One of the most celebrated drinks in the world, since its first consignment arrived at the London Tea Exchange in 1873, Ceylon Black Tea has been the lifeline of Sri Lankan exports and trade. One of the top 5 tea producing countries in the world, Sri Lanka satisfy over 11% of the global demand for tea and is one of the largest exporters of handpicked orthodox tea to the global market.
Despite Sri Lanka’s adoption of other varieties of Ceylon Black Tea continues to be country’s speciality. Rich with a flavour and goodness uniquely formed by the varying terroir of Sri Lanka’s tea-growing regions, It is scientifically proven to have a unique composition of Flavonols. (1) These flavonols are responsible for the crisp citrus aroma unique to Ceylon Black Tea as well as the multitude of health benefits, it offers.
Grown across all seven regions of tea cultivation in Sri Lanka, Black Tea is categorised according to its flavours, production method, and leaf size.
CEYLON BLACK TEA NOMENCLATURE
Black tea is produced as per two methods; the majority of Ceylon Black Tea is produced according to the orthodox method while a small percentage follow a CTC production method.
ORTHODOX BLACK TEA
Exclusively handpicked and manufactured according to orthodox practices of tea manufacturing, Orthodox Ceylon Black Tea can be categorised into several categories mainly within the whole leaf, broken leaf, fanning and dust grades. The whole leaf grades include Pekoe, Pekoe 1, Orange Pekoe (OP), Orange Pekoe A (OPA), and Orage Pekoe 1 (OP1) varieties. Broken Leaf varieties of Ceylon Black Tea include Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP), Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe (FBOP), Broken Orange Pekoe One (BOP1), Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe one (FBOP1)
The fanning varieties of Ceylon Black Tea include Broken Orange Pekoe Fanning’s (BOPF), Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fanning’s (FBOPF), Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fanning’s one (FBOPF 1), Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fanning’s Special (FBOPFSP), and Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fanning’s Extra Special (FBOPFEXSP).
Ceylon Black Tea dust varieties include Dust and Dust 1 grades.
CTC BLACK TEA
Black Tea that has been manufactured according to Cut – Tear – Curl (CTC) method are categorised into broken leaf, fanning and dust grades, namely;
- Broken Pekoe Special (BPS)
- Broken Pekoe 1 (BP1)
- Broken Pekoe Leaf (BPL)
- Pekoe Fanning’s One (PF1)
- Pekoe Dust (PD)
OTHER CEYLON BLACK TEA VARIETIES
Other than the exclusive single estate Black Tea, Tea manufacturer in Sri Lanka also produces a range of value-added Black Teas for local and global markets by blending Ceylon Black Tea varieties and other ingredients such as fruits and herbs;
CEYLON EARL GREY TEA
Ceylon Earl Grey Tea is a fusion of rich strong-bodied Ceylon Black Tea and bergamot oil. A tea blend that compliments the natural citrus aroma and crisp flavour of Ceylon Tea.
CEYLON ENGLISH BREAKFAST TEA
A full-bodied robust tea with rich flavours that sit well with milk and sugar, Ceylon English Breakfast is a clever blend of Black Tea from Dimbula and Kandy regions.
FRUIT FLAVOURED BLACK TEA
The subtle flavour of Black Tea blends well with a range of fruits from exotic mango, passion fruit and lychee to all-time favourites like strawberry, raspberry, and lemon.
SPICE FLAVOURED BLACK TEA
Ceylon Black Tea is traditionally blended with ginger and cinnamon to add an extra zest to the cup of tea, In addition, black tea is blended with other spice such as clove and cardamom presenting the best of Ceylon Tea and Spices.
DECAFFEINATED BLACK TEA
Decaffeinated Black Tea is decaffeinated using pressurized liquid carbon dioxide to preserve the tea’s flavour and freshness. All decaffeinated Black Tea varieties contain less than 2.5% of its original caffeine quantity.
Manufactured under global food manufacturing guidelines and packed and processed at the source to preserve freshness, Tea suppliers export tea in bulk, loose leaf tea, tea in packets, tea bags and instant tea varieties to the global market.
