Although Ceylon Tea has long been synonymous with premium quality black tea since its introduction to the global markets in the 19th Century, Ceylon Green Tea, made from hand-picked buds and leaves mainly grown in the Uva and Nuwara Eliya regions of Sri Lanka.
While there had been numerous experiments in producing Ceylon Green Tea since the 19th Century using Chinese seedlings the first batch of Ceylon Green Tea was exported only in 1982, Today the majority of green tea from Sri Lanka is produced using Assamese stocks mainly in the Uva region of Sri Lanka, which gives the tea a fuller body and a more pungent, malty, and nutty flavour.
Unlike with Ceylon Black Tea, Sri Lanka serves only 3% of the global demand for green tea, exporting mainly to the USA, Australia, and Russia. As Ceylon Green Tea is an acquired taste, there is a growing demand for the tea from Western and Eastern Asian countries as well as African and South American countries.
Meanwhile, the Ceylon Tea has lately been adopting Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese and Brazilian seedlings in producing Ceylon Green Tea expanding its cultivation to the Nuwara Eliya region with its rugged mountains and colder climate.
These varieties of Ceylon Green Tea have a very light and sparkling bright yellow colour and a more delicate, sweet flavour mostly associated with green teas around the world. Despite their different flavours and varieties, Ceylon Green Tea offers a multitude of health benefits that are proven by science.
CEYLON GREEN TEA NOMENCLATURE
Exclusively handpicked according to the two leaves and a bud method, Ceylon Green Tea is manufactured according to the traditional Chinese production method and follows the same green tea grading.
Sri Lankan green tea manufacturers produce a range of Ceylon Green Tea including Chun Mee Green Tea, Gunpowder Green Tea, Green Curl, Sowmee, Sencha and Green Tea Flowery Fannings, and Green Tea Powder.
CHUN MEE GREEN TEA
With smaller curled twisted tea pieces, Chun Mee tea leaves or ‘precious eyebrow’ in Chinese reminiscence a perfectly arched eyebrow. Chun Mee tea is sweeter and lighter than many green teas with a mellow flavour and clean finish.
GUNPOWDER GREEN TEA
Divided into three sub-categories; Gunpowder 1 (GP1), Gunpowder 2 (GP2), and Gunpowder Special, Gunpowder green tea is a rolled green tea which carries a versatile flavour that blends with milk, infusions and blends. It is used widely in cold brews, cocktails and mocktails and is used in brewing the celebrated Moroccan Mint Tea.
GREEN CURL
A delicately twisted green tea, Ceylon Green Curls features an opened coarse more dark colour tea leaves that have a bright cream colour with shades of green when brewed.
SOWMEE GREEN TEA
A green tea that features even and neatly opened tea leaves, that brews into a deep yellow-green colour infusion.
SENCHA GREEN TEA
One of the most popular green teas in the world, especially among Japanese and Chinese consumers Sencha Green Tea is a steamed tea that consists of tiny dark green needle-shaped pieces.
GREEN TEA FLOWERY FANNINGS (GTFF)
Green Tea Flowery Fanning’s are similar to the BOPF firm leaf of the black tea variety but are of green colour consisting of little tips. Green tea flowery fannings made in Sri Lanka are available in two varieties including GTFF and GTFF 1.
GREEN TEA POWDER
The residual of the green tea manufacturing process is classified as green tea powder. Mainly of dull olive green, green tea powder is often used in cooking and baking or as a sprinkle and garnish.
OTHER CEYLON GREEN TEA VARIETIES
Flavoured Green Tea
Due to its naturally mild flavours, green tea is widely blended with herbs to create refreshing cold and hot drinks around the world. Some of these traditional flavours had been adopted by Sri Lankan green tea manufacturers including Moroccon Mint Green Tea, Jasmine Green Tea, and chamomile Green Tea. Moreover, Ceylon Green Tea is blended with a range of tropical herb and fruit flavours including ginger, cinnamon, and lemon.
Decaffeinated Green Tea
Decaffeinated using Ethyl Acetate method to retain flavour while reducing the caffeine level in the tea, an 8-ounce cup of decaffeinated Ceylon Green Tea could contain up to 15 milligrams of caffeine.
Manufactured under global food manufacturing and packaging guidelines and immediately processed to preserve freshness, Ceylon Green Tea suppliers export tea in bulk, loose leaf tea, tea in packets, tea bags and instant tea varieties to the global market.
