Sri Lanka (Ceylon) Origin Teas

Black Teas:

Line #	Name
351	Supreme - Pekoe Origin: Uva, Sri Lanka Case Weight: 79 lbs Kosher: Yes The rolled and round curly leaf provides a brew with a heavy body.
352	Chester BOP Origin: Galle, Sri Lanka Case Weight: 110 lbs Kosher: Yes This is a typical low-grown black Ceylon tea. Grown in the southwest Galle district, it can be produced almost year round. The average growing elevation for this tea is 1,000 feet and below. It is labeled a BOP but because of the larger size and slight curl to the leaf. It is technically a pekoe. Being a low grown tea, this blend has good dark liquor and a medium strength cup.
353	Estate Blend OP Origin: Kegalle, Sri Lanka Case Weight: 75 lbs Kosher: Yes This blend grows at an elevation between 1,000 and 2,000 feet. The lower and medium growing elevations give this blend a good balance of weight and flavor. The balanced cup makes this a good English Breakfast or base for flavored hot tea.
354	Englsih Breakfast Pekoe Origin: Sri Lanka Case Weight: 79 lbs Kosher: Yes This is a blend that the British would enjoy for breakfast, a blend of black pekoe leaf. The peak season for this blend is January/February. Like the low grown Assams of India, this tea is grown at approximately 1,000 feet. It has a fancy rolled leaf, and a deep red cup, with a good balance of weight and flavor that holds up to milk.
K142580	Kenilworth Estate OP Origin: Sri Lanka Case Weight: 83 lbs Kosher: Yes Classic Ceylon OP, twisted wiry leaf Currently Out of Stock
3719	Ceylon Black OP, Decaff Origin: Sri Lanka Case Weight: 66 lbs CO2, natural process, long twisted leaf

 

Breakfast Blend Teas:

Line #	Name
353	Estate Blend OP Origin: Kegalle, Sri Lanka Case Weight: 75 lbs Kosher: Yes This blend grows at an elevation between 1,000 and 2,000 feet. The lower and medium growing elevations give this blend a good balance of weight and flavor. The balanced cup makes this a good English Breakfast or base for flavored hot tea.
354	Englsih Breakfast Pekoe Origin: Sri Lanka Case Weight: 79 lbs Kosher: Yes This is a blend that the British would enjoy for breakfast, a blend of black pekoe leaf. The peak season for this blend is January/February. Like the low grown Assams of India, this tea is grown at approximately 1,000 feet. It has a fancy rolled leaf, and a deep red cup, with a good balance of weight and flavor that holds up to milk.

 

Irish Breakfast Teas:

Line #	Name
351	Supreme - Pekoe Origin: Uva, Sri Lanka Case Weight: 79 lbs Kosher: Yes The rolled and round curly leaf provides a brew with a heavy body.
352	Chester BOP Origin: Galle, Sri Lanka Case Weight: 110 lbs Kosher: Yes This is a typical low-grown black Ceylon tea. Grown in the southwest Galle district, it can be produced almost year round. The average growing elevation for this tea is 1,000 feet and below. It is labeled a BOP but because of the larger size and slight curl to the leaf. It is technically a pekoe. Being a low grown tea, this blend has good dark liquor and a medium strength cup.

 

Decaffeinated Teas:

Line #	Name
3719	Ceylon Black OP, Decaff Origin: Sri Lanka Case Weight: 66 lbs CO2, natural process, long twiested leaf

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Country Statistics
Area: 24,950 sq.miles (64,630 sq.km)
Capital: Colombo
Main Cities: Jaffna, Kandy, Galle, Trincomalee
Languages: Sinhalese, Tamil, English
Religions: Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Christian
Map of Sri Lanka

Overview of Sri Lanka's Tea Production

Within 130 years, tea production in Sri Lanka was elevated from what was initially a replacement crop for the failed coffee harvest of 1869 to an industry that at one stage, was the second largest annual production in the world market. Like most tea producing countries, Sri Lanka has experienced many ups and downs in its annual production numbers.

In 1992, having suffered heavy losses during an experiment in nationalized management, the government decided to return its plantations to private management. The plan began in 1995 with the sale of 23 state-owned plantations. Privatization of state-owned estates is now attracting foreign investment as well as raising the level of harvest quantity and quality.

Sri Lanka resembles a pear-shaped island. Most of the tea plantations are located in the heartlands of the lower, central bulge. Tea growing takes place on three elevation levels. These include the top-quality, high-grown tea in the central hill region at 4,000 – 6,000 feet, with bright character and superior flavor due to the cooler air; medium-grown tea at 2,000 – 4,000 feet, known for being full-bodied with good color and strength; while strong and colory low-grown tea is produced below 2,000 feet. Much of the high-grown tea is cultivated on large estates whereas smaller gardens (usually under 10 acres) dominate the lower levels.
Sri Lanka's unique rainfall pattern guarantees an almost unbroken harvesting season within the country. Two separate monsoon seasons hit the island throughout the year; one from the north-east and another from the south-west. When production falls off on the teas from the western side or Dimbulla teas, there is a rise in production on the eastern side or Uva teas. The production of premium teas is aided by the presence of cool, dry winds. During the peak of the cropping season, teas can be picked at such a rate as to require a 24-hour processing cycle at the factories.

The regular Tuesday auction in Colombo, the largest in the world, sells almost 13 million pounds annually. 90% of the national output is required by law to come under gavel, although some companies get special dispensation to sell 50% of output through direct sales.