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Very broadly, Ceylon tea can be divided
into three main categories:
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Low Grown |
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Medium Grown |
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High Grown |
Low Grown
These are teas that are grown up to 2000ft from sea level. Black in
appearance, these teas are sort after mainly by the Middle Eastern
Buyers. Long leaf varieties such as Orange Pekoe belong here. This
is further sub divided according to the size and neatness of the leaf
in to Orange Pekoe 1, Orange Pekoe and Orange Pekoe “A”.
The Shotty or well curled leaf type is known as Pekoes. Here again
according to the size they are divided into Pekoe 1, & Pekoe.
There is also the semi leaf types, which is known as FBOP’s
(Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe) and sub divided according to size as
FBOP, FBOP 1 with the smaller particles known as FBOPF (Flowery Broken
Orange Pekoe Fannings & FBOPF 1).
Medium Grown
These teas are a little more brown in color when compared with their
low grown counterpart, but the liquoring qualities are better. The
tea gardens that fall into this category are situated between 2000
and 4000 feet above sea level. The liquors of these teas have less
colour but are brighter and tastes sweeter. Here again the main grades
are BOP, BOPF, PEKOE, FBOP, OP, and OP1. Each grade differs from each
other in both appearance and taste.
High Grown
Grown in tea gardens 4000 feet above sea level, this category includes
some of the world’s best teas. Teas with special seasonal favorites
such as the “DIMBULA”, “UVA”, “NUWARA
ELIYA” and “UDA PUSSELLAWA” are from this elevation.
It is said that the Nuwara Eliya teas are the “Champagne”
of teas. The smooth, mellow taste these teas produce are unique and
sought after by many tea drinkers in the world. These teas are browner
in appearance but this is more than compensated for in taste.
The main grades in this elevation are BOP, BOPF & PEKOE. However,
there are some estates that produce the OP grade and the FBOP grade
as well.
Sri Lanka is predominantly a producer of ORTHODOX TEA. That is tea
made from leaves that are plucked and withered to remove excess moisture
and then rolled with different pressures exerted on the leaf to curl
it to various degrees. There after, the rolled tea which is greenish
in color is spread on wooden or tiled tables to ferment a process
where the oxidization takes place. By this the broken tea particles
absorb the juices that were secreted in the rolling process. There
after the tea is dried in “DRYERS” to remove the excess
moisture from the tea and this process also makes the tea black by
arresting the fermentation. These dried teas are allowed to cool off
in wooden bins and then sifted to different grades.
Sri Lankan teas are marketed under two main categories. They are Main
Grades and Off Grades. Main Grades are, BOP, BOPF, PEKOE, PEKOE1,
OP, OP1, OPA, FBOP, FBOP1, FOP, FBOPF, FBOPF1, DUST & DUST1. Off
Grades are BM, BP, BT, BOP1A, FANNINGS & FANNINGS1.
Sri Lanka also produces CTC (Cut, Tear, Curl) teas. Most of these
factories are situated in the Mid Grown and the Low Grown Areas. The
main difference in this method of manufacture as against the Orthodox
Manufacture is that the withered tea leaves are macerated and end
up in small particles, brown in colour but with very strong and colour-intense
liquors. The main grades in this type of manufacture are the BP1’s
and PF1’s. The PF1’s are highly sought after by manufacturers
of tea bags since the particle sizes and their liquors are ideal here.
There is also the “GREEN TEAS” where the manufacturing
process is entirely different to the above methods. Though there is
a high demand for green tea globally, there are only a few estates
in Sri Lanka today and are grown mainly in the Medium & certain
parts of the Low Grown regions. There are special clones of tea that
are used in the manufacture of Green Tea.
Japanese Green Tea
Green tea was introduced to Japan from China about 800 years ago,
although the actual date is not known. It fast became an essential
part of the Japanese diet.
Oolong Tea
Oolong tea, also known as partially or semi-fermented tea, have some
of the qualities of both black and green teas. At their best, Oolong
teas are beautiful and full bodied with a fragrant flavour and fruity,
sweet aroma. The vast majority of these teas come from China and Formosa
(Taiwan), where the finest varieties are still handmade following
the traditional manufacturing process.
Oolong Tea, or brown tea, can be placed between Green & Black
Tea. Through repeated and complicated steps the tea leaves are partially
oxidized. Light in the cup with haunting aromas, Oolong teas will
richly reward those that explore them.
Assam Tea
The Assam region is located to the far North East of India along the
Burmese border. This is the land of the one-horned rhino, and where
the mighty river Brahmaputra winds its majestic course. Rich with
nature’s bounty and a rainfall ranging from 200 to 300cms, Assam
is ideally located for a very special tea. The Assam Region produces
more tea than any other region in India. Known for their strong, full-bodied,
pungent and sometimes malt-rich bright liquor flavour, they are particularly
popular as a tea to drink with breakfast in the morning.
Darjeeling Tea
The story of Darjeeling Tea started some 150 years ago when Dr. Campbell,
a civil servant, planted tea seeds in his garden at Beechwood, Darjeeling,
7000 ft above sea level as an experiment. He was reasonably successful
in raising the plant because the government, in 1847, elected to put
out tea nurseries in this area.
Darjeeling was then only a sparsely populated hamlet which was being
used as a hill resort by the army. Tea, being a labor intensive enterprise
required sufficient numbers of workers to plant, tend, pluck and finally
manufacture the produce. For this, employment was offered to people
from across the border in Nepal.
During 1860-64, the Darjeeling Company was established with 4 gardens
while the Darjeeling Consolidated Tea Co. dates back to 1896. By 1874,
tea in Darjeeling was found to be a profitable venture and there were
113 gardens with approximately 6,000 hectares. |
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