Tea, the most popular beverage in the world, is said to have been discovered accidentally by a deposed Chinese Emperor when some leaves from a tree fell into a pot of water that he was boiling under the tree. He later introduced tea to the Chinese. It was in 1867 that the British planter, James Taylor introduced tea to Sri Lanka to replace coffee that had been affected by the Coffee Blight. Taylor planted the first tea seedlings in about eight hectares of land at the Loolecondera Estate near Kandy. Since then tea has become a popular plantation crop grown not only in the hilly slopes of Sri Lanka's central highlands but also in the mid and low elevations. Total acreage presently under tea in the island is around 195,000 hectares and forms the major export crop of the country.
Picking the 'bud and two leaves' from the tea bushes is a manual process employing a large number of female tea pluckers. The picked leaves are processed in factories to produce 'black tea' which is the main variety of tea produced in Sri Lanka. The CTC (cut, tear and curl) method is now being employed in some Estates.
Visitors driving through the central hill country will see acres and acres of mist covered tea land fondly termed the 'Green Carpet' with white tea factories standing tall breaking the green carpet. If it is the morning then the tea pluckers can be seen at work with the wicker baskets hanging down their backs.
A freshly brewed cup of tea can be tasted at the 'tea shops' opened at some roadside tea plantations. Sri Lanka Tea Board markets high quality tea in convenient packages under the Lion emblem at its sales outlet in Colombo. Several private brands of tea are available in the super markets and grocery shops. Tea is also available in different flavours like lime, lemon, pineapple, and strawberry.
Lipton and Ceylon Tea
The name 'Lipton' is synonymous with tea. Sir Thomas J. Lipton, the British businessman who started this tea trading business bought his first tea estates in Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was known during British occupation) in the year 1890. The first estates he acquired in Ceylon were the Downall group in Haputale about two to three thousand acres in extent and including the plantations of Dambatenne, Laymostotte and Monerakande.
Dambatenne is 210 km. from Colombo on the Colombo-Badulla road with the turn off to the estate at Haputale town. The estate, which is approximately 9½ km. from the town, was Lipton's favourite home when in Sri Lanka. A seat used by him to relax and enjoy the scenic beauty of the hill country can still be seen at this estate. This seat called 'Lipton's Seat' commands a breathtaking view of the southeastern part of the country as far as the eye can reach from an altitude of 1960 metres. The lights of the Great Bases and Little Bases lighthouses are visible in the night.
Tea lovers when in Sri Lanka can take a trip to Dambatenne Estate and experience the scenic magnificence that enthralled the famous tea planter cum trader over a century ago.
Courtesy: Lipton - Sri Lanka
...lovely and delectable island of spicy breezes.
- Sir Thomas J. Lipton
How to make a good cup of tea
- Use once boiled water.
- Bring the teapot to the kettle when the water starts boiling and not the kettle to the pot.
Do not allow water to over boil.
- Rinse the pot with boiling water.
- Add one teaspoonful of tea leaves for each cup of tea required plus one teaspoonful
for the pot and pour boiling water.
- Close the teapot and allow to simmer for five minutes.
- Pour into the cup through a tea sieve.
- Add milk and sugar to taste.
Some popular tea recipes
Iced Tea : Pour tea as usual but, much lighter with less tea leaves. Allow to cool. Pour into tall glasses and chill in the refrigerator. Serve with a piece of lemon or sugar added.
Lemon Tea : At the time of pouring tea add a piece of lemon. Chill and serve.
