Planes plateau.”
It helps to maintain uniform environmental factors
throughout the year. It imparts to the tea leaf,
favourable ambient factors and help in the production
of high quality teas,
Agrapatana Valley
It is known to enjoy a perfect combination of
all the characteristics of climate and soil
that has been found suitable for the production
of the highest class of tea. Extreme temperatures
help to impart a unique quality to the tender
leaf, which is sought after by a separate segment
of tea consumers.
Nuwara Eliya
When Nuwara Eliya is reached, it offers, in
addition to champagne tea, a combination of
other attractions such as a healing climate,
lovely scenery, wooded wilderness and flowering
meadows. Though there is no winter in Sri Lanka,
a visitor is bound to desire a fire in his hearth
and a blanket on his bed.
There are four gaps that determine quality levels
in Nuwara Eliya. The air is cool and intoxicatingly
fresh, blowing clean and cold from the high
cloud-crowned Pidurutalagalla range. The air
is always scented with the fragrance of the
cypress that grow in abundance, and mentholated
with the wild mint and eucalyptus. It is the
combination of all these factors that has given
Nuwara Eliya teas that unique character, which
is recognised by all the connoisseurs of tea
in the world.
When brewed, these teas come out light, but
possess a unique flavour and aroma. It is truly
been said that Nuwara Eliya is to Sri Lanka
tea, what champagne is to France.
Eastern High Grown
Teas
Malwatte Valley
Plantations situated in this valley come alive
during June to September when the North East
monsoon blows. They are cuddled together on
a wild and wind swept location sheltered by
the Uva range of mountains. The dehydrating
winds bring about a strange chemical character
in the tender leaves of the tea bush, to produce
an extraordinary flavour that no other tea producer
can ever hope to yield.
The highest burst of flavour is obtained during
August when the monsoon is activated. They produce
a strong pungent tea widely used to improve
quality in many blended teas. It is a connoisseur’s
drink. It satisfies all the requirements of
the selective tea drinker who looks for strength,
character, flavour, and colour in his favourite
cuppa.
Haputale
Tea plantations in and round Haputale enjoys
strange weather conditions. It experiences long
periods of incessant rain and mist during the
monsoon, but a few days of dry windy weather
can change completely the character of the crop
harvested. The arid winds tend to cause on the
delicate leaves of the tea bush a marvel that
produces an unusual quality that is strange
to this area and uncommon in other parts.
Badulla, Hali-Ella, Demodara, Passara
All these plantations surround the noble mountain
of Namunukula that towers to over 6,000 feet,
and this popular land mark determines the quality
levels of the neighbouring estates. They generally
produce light and mild teas during the off-season.
When the dry winds blow at the time of the monsoon,
a chemical change to the tea leaves take place
that gives more colour and strength into their
liquors. It will offer the drinker a full-bodied
cup of tea.
Madulsima
It stands out as a dogs paw extending to about
twenty-five miles to the North with Roeberry
situated at the furthest point. When the strong
winds originating from the South West arrive
at this point, they are a spent force, but still
capable of transmitting a certain degree of
flavour to the tea. They acquire brightness,
and with sufficient flavour to compensate, it
turns out to be a pleasing drink.
