Flavor characteristics and planting conditions of black tea in seven producing areas of Ceylon and Sri Lanka

The output, grade, batch, producing area and company will be marked on the wooden tea boxes in international trade. In a simple memory, Sri Lanka is mostly the raw material source of beverage tea, while the boutique producing areas recommend five major producing areas:

UVA Wuba

Ruhuna Luhanna

Kandy Kangdi

Dimbula Timbola

Nuwara-Eliya Nuvala Elia

There are also two relatively rare producing areas:

Uda Pussellawa Udapu Serrava

Sabaragamuwa Zabalag Movo

Ceylon tea takes the Central Mountains as the center, and is divided into lowland tea 500,600m, Zhongdi tea 600m-1000 m, and highland tea 1000-2500 m according to the altitude. There are six main tea areas distributed around and in the center of the central mountain range.

High altitude producing areas (more than 1200 meters)

[Timbra]

The freshness of the cypress is mingled with the charming scent of flowers

* the best quality from January to March each year

The fragrance of jasmine and orange fruit. From Kanti to the mountain train to visit the tea garden, to the most famous Nuwara Elia, you must first change trains at Nanu Oya, which is the Timbola producing area. From the east of Mount Adam across the second plateau "Horton Plain", the mountains have just formed a U-shaped valley with a northwest opening. Before tea planting, this area was an isolated animal and plant paradise, a psychedelic place full of ghost legends, a variety of microclimate and intricate topography, so that each tea garden has a unique personality, on the whole, you can taste the aroma of cypress and jasmine. Timbra, which was developed into a tea garden earlier, is a representative black tea in Sri Lanka, with excellent taste, aroma and brown color. Dark orange brown is good for drinking alone or with milk. / 1000-1500 m

[Novala Elia]

Delicate as champagne with herbal flavors of eucalyptus and mint

* the best quality from January to March each year

The delicate scent of peppermint and roses. Reaching the highest altitude of all the producing areas, the white smoke from the mouth almost made people forget that it was in Sri Lanka. "good tea comes from the mountains." Nuvalaelia is rugged and mountainous, and the highest peak in the country is located here, with an average of 2000 feet and a maximum of 6240 feet. the climate is as undulating as the terrain, and sometimes frosts on the nights from February to April. there are a large number of eucalyptus and mint trees in the mountain forest, bringing cool herbal flavor to the tea here, elegant and comfortable, with a light orange color, suitable for drinking alone. For tourists who are interested in single manor whole-leaf tea, they can get on and off the bus at will along the bus route, and they can easily visit the tea factory on the side of the road. The famous Mackwoods tea factory is here. Bluefield Manor, which has a history of nearly 100 years, is affordable and favored by the local people. The Yinyajian and Baimao tea made in these tea areas are famous for using a process similar to traditional Chinese Kongfu black tea. / 2000 m

[Udapu Serrava]

The gift of the land, refreshing and fragrant, full of astringency

* the best quality from January to March each year

Half an hour's drive from Nuwara Elia, at an altitude of 950m-1600m, is ─ Udapu Serrava (Uda Pussellawa), a small high-altitude production area in Uba province. Few tourists visit but it is worth mentioning that almost the whole town contributes to the production of tea. Its unique location is the gift of the land and is the only tea town with two tea seasons. On the east side of the highest peak, similar to the Wuba producing area, it is colder and colder, dry and cold in summer, cold in winter and spring, and the rainfall brought by the northeast monsoon makes it possible to harvest in winter and spring. Medium tea with clear orange color, dark and full-bodied, astringent but refreshing, with more aroma of high mountain tea, suitable for drinking alone or adding milk. The dry climate has a large temperature difference, creating rose-scented tea, with heavy fragrance in summer and flowers and fruits in winter. / 2000 m

Middle altitude producing area (600m-1200 m)

[Kandi, the ancient capital]

The first choice of base tea, strong but refreshing without astringency.

* the best quality from January to March each year

Hops, copper mineral flavor is obvious, suitable for ice drink. Many legends of Ceylon black tea start from the ancient capital Kandy. In the past, Kandi was not only the birthplace of Ceylon black tea, but also an important tea museum here. In Loolecondera Estate Tea Garden in Kanti, where James Taylor, the "father of tea" of Sri Lanka, invented tea, it is said that he was the deputy director with an annual salary of only US $100 in 1851. He rubbed the tea leaves with his hands on a small table. He made tea with charcoal and pottery stove, and later invented the tea kneading machine. His efforts can be said to have created the scenery of a country, looking at the tea tree scenery in the hills of Sri Lanka, all because of his planting skills and tea-making contributions. The tea produced by Kangti is a little bronzed, stronger but more refreshing than other producing areas. It is suitable for making iced tea and black tea with various flavors. Full Earl Grey Tea and breakfast tea use this producing area as the basic formula. / 600m-1200 m

[Uba]

Psychedelic milk tea, full of spices and hay, strong and full of "golden cup"

* the best quality from July to September every year

Wood, spices, peppermint and cool incense are the most valuable tea areas. Continue to walk along the railway, through the canyon to Uba, not as cold as the high altitude area, but the fog is so thick that the duck-egg sun can be seen passing through the clouds at dawn and dusk. Rome, Italy has a golden cup of coffee, and the golden ring halo on the edge of the Wuba tea cup is known as the "golden cup" and is one of the "three tea teas in the world". The best place to taste Uba tea is the tea garden town of Harptley, which is located at the commanding height of nearly 6000 feet from the Danbatni tea factory. There is a famous Lipton's Seat chair, which used to be Lipton's tea garden. Want to seize the last chance to go up the mountain, but miss the train, I have to change buses in several towns on the winding mountain road, and miss the last minibus when I arrive in Harptley, looking at the sky that is about to fall into the night, although I am worried about the fog, I still pack a tuk-tuk car to catch up with the mountain. I don't know if it is in the fog or the mountain is high and cloudy. I don't know where it is, gallop on the steep slope with the illusion of seeing the road. Every turn is like entering a fairyland and ushering in a suddenly enlightened valley. The cold air smelled fresh herbaceous, and the goats shuttled back and forth in the tea garden to enjoy dinner. I chased the afterlight of the setting sun and reached the top of the mountain. I could not see anything if I went into the clouds in the south. Fortunately, to the north, there was a main tea garden, and the clouds and fog retreated to the deep valley. As the saying goes, "good tea comes out of high mountain clouds". Fog is indeed one of Ceylon black tea. The temperature difference, height, dry and cold in the morning and evening, but with fog and other conditions. Let Wuba tea with a strong flavor of spice and hay mint, strong astringency, dark red brown, quite suitable for making milk tea, drinking alone can also have a clear sweet feeling. 900m-1500 m

The canyon blows the southwest monsoon all the way to Wuba, which is located in the eastern part of the central province. the humid southwest monsoon dries along the rising terrain and forms uphill fog on the windward side of the hills. When there are many clouds, the diffuse light is soft, weakens the intensity of direct solar radiation, and the air humidity and temperature are more suitable, which is beneficial to increase the nitrogen and aromatic substances in tea.

Low altitude producing area (600 m)

[Zabeleg Movo]

The shelter of the protected area, caramel honey and the smell of weeds at various ends

Sabre Gemuwo is a gem-producing area, sandwiched between the Sinhalaga rainforest and the Holy Adam Peak, and the famous peak wilderness sanctuary is also located here, similar to Timbra, is an ecological hot spot with pure land, and is the wettest producing area, hot and humid but with a large number of cloak and cool cloud forests, tea trees grow fast and have longer leaf types. Unique rainforest microclimate and high grasslands create a variety of styles, yellowish brown with a little reddish hue, not too strong, and a little caramel sweetness. / 600 to 1000 meters

[Luhanna]

The mellow tea of Burgundy red wine is sweet and energetic.

The sweet rhyme of smoked and ripe fruit papaya. Luhanna, whose entire district is located in the wet zone, is a laggard in the tea-producing region, the lowest black tea-producing area in Sri Lanka, and together with Sabrg Movo, it accounts for 60% of the total output. The hot and humid climate and fertile soil make the tea grow rapidly, the leaf shape is larger, and the high temperature accelerates the fermentation. The tea here is strong and mellow, with a sweet flavor, brown with the color of red wine, which is very suitable for drinking with sugar or milk. Although Bai Hao or Jin Hao is produced in all producing areas, Luhanna hides one of the world's top tea gardens, producing organic virgin white tea (Virgin White Tea), and even French Mahei tea is used. In order to retain up to 10.11% of the antioxidants in tea, virgin white tea cannot be touched by hand. When picking tea, you must wear gloves and use scissors. It is rare and precious, the tea soup is golden and transparent, and the delicate tea body has the aroma of honey and white flowers. Besides, it is good for health. / 600 m