An infusion of Ceylon Tea and fruits, herbs and spices indigenous to Sri Lanka, Flavoured Ceylon Tea is found in many forms, flavours, and blends across the world. Since the beginning of tea drinking in the 3rd Century AD, various blends and types of tea had been mixed with herbs, spices and fruits to enhance the flavour and aroma of tea. Keeping true to this age-old tradition Ceylon Tea manufacturers have created a range of tea flavours using different flavouring methods.
METHODS USED TO FLAVOUR CEYLON TEA
While there are several ways of flavouring Ceylon Black Tea and Green Tea, inclusion, natural extracts and natural identical flavours are some of the most common methods used to flavour tea varieties made in Sri Lanka.
- Inclusions – Dried pieces and fragments of flowers, fruit, herbs or spice are mixed with loose leaf tea to add flavour and aroma to the brew
- Natural Extracts – Natural extracts, concentrates and essential oil are added to tea leaves using coating methods or infused with tea concentrate to produce naturally flavoured loose leaf tea, tea bags, instant tea, and tea cordials,
- Natural Identical Flavours – When chemical synthesis is used to obtain flavouring agents from natural ingredients, they are considered as natural identical flavours. While they have the same chemical structure as the natural flavour, they tend to be more stable and less expensive than the natural extracts. Most of the flavoured Ceylon Tea products include natural identical flavours, which due to lack of accurate classification is considered artificial flavouring.
- Artificial Flavours – Synthetically manufactured flavours which varies from its natural counterparts. It is more intense, less expensive and does not exist in nature. Artificial flavours are hardly used as flavourings in the Ceylon Tea industry.
- Scented – Tea leaves derive aroma and flavour by being placed at close proximity to strong scents and flavours. This is one of the methods used in producing jasmine tea. Another method is to circulate hot air through flowers and them through loose-leaf tea, allowing the tea to absorb the aroma.
- Smoke Dried – Smoked tea varieties like Ceylon Souchong are manufactured by drying over Ceylon Cinnamon sticks to add a smooth woody flavour.
FLAVOURED BLACK TEA
The varieties of flavoured Ceylon Black Tea are only limited by the imagination of the tea blenders and availability of natural flavours. However, some flavoured Ceylon Black Tea varieties tend to be more popular than the rest among tea drinkers around the world.
CEYLON EARL GREY TEA
While Ceylon Black Tea is available in a multitude of flavours, Ceylon Earl Grey Tea could be the most popular tea of them all. Although created originally in the 19th Century in England to mask the flavour of cheap tea and to pass it off as an expensive tea, Ceylon Earl Grey tea from Sri Lanka is produced by combining rich and full-bodied Ceylon Single Origin Tea with Bergamot Oil. Although Earl Grey is a flavour generally associated with black tea, tea makers also manufacture Earl Grey Green Tea to cater to the rising market demand.
GINGER FLAVOURED BLACK TEA
One of the all-time favourite black teas locally and globally ginger flavoured black tea combines two of Asia’s most popular flavours; black tea and ginger. Aromatically pungent and flavorful with the heat of spice, ginger black tea is one of the refreshing versions of the world’s favourite beverage and provides the combined benefits of ginger and Ceylon Black Tea.
CINNAMON FLAVOURED BLACK TEA
A combination of Sri Lanka’s leading spice with the country’s favourite tea, cinnamon flavoured black tea is a mixture of Ceylon Cinnamon with Ceylon Black Tea. Flavoured using Ceylon Cinnamon essential oil or Ceylon Cinnamon powder, cinnamon flavoured black tea combined the health benefits of Ceylon Black Tea and Ceylon Cinnamon.
MASALA CHAI
A mixed spice tea that claims its origin to the Indian Subcontinent, Masala Chai or mixed spiced tea includes the combination of aromatic spices and herbs with Ceylon Black Tea. While its Indian counterpart includes a spice mixture known as Karha, Ceylon Spice Chai combines Ceylon Tea with much celebrated Sri Lankan Spices including Ceylon Cinnamon, ginger, Ceylon Clove and Ceylon Pepper.
FLAVOURED GREEN TEA
Flavoured green tea blends have been a popular drink in Eastern Asian regions, especially in Japan and China, where green tea is an intricate part of their culture and lifestyle. Due to the many health benefits it offers and its gentle flavour, green tea is fast becoming a popular drink around the world, with each tea drinker adopting their own flavour and blend. Ceylon Green Tea Manufacturers have adopted a range of flavoured green teas, yet jasmine green tea and mint green tea continue to be the flavours that are mostly in demand.
JASMINE GREEN TEA
Subtly sweet and highly fragrant, jasmine green tea is prepared mainly by mixing tea leaves with freshly bloomed jasmine blooms for over four hours. Stored under controlled humidity, tea leaves are dried agin to remove the moisture gained during the scenting process. Although green tea is the most popular based for jasmine tea, it is also prepared with white oolong tea. Several green tea manufacturers in Sri Lanka specialising in the production of Jasmine Green Tea with Ceylon Green Tea.
MINT GREEN TEA
Made by combining natural spearmint and peppermint flavours with Ceylon Green Tea, mint green tea carries a more lively and vibrant flavour that soothes senses and cools down the body whether consumed hot or cold. Mint green tea is manufactured in Sri Lanka only includes natural mint flavouring and premium quality Ceylon Green Teas assuring the combined goodness of green tea and mint.
FRUIT FLAVOURED TEA
Ceylon Tea makers have combined the tropical fruits found in Sri Lanka with Ceylon Tea varieties to create a range of delicious fruit flavoured teas that are celebrated around the world. Most popular among them are the ;
- Raspberry flavoured tea made by infusing Ceylon BOPF tea with Raspberry flavour containing a characteristic sweet and sour taste.
- Lemon flavoured tea is a combination of Ceylon BOPF with the zesty flavour of lemon with a mildly sour yet reviving tea.
- Vanilla flavoured tea is a combination of Ceylon Pekoe Tea with aromatic natural vanilla flavour, that carries a honey-like sweetness and a subtle aroma.
Also available in almond, peach, mango, apple, lychee, black currant, mixed fruit, and other single and combined flavours, fruit flavoured Ceylon Teas are available as loose leaf tea and tea bags.
SPICED TEA
In addition to the celebrated ginger, cinnamon flavoured teas and Ceylon Masala Chai, Sri Lankan tea manufacturers produce a range of innovative spiced tea flavours that combine the flavour of Ceylon Spices and Ceylon Tea in a single sip of tea. Among them is the clove flavoured black tea, cardamom flavoured black tea, black tea with turmeric, and combined spice flavours.
HERB FLAVOURED TEA
Herbs are mostly combined with Ceylon Green Tea to create a smooth and enlivened flavour. Among the herb flavoured green teas are the lemongrass flavoured green tea, chamomile green tea, in addition to the popular mint and jasmine flavoured green teas.
