Sri Lanka is predominantly a producer of ORTHODOX TEA; i.e. Tea made from leaves plucked and withered to remove excess moisture, and then rolled with pressure to curl the leaves. Then the rolled tea which is greenish in colour, is spread on tiled tables: a process where oxidization takes place. By this the broken tea particles absorb the juices that were secreted in the rolling process. The tea is then dried to remove the excess moisture, a process that also makes the tea black by arresting the oxidization. Once cooled, these dried teas are then graded.

Based on the elevation at which it is grown, Ceylon Tea can be divided into three main categories:

   Low Grown - Up to 600m above sea level

   Medium Grown - Between 600m and 1200m above sea level

   High Grown - Over 1200 m above sea level

In addition to elevation, Ceylon Tea is categorised according to the geographical areas in which it is grown; namely Ruhuna, Sabaragamuwa, Kandy, Uva, Dimbula, Udupussallawa and Nuwara Eliya.