Ceylon is the old name for Sri Lanka, and is still used when referring to tea from that country. It has has been for many years the world's leading supplier of tea, but has in recent years been overtaken by Kenya. It is regarded as a good standard tea, suitable for blending or - from the best estates - to be drunk on its own. Richer than Darjeeling, lighter than Assam. A good base for Earl Grey and Breakfast Tea.
Sri Lanka is a large island just to the south of India which came under control of the British at the end of the 18th century. The British started coffee plantains, but after a leaf blight in 1869, production eventually shifted to tea. The tea plant had been brought to the island in 1867 by a coffee estate manager, James Taylor, who experimented with it as an alternative crop. Thomas Lipton, the founder of Lipton Tea, bought four tea plantations on Ceylon, and marketed them as a cheap, everyday drink in Britain.
The most prized teas are those from the high estates, such as Somerset and Kenilworth; the higher the altitude the brighter, cleaner and more delicate the flavour.
I keep trying Ceylon tea because it has a certain resonance for us British tea drinkers. But I can't recall ever being struck by it. It strikes me as a fairly basic and uninteresting tea. Neither delicate nor rich. Not highly flavoured or distinctive. It's just a tea. It's OK - drinkable, with just enough strength, but not overpowering, and with a clean finish. But there's nothing to hold the attention or to delight.
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Crai Tea Classico Ceylon |
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| Twinings Ceylon tea |
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| Asda Chosen by you Ceylon tea |
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| Waitrose Smooth & delicate Ceylon tea |
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