Every tea has its own unique story, from its origin and history to flavours and fragrance. But nothing can beat the one of Ceylon tea. This very special type of tea carries more than just a historical culture but also a legacy. Every sip of Ceylon tea is like a chapter of this very successful tea story. Learn everything you can about this wondrous, tasty tea!
Table of Contents
What is Ceylon Tea?
Ceylon tea is named after the island it is produced on, an island nation in the wonderful country of Sri Lanka. Not many knew about its origins before the country got its independence, but now it has quite a high reputation for high quality tea production.
Despite its size, this country is rich in soil types and plant varieties with excellent climate, weather and a huge range of elevation by its side. Because of all these great features, the tea plants here grow healthily, full, and are extremely flavourful. With the difference in elevation, some Ceylon teas have special characteristics and flavours from the others.
The Ceylon teas come from the Camellia sinensis plant and its flavour is described as bold and full. Sometimes, a hint of citrus or spice can be found. Today, there are a few types of varieties of Ceylon tea including black tea and white tea that have different tastes, but all of them come from one place — Sri Lanka!
Origins of Ceylon Tea
The story of Ceylon tea is one that began over two centuries ago in the 1800s. It was when Sri Lanka was still a British colony, and a tea plant was brought over to Ceylon from China by a British man. This was the first time tea was planted for non-commercial purposes.
Not long after, a Scotsman named James Taylor came to Sri Lanka after learning the ins and outs of growing tea plantations in India. He then started a 19 acre tea plantation in one of the local estates. Soon after, when the demand for tea grew, the nearby estates turned into tea plantations as well.
James Taylor pulled off a full-on tea factory and exported shipments of tea to European countries like the United Kingdom. By the mid 1900s, Sri Lanka was the world’s biggest tea exporter and the fourth largest tea producer in the world.
Benefits of Ceylon Tea
Not only does Ceylon tea have a rich history, this type of tea also has a huge number of benefits for the consumer. Here are some of the main ones that have been proven to be effective for:
Helps Cardiovascular Health
Ceylon tea has potassium in its contents which is known to reduce blood pressure. The potassium is able to relax the blood vessels and arteries’ tension which, in hand, lowers the body’s blood pressure. On top of that, the flavonoids in Ceylon tea can help prevent heart diseases.
Assist in Weight Loss
It’s been proven that Ceylon tea can promote weight loss. There’s a compound in Ceylon tea called catechins, specifically EGCG, which activates the enzyme that helps to break down the cells that accumulate fats. That’s the important content of Ceylon tea which has been tested in studies for reduction in abdominal fat.
Boost Immunity
The catechins in Ceylon tea, as well as the antioxidants, help to increase the white blood cells count that in turn boosts immunity for the consumer. It gives the body antiviral and antibacterial properties that allows the body to fight off harmful bacteria and viruses better and faster.
Combats Cancer
Catechins are extremely important content, and Ceylon tea has the one called EGCG. This plays a highly important role in treating cancer in the early stages of it. The antioxidant content is also able to combat cancer and possibilities of growth of tumours. These aren’t the only contents that do well against preventing cancer. Theaflavins and thearubigins present also do wonders in protecting healthy cells from being damaged by cancerous and toxics.
Treats Diabetes
Ceylon tea is known to treat diabetes by maintaining the healthy glucose levels in the blood. The polyphenols in the ceylon tea can reduce blood glucose levels, control the sugar levels in the blood as well as insulin levels. Because of this, Ceylon tea can assist in preventing the drastic ups and downs in levels of people who have diabetes, and possibly treat it.
Promotes Radiant Skin
Direct exposure to the sun, and even indirect contact, can cause harmful effects to the skin and even increase the chances of skin cancer. Ceylon tea has contents that can prevent that. Ceylon tea has polyphenols that can protect the skin from UV radiations that are extremely harmful to the skin if exposed to too much of it. The antioxidants in Ceylon tea can also combat the ageing signs like wrinkles and lines. There are also other antioxidants in it that can help in reducing collagen loss in the skin.
Regions of Ceylon Tea & Their Flavours
There are various regions in Sri Lanka that grow the Ceylon tea and each of them have their own unique characteristics that reflect in the flavours. The regions are all at different elevation levels — some are low grown, from sea level up to 2,000 feet; some are medium grown, between 2,000 feet and 4,000 feet; and some are high grown, and these are above 4,000 feet.
These different regions of different elevations are even more varied by climate conditions and weather, tweaking the taste and flavours of the tea plants. Here are some of the notable regions with Ceylon tea plantations!
Uva
The Uva province is at an elevation of 3,000 to 5,000 feet, hence their tea plantations are high grown. Located in the central area of Sri Lanka, the region is probably the most famous one in the country. The Ceylon tea from here is known for its distinctive flavours with a mellow aroma. While it’s mostly black teas that are being grown, there are also some white teas produced here. You’ll know the Ceylon tea is from Uva when you can taste the woodsy, sweet taste.
Kandy
Kandy, this region is famous for being the first Ceylon tea plantation in Sri Lanka. Kandy is only accessible through steep mountain passes and can be found in the central of the country. Because of the isolation, it allowed the tea plantations to maintain the authentic flavours of the region. That’s not to say it’s always consistent throughout the year. Depending on the climate and weather, the flavours can vary, but it’s always generally full bodied and malty in taste.
Dimbula
At the southern part of Sri Lanka is Dimbula. This region is known for its high grown teas, but because it has varying elevations, the flavours can vary as well. Some are full-bodied while others can be mellower in taste. Dimbula is also famous for its organic farming techniques like plant-based organic fertilisers and dung from cows who are only cow-fed. The area also has a good amount of rainfall, and all of these give the plantation a healthy circumstance to grow strongly.
Ruhuna
The Ruhuna region has tea plantations that are low grown, which means the elevation of the plantation area is below 2,000 feet. Because of this, the Ceylon tea is full of flavour and has different hues of rich orange and red. Some may be able to note sweet tastes like honey and chocolate in the tea plants. The Ruhana region is blessed with high humidity and monsoon season, rich with a diverse wildlife that all plays a part in creating a wonderful environment.
Nuwara Eliya
The Nuwara Eliya is the highest elevated region with Ceylon tea plantation in all of Sri Lanka. It’s at an elevation of 6,100 feet, and any Ceylon tea grown above 4,000 feet are known as premium teas. The tea from this region can be noted by its delicate, floral aroma and golden hues. The cultivation process as well as the unique climate in Nuwara Eliya plays a part in the intriguing tastes of the Ceylon tea from here.
Types of Ceylon Tea
As we all know, the Ceylon tea comes from one plant. But from this single plant, the Ceylon tea has three main types and they are black, white and green. This is possible due to the specific processes taken for each type. Steps in the process include withering, oxidation, fixation, shaping and drying. Some types of tea have them all while others only have some. Depending on the process, that determines the type, shape and flavour of the Ceylon tea.
Ceylon Black Tea
Ceylon black tea is the most popular type of Ceylon tea. A huge percentage of the Ceylon tea plantation in Sri Lanka is black tea. To make this type of tea, the leaves are hand-plucked and then withered, rolled, dried and sifted. They’re then separated into different grade levels based on colour and intensity.
Ceylon White Tea
The Ceylon white tea is the most unique type of Ceylon tea there is, and because of that, it’s the most expensive type. They’re considered premium as the harvesting process is special. The buds of the plant are plucked and not fermented, making it the only type of Ceylon tea that is fully handmade. Because of this, Ceylon white tea has less caffeine and more antioxidants than the other types.
Ceylon Green Tea
The Ceylon green tea is extremely popular. In fact, in the present day, it might be even more popular than the Ceylon black tea. The process of Ceylon green tea is different to that of black tea. They’re not fermented so that it can still maintain their antioxidant characteristics, and then picked, withered, heated, rolled, dried and sifted. Ceylon green tea has similar benefits with other types of green tea out there while also maintaining the benefits of Ceylon tea.
Preparation of Ceylon Tea
Ceylon tea is a wonderful type of tea, and there’s always the question on how to drink it properly. There isn’t a black and white answer to that, but there are some things to note that can be useful to preparing Ceylon tea properly so that you can sip on the best cup of Ceylon tea ever. Here are some good pointers:
- Mix a cup of 6 oz water with 3.2 grams of Ceylon tea leaves to have the right balance. It can vary depending on the tea type.
- Use fresh, filtered water for the best results.
- If you’re using hot water, try to use water that’s close to the boiling point.
- Some tea types for Ceylon tea are not suitable for cold brewing, so do check first before trying it.
- Steep your tea for 3 to five minutes for hot brewing.
- For cold brewing, it’s best to steep overnight.
Risks & Side Effects of Ceylon Tea
Similar to other types of tea, it’s always best to consume it in moderation. There is caffeine content in Ceylon tea, especially in Ceylon black tea, hence controlling the intake of caffeine is recommended so as to prevent unwanted side effects like insomnia, headache, irregular heartbeats or shakiness.
Conclusion
Ceylon tea is considered the cleanest tea in the world, rid of chemicals and pesticide residues. Ceylon tea comes in all shapes and sizes, forms and flavours. One cannot comprehend the world of Ceylon tea alone. With the different types offered just from only one variety of tea, there’s definitely a flavour suited for you.
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