The origin of Tea
The origin of tea is shrouded in folklore and is as fascinating as the beverage itself. Tea was first discovered in China, during the reign of the Chinese emperor Shen Nong. According to legend, this emperor always insisted on boiling water for drinking purposes and one day a few leaves from a nearby camellia bush blew into the pot of water he was boiling, giving it an unusual colour and delicious taste. The emperor was delighted with this new brew which he also found to be rejuvenating and so tea was born. The exact date when tea was discovered is not known but it is said to have been between 2737 and 2690 BC.
In the 8th century Lu Yu published “ Ch’a Ching” which was a sort of tea production manual by then tea was popular beverage and Yu’s work brought infirmity to how tea should be cultivated, manufactured and brewed. The botanical name for tea is “Camellia sinnensis” . From China, tea growing spread to Japan, India and Sri Lanka. Then “Ceylon tea” was firstly planted in this country originated from Assam which is a part of India today. Tea is grown in other parts of the world including Africa. “ Ceylon Tea” as the tea from Sri Lanka is called , is renowned the world over, and greatly sought for its rich aroma and flavor.
Sri Lanka’s gift to the world
Throughout the history, Sri Lanka has been blessed with many different and famous names; the most recent “Ceylon” was derived by the British from “Ceilao”, a name given by Portuguese. It was the British who gave “Ceylon” her first tea plant which was planted in the Royal Botanical Garden in Peradeniya. This was the beginning of the enriching journey of a beverage that would proudly bear the name of its country “Ceylon” and bring happiness to millions of people across the world. However it was in 1867 that the first commercial crop of “Ceylon Tea” was grown.
A True Love story….. Fell in Love with Tea…….
In 1852, 17- years old Scotsman Names Taylor left the shores of his home in Scotland and set sail for Ceylon. It was here that he met his one, true loving partner – Tea. Over the years, young James became familiar with the land and studied this wonder crop that would forever be associated with him.
Tea became his passion and his whole world. He spends the next few years understanding the process of planting, growing and producing it. He set up his own tea factory in the veranda of his bungalow on Loolkandura Estate, amidst the cool, mist- covered mountains of Hewaheta close to Kandy.
In 1867, James Taylor realized his dream. He succeeded in growing Ceylon’s very first, commercial crop, on a mere 19 acres of land, on Loolkandura itself, where the soil was rich and the cool mountain climate was perfect. His process was basic. The leaves were aired on write trays for withering. Following this, the leaves where hand rolled on tables and then fired on clay ovens. The final result was perfectly delicious Ceylon Tea.
Following this invigorating success, James designed some basic machinery to process his precious tea. His innovative and enterprising spirit and of course his unconditional love for tea gave birth to the brand. “Ceylon Tea” which would be loved, treasured and shared the world over.
The Growth of the Ceylon Tea Industry
In the 17th century, tea gained a direct route to England through the east India trading company when tea dinking became a way of life in England and its colonies which included parts of the USA. In the 1890’s Sir Thomas Lipton a Scottish businessman came to Sri Lanka and made business deals with James Taylor. Lipton’s company buy purchased tea from Sri Lanka and distributed it through Europe and The USA. Tea became Sri Lanka’s main commercial export crop in 1870 and the entire local economy shifted to tea.
Tea production in Sri Lanka increased dramatically in the 1880’s and surpassed coffee in 1888. A central tea factory was built on Fairyland Estate Nuwara Eliya and new factories spang up in surrounding areas as tea production prospered. Innovative methods of mechanization where introduced to tea production with the bulk of the machinery being supplied by English companies such as Marshals of Gainsborough. Tangyes machine company of Birmingham and Davidsons of Belfast. Many of these companies continue to supply tea factories with machinery.
When the plantations first began, there was very little infrastructure in place in the hill country where tea and coffee grew. The government therefore undertook a massive program of Road, Rail, Port and Urban development for the plantation areas. Governor Sir Edward Barnes pioneered the building of roads. The railway where also developed to transport Tea and coffee from the plantations to Colombo for export. A main line was constructed from Colombo to Ambepussa and the first train ran on 27th December 1864. Subsequently this line was extended in stages to Kandy, Nawalapitiya, Nanu Oya, Badulla and Bandarawela. Other lines where completed at a later date to line the country. Today the trains carry more passengers than tea and the railways and roads have become a boon for tourism with visitors to the hill country, tea estates and factories.
The British constructed a significant road and railway system in the country to facilitate the plantations and until 1971, Eighty percent of tea estates in Sri Lanka were owned and managed by the British in 1971 the Sri Lankan government introduced a land reform act giving the state majority control of plantations and leaving one third in private hands. Since 1990, a restructuring program is in progress to involve private sector companies both Sri Lankan and foreign as managing agents of state – owned plantations. The long term aim is for private managing companies to take on most if not all of the financial responsibility and control of plantations, while the government retains ownership.
Growing Tea
Most of Sri Lanka’s teas are grown on plantation at elevations ranging from 2000 to 8000 feet above sea level. Depending on elevation, the teas are divided in to three distinct types. High grown tea is accounts for 24% of tea production. Mid country teas comprise 16% of tea production and low grown teas which take up 60% of the total tea production. Each type has its own distinct flavor and characteristics. Tea is cultivated on terraced slopes where the soli is well drained. Young plants are grown from cutting taken from a “Parent Plant” these young plants are tended in special nursery beds until they are 12 to 15 months old when they are then planted on the estate. Once the plants grow successfully, they are pruned to help them develop in to flat top tea bushes and subsequently they are lightly pruned on a regular basis. To encourage them to produce the young fresh leaves and buds, known as “Flush” from which tea is made.
The tea leaves are handy picked by tea puckers specially skilled in picking “ Two leaves and Bud” although in recent years mechanical plucking using specially designed machines has been tried out , it is hard to replace the skill and experience of the tea puckers and to date. The finest tea is carefully nurtured and hand-picked. In 1872 James Taylor built the first fully equipped tea factory. Since then many factories were built in tea growing areas and tea cultivation is now a highly skilled scientific business with Sri Lanka producing some of the best teas in the world.
What makes Ceylon Tea
As you pick up your cup and take a long,
Comforting sip of delicious, Ceylon Tea, do you
Ever pause to wonder , what it is makes
Ceylon Tea so Special?
To a tea drinker, it could be the rich flavor, the freshness and the physical and emotional satisfaction it offers. To a tea connoisseur, it could be something deeper and more profound. In truth, the rich flavors and freshness of Ceylon Tea, speak for themselves. When the British started growing and exporting Ceylon Tea to the world, people began to savour and appreciate its taste and superior quality. This fame grew as the years went by with more and more Ceylon Tea exported and enjoyed the world over.
A Recipe for the world’s best tea.
The best environment: Sri Lanka is an island with varied terrain, different climates and weather patterns that result from two seasonal monsoons named North East and South West Monsoon. Tea growing regions such as Nuwara Eliya, Uva, Udupussellawa, Thalawakele, Kandy are located as higher altitudes while the Sabaragamuwa and Ruhuna regions are located lower at the southern foothills. The dense, moist soil in the different regions is rich in nutrients that nourish and fertile the tea bushes. These varied climatic conditions are beautifully reflected in the diversity and character of the different types of tea – a unique and prized feature of Ceylon Tea.
The Tea Auctions
The Sri Lanka tea auctions are modeled after the London tea auction system which has been in operation since 1837 in modern times.. Eighty to Ninety percent of global tea production was sold through the auctions. The first tea auction in Sri Lanka was held on the 30th of July 1883 on the premises of Somerville and Co under the auspicious of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce in 1894. Tea fetched a record price of £36.15 per pound at the London tea auction. There are numerous buyers in Colombo and the auction system collects a wide variety of teas supplied from different sources and channels them in to areas of demand. For many years Colombo has been the largest tea auction center in the world.
