Tea Making in Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan tea formally known as “Ceylon Tea” is an important contributor to our heritage as well as our economy. This sector meets approximately 19% of global demand and has thus become the world’s largest tea exporter and the country’s largest employer. Tea leaves in Sri Lanka are grown in three main regions and are renowned all over the world for its signature taste and aroma. The country has received the privilege of supplying tea to the Olympic and Commonwealth games as it does to so many other prestigious events both locally and internationally, demonstrating that Sri Lanka produces some of the finest of teas.

This distinct taste, flavour and aroma of tea is produced so well as a result of the regions this is grown in, clustered mostly among the central mountains of the island and its southern foot hills.

Nuwara Eliya town which is famous for the round tours we organise, is the best known for Sri Lanka’s tea growing districts. This is because of the mountain terrains of the highest average elevation. The infusion in the cup is the lightest of all the types of Ceylon Tea, with a golden hue and an exquisite flavour.

The remote Uva district is open to the winds of both the Northeast and Southwest monsoons and is known to provide a special, unmistakable character and tropically aromatic flavour. It was with tea grown on his Uva estates that respected Thomas Lipton, who convinced the Americans to indulge in the exquisite drink that is ‘tea’.

The district of Dimbula located between Nuwara Eliya and Horton Plains produces tea which is defined as “high grown” that is usually a fine golden-orange hue in the cup, and which is refreshingly easy going.

In Kandy, where the industry commenced in 1867, tea ranges in flavour depending on the altitude and whether the plantation is protected from the strong monsoon winds. Tea in Kandy is generally of a strong bright infusion with a coppery tone.

The teas of the Ruhuna district are defined as “low-grown” consisting of extensive sub regions from the coastal plains to the Southern edge of the well-known Sinharaja Rain Forest.

Sabaragamuwa which is Sri Lanka’s largest district produces tea with long leaves and are known to be fast growing bushes. When brewed, it takes a dark yellow brown with a red colour tint, similar to that of tea grown in Ruhuna region. The difference lies in the aroma, which gives a light caramel taste, ensuing a remarkably classy feel.

The art of making tea could be witnessed on your journey to the upcountry region. The initial experience consists of a light trek through the tea plantation to see how tea is cultivated. If you’re keen, you could even lend a hand to the hard-working tea pluckers who are mostly the female workers residing in the area. Thereafter, you will be able to witness the technical aspect of how the flavourful tea leaves are produced. There are many tea factories that showcase the process of how the plucked tea is brought to the factory and then put into machinery, where some even date back to the industrial revolution. Here you will learn how tea is withered, rolled and dried for final packaging.

Since this experience has been existent for a while, certain large and well-known tea factories could get crowded and feel touristy, however there are less visited tea factories or alternate tea experiences that we could arrange for you, based on your likings. The entrance fee is usually nominal or free, and it’s worth paying a visit, even if it means that you only to get a chance to see the antique machines at work.

Visiting a tea estate in Sri Lanka, or merely sipping a cup of tea in a local ‘kadey’ (small roadside boutique) is one of the great pleasures of travelling in Sri Lanka, and we at Diethelm Travel would be happy to incorporate a similar experience to make your itinerary extra lively.