Ceylon Tea: Renowned as one of the world's finest

In early 1880s Sri Lanka’s coffee industry was crumbling and an experiment with Tea crop saved the agricultural sector of Ceylon’s — as the country was then called. ‘Ceylon Tea’ truly made its mark on the global market when one million of its packets were sold at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. That same year Ceylon Tea netted a record high price of £36.15 (over US$ 5000 in today's currency) per pound (lb) at the London Tea Auctions. Ceylon Tea has since become renowned as one of the world's finest teas.

Today Black teas are most popular in Sri Lanka and commonly sold worldwide as English breakfast teas. While you are most likely to find a Ceylon black tea as the ‘High table’, Ceylon ‘Silver Needle’ White teas are prized treasure. This light and floral teas fetch high prices in Middle Eastern markets and believed to help virility. Fun fact: Black, White, Green and Oolong teas all come from the same plant but are processed differently.

Tea is plucked all year round in Sri Lanka — the range of altitudes that distinguish each of the country’s tea-growing regions provide for a favourable climate throughout the year. Hence the reason you don’t see a picking flush marked on Ceylon tea as you would on a Darjeeling. The all year harvesting of tea leaves also helps a healthy annual yield, making Sri Lanka the third largest tea exporter in the world (after India and Kenya).

A lot of care goes into picking fine tea leaves. Two leaves surrounding a bud is what’s sought after for a rich flavor and aroma. The tea pickers’ that toil all day in the sun, seeking out these fine leaves are the backbone of Sri Lankan tea industry. For some who have spent a lifetime or even a generation picking tea leaves, it is not just a source of income but a way of life.

In recent years the Sri Lanka Tea Board has made significant investments to revitalize the Ceylon Tea brand and make it synonymous for quality and ethical sourcing. Minimum standards for wage, workplace safety and hygiene have been established to protect plantation workers. On any tea that is sourced solely from Sri Lanka as with teakruthi, you will see a ‘Lion Logo’ indicating it is 100% Pure Ceylon and passes quality standards both in terms of taste and sourcing standards. Most teas sold on the market as English Breakfast or Ceylon Tea are without the Lion Logo and are blended with lower quality teas from other markets.

Your teakruthi cup is ethically sourced

We are #TeaAddicts at teakruthi and refuse to serve a cuppa tea we wouldn’t drink ourselves, and we know the perfect cup begins from the source. We work directly with speciality plantations that adhere to ethical sourcing practices. You’ll see that some of our teas come from plantations that have been certified by the Rainforest Alliance, UTZ or the Ethical Tea Partnership. unfortunately, most smaller plantations can’t afford these licensing and certification costs, but we work closely with these farms to ensure your tea comes exploitation free. Read more about the quality certifications of our teas.

About the author

Lasith Lansakara

Co-founder at teakruthi

Lasith is a co-founder at teakruthi and occasionally a contributing blogger to the Tea Break. His writes on topics that include the health benefits of different teas and the various tea cultures he's experienced across the world. Lasith is a true and avid #TeaLover. His favourite morning cuppa tea is teakruthi's Lemon Kandy and Blissful Harmon for the midday lull.

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