Sri Lanka – Where Tea Originated
For more than 120 years Sri Lanka, where tea originated has been synonymous in growing superior loose leaf tea. Sri Lanka is also known as Ceylon, as that was its colonial name but was renamed in 1971. Sri Lanka is located off the southwestern tip of India and is rated as the worlds second loose leaf tea exporter. The Sri Lankan region is made up of several different regions; the elevation ranges from 1,500 feet above sea level to the highland gardens with can be as high as 8,000 feet. Sri Lanka produces loose leaf tea with a coppery liquor and caramel note and are superb in flavor.
Sri Lanka, where tea originated is a perfect loose leaf tea-growing climate produces beauful and fragrant gardens with honey richness. Top quality Sri Lankan loose leaf tea has golden tips and are infused for a minimum of 5 minutes as only then the true flavor shines through.
Flowery Orange Pekoe loose leaf tea is exceptionally delicious and the tippy wiry leaves produce a coppery liquor.
A new tea to Sri Lanka is known as Kirkoswold Silver Needles which is grown in the Dimbula area. Torrential amounts of rain falls in Sri Lanka on the loose leaf tea gardens during August’s monsoon month and when its harvesting time which is from December to March, the young tea bushes produce down covered tea buds that steeps a light clear honey finish.
Some of the best Sri Lankan loose leaf tea that I have ever tasted was Ratnapura, a lovely flowery orange pekoe with fine pine-needled shaped leaves and silvery tips. Ratnapura is grown in the central highlands and produces a cup of dark red with malty, spicy notes.
