History of Ceylon Tea

Tea has a rich and fascinating history. For hundreds of years people consumed tea for its medicinal qualities. More and more tea plats were discovered and tea drinking became more popular. All this paved the way to tea becoming one of the most sort after beverages around the globe. 

Sri Lanka was introduced to tea much later. Until the 1860's the main crop produced in Sri Lanka was Coffee but in 1869 a fungus destroyed the crop so the estate owners had to diversify into other crops. Firstly a tea plant was brought to Sri Lanka from China and was planted in the Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya, this was planted for non-commercial purposes. In 1867 James Taylor planted 19 acres of tea in the Loolecondera estate in Kandy, and there in on tea became a commercially used crop in Sri Lanka. In 1872, James Taylor started a fully equipped tea factory in the same estate and in the same year he made the first sale of tea in Kandy. In 1873 the first international sale of tea was made, a shipment consisting of 23lb's of tea was sent to an auction in London. 

The production of tea rose rapidly in 1880's and by 1899 the area cultivated had exceedingly grown to nearly 400,000 acres of tea. By that time British figures such as Henry Randolph Trafford arrived in Sri Lanka and purchased coffee estates, his knowledge about coffee was limited but his knowledge about to tea was vast and he is now considered on of the pioneers in tea plantation in Sri Lanka. 

The rapid growth and popularity of tea, lead to it being sold at several auctions. The first public auction of tea was held at Somerville & Co in July 1883. and then went on to being sold at auctions held worldwide, a total sum of one million tea packets were sold in the Chicago World Fair in 1893. The Ceylon Tea Traders association was formed in 1894 and today all tea produced in Sri Lanka is conducted by this association along with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. Later in 1896 the Colombo Broker's Association was formed and in 1915 the first Ceylonese was appointed as the Chairman of the Planter's Association, his name was Thomas Amarasuriya. By 1927 the production if tea in the country exceeded 100,00o metric tonnes which was almost entirely for export purposes. 

By the 1960's the total production of tea and exports exceeded to 200,000 metric tones and 200,000 hectares, and for the first time in 1965, Sri Lanka became the world's largest tea exporter. In 1963 the production and export of instant Tea was introduced and the first International Tea Convention was held in 1966 to commemorate 100 years of tea industry in Sri Lanka. In 1976 the Sri Lankan Tea Board was founded along with others such as the Janatha Estate Development Board, Sri Lanka Estate Plantation Cooperation and the Tea Small Holding Development Authority, these bodies played a major part when it came to supervising the estates acquired by the state. And this same year tea bags were introduced to export. 

In 1980 the official supplier of tea for the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympic Games was Sri Lanka, and again in 1982 for the 12th Commonwealth Games held Brisbane and alter on in 1987 at the Expo 88 in Australia. 

Subsequently in the years to come the production and the export of tea rapidly increased and was introduced to variations, such as the production of Green Tea and also other flavored tea. In 2001 tea made it's first online sale at the Colombo Tea auctions. 

Ceylon Tea is famous worldwide, the weather conditions in the country provides vastly to the success of its growth and is made famous by the taste and quality that is only unique to Ceylon Tea. Sri Lanka caters Ceylon Tea to a number of global markets and has become the most favorite beverage among its consumers worldwide.

Categories: History

Pepper

Pepper is the dried berry of Piper Nigrum. This vine, which can grow up to ten feet tall, is indigenous to Asia. Pepper is actually a berry that is picked about nine months after flowering. Black Pepper, the spiciest, are the berries that are picked unripe. The berries used for White Pepper are ripened on the vine and soaked so that their outer skin is easily removed.

Dried ground pepper has been used since antiquity for both its flavor and as a medicine. It is one of the most common spices added to European cuisine. The spiciness of black pepper is due to the chemical piperine.

Black Pepper is extensively cultivated in tropical regions. The quality of Sri Lankan Pepper is known to be the best in the world.

Grades

1. Grade 1 - 550 G/L
2. Grade 2 (FAQ) - 500G/L

Specifications

Requirements	Grade 1	Grade 2
Extraneous Matter % by Mass, Max	1	1.5
Mouldy Berries% by Mass, Max.	1	2
Light Berries, Broken Pepper Corns & Skins % by Mass, Max.	4	10
Pin Heads % by Mass, Max.	0.5	1
Moisture, % by Mass, Max	12	14

As per Sri Lankan Standard Test Methods for Spices & Condiments.

Categories: History, Pepper, Spices

Clove

The Clove tree (Caryophylus C.) is an evergreen which grows to a height ranging from 8 to 12m, having large square leaves and sanguine flowers in numerous groups of terminal clusters. The flower buds are at first of a pale color and gradually become green, after which they develop into bright red, when they are ready for collecting. Cloves are harvested when 1.5 to 2 cm long, and consist of a long calyx, terminating in four spreading sepals, and four unopened petals which form a small ball in the center. Cloves are strong, pungent, and sweet.

Ground Cloves add spicy depth to gingerbread, cookies, muffins, cakes, and other sweets. It’s secret ingredient in barbecue and cocktail sauces. Sri Lanka Cloves command a premium price in the world market for its quality and consistency.

Grades:

1. Special (Hand Picked / Selected)
2. Grade 1

Specifications:

Characteristics	H/P	Grade 1
Headless Cloves % by Mass, Max	2.0	N/A
Cloves Below 10 mm in length % by Mass	1.0	N/A
Cloves Stems & Fruits % by Mass	0.2	2.0
Fermented Cloves % by Mass	0.5	2.0
Extraneous Matter % by Mass	0.2	0.5
Moisture percent by mass. Max	12.0	12.0

As Per CS 186:1973 Sri Lankan Standard Test Methods for spices & condiments.

Packing:
Cloves (Hand Picked) are initially packed in poly bags and then inserted in to corrugated cartons, with each carton weighing approximately 30 to 35Kgs. Cloves Grade 1/FAQ is packed in 50 Kgs gunny bags.

Categories: Clove, History, Spices

Ceylon Green Tea

The word ‘Ceylon’ is normally associated with quality black tea made by the orthodox or traditional method. Green Ceylon tea is less well known. All the same, Sri Lanka exported slightly more than 3,000 tonnes of the latter in 2010. While this was only about a hundredth of the quantity of black tea exported the same year, the reputation for quality enjoyed by Ceylon Tea has quickly come to be shared by the green product as well as the black. The Ceylon green tea industry, though young, is growing rapidly as its products attract a following among the tea-drinking nations of the world. Currently, the main export markets for green Ceylon Tea are the Middle East and the countries of the former Soviet Union, though sales are also growing in Europe, North America and East Asia. In Sri Lanka, too, a taste for green tea is rapidly spreading.

Although it is a relatively new arrival among the export statistics, the history of green tea in Sri Lanka stretches back to the very first experiments in tea cultivation and manufacture made on the island. Though sometimes attributed to Sir Anthony Oliphant, a former Chief Justice of Ceylon, the credit for undertaking these experiments is generally agreed to go to Maurice Worms, a member of the great Rothschild financial dynasty, who planted some China seedlings on his estates in Pussallewa and Ramboda in 1842. This was in the middle of the Ceylon coffee boom, so it is clear that Worms was merely trying out a new hobby.

His tea, cultivated and manufactured according to the Chinese method using tea-makers who had been brought over to Ceylon from that country expressly for the purpose, cost over £5 sterling per pound to produce. This being far more than even a Rothschild might be willing to pay for a pound of tea, the experiment was soon abandoned. However, many of the bushes on older Sri Lankan estates, particularly those at high elevations, were grown from China seedlings. As a general rule, Chinese ‘cultivars’ or strains yield a smaller leaf and a subtler flavour than the Assamese ones more common on tea estates in Sri Lanka.

Today, green Ceylon Tea is produced by eleven manufacturers on a number of estates in the mid-grown and high-grown districts. Among the varieties produced on these estates are Young Hyson (including Chun Mee), Sou Mei or ‘longevity tea’, rolled ‘gunpowder’ tea, green tea fannings and Sencha fannings. As can be seen from this list, both Chinese and Japanese tea-making methods are employed in making green Ceylon Tea.

As the pleasures of drinking tea and the healthful properties of the beverage (which offers no less than 25 established health benefits) are discovered by more and more people around the world, green Ceylon Tea looks set to continue growing in success and popularity.

Categories: History, Tea

Nutmeg

Nutmeg is the seed of Myristica fragrance, an evergreen tree that grows up to 60 feet tall. Interestingly, the tree produces both Nutmeg and mace. This is the only tropical fruit that is the source of two different spices. The mature dried seeds of Myristica fragrance are exported both Shelled and unshelled.

The sweet but slightly bitter flavor of Nutmeg adds character to vegetables. Several other commercial products are also produced from the tree, including Essential Oils, Extracted Oleoresins, and Nutmeg Butter.

Grades:-

1. With Shell
2. Without Shell

Specifications:-
       

Requirements
	Types and Grades
	Type 1 (Unshelled)		Type 2 (Shelled)
	Grade1	Grade2	Standard Quality
			Large	Medium	Small
No:of Nuts per Kg	160MAX	161 TO 260	220 Max	221 to 275	276 min
Extraneous Matter % By Mass, Max.	1	1	1	1	1
Nuts with Rattling Sound % By Count, Min	80	70	Not Applicable
Empty Shells & Dust of Nutmeg % By Mass, Max	0.5	0.5	Not Allowed

As Per Sri Lankan Standard Test Methods for Spices & Condiments.

Categories: Health Tips, History, Nutmeg, Spices

About Tea - Facebook

Tea is an aromatic beverage commonly prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured leaves of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. It has a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent flavour that many people enjoy.
Tea likely originated in China as a medicinal drink. It was first introduced to Portuguese priests and merchants in China during the 16th century. Drinking tea became popular in Britain during the 17th century. The British introduced it to India, in order to compete with the Chinese monopoly on the product.
Tea has long been promoted for having a variety of positive health benefits. Recent studies suggest that green tea may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer, promote oral health, reduce blood pressure, help with weight control, improve antibacterial and antivirasic activity, provide protection from solar ultraviolet light, and increase bone mineral density. Green tea is also said to have "anti-fibrotic properties, and neuroprotective power." Additional research is needed to "fully understand its contributions to human health, and advise its regular consumption in Western diets."
Tea catechins have known anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, help regulate food intake, and have an affinity for cannabinoid receptors, which may suppress pain and nausea and provide calming effects.

Consumption of green tea is associated with a lower risk of diseases that cause functional disability, such as “stroke, cognitive impairment, and osteoporosis” in the elderly.
Tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid whose consumption is strongly associated with a calm but alert and focused, relatively productive (alpha wave-dominant) mental state in humans. This mental state is also common to meditative practice.
The phrase "herbal tea" usually refers to infusions of fruit or herbs made without the tea plant, such as rosehip tea, chamomile tea, or rooibos tea. Alternative phrases for this are tisane or herbal infusion, both bearing an implied contrast with "tea" as it is construed here.

Cultivation and harvesting

A tea plantation in the
Cameron Highlands in Malaysia

Camellia sinensis is an evergreen plant that grows mainly in tropical and subtropical climates. Some varieties can also tolerate marine climates and are cultivated as far north as Pembrokeshire in the British mainland and Washington in the United States.

Leaves of Camellia sinensis, the tea plant

Tea plants are propagated from seed and cutting; it takes about 4 to 12 years for a tea plant to bear seed, and about three years before a new plant is ready for harvesting. In addition to a zone 8 climate or warmer, tea plants require at least 127 cm (50 inches) of rainfall a year and prefer acidic soils. Many high-quality tea plants are cultivated at elevations of up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level. While at these heights the plants grow more slowly, they acquire a better flavour.
Two principal varieties are used: Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, which is used for most Chinese, Formosan and Japanese teas, and Camellia sinensis var. assamica, used in Pu-erh and most Indian teas (but not Darjeeling). Within these botanical varieties, there are many strains and modern clonal varieties. Leaf size is the chief criterion for the classification of tea plants, with three primary classifications being,Assam type, characterised by the largest leaves; China type, characterised by the smallest leaves; Cambodian type, characterised by leaves of intermediate size.
A tea plant will grow into a tree of up to 16 m (52 ft) if left undisturbed, but cultivated plants are generally pruned to waist height for ease of plucking. Also, the short plants bear more new shoots which provide new and tender leaves and increase the quality of the tea.
Only the top 1–2 inches of the mature plant are picked. These buds and leaves are called flushes. A plant will grow a new flush every seven to fifteen days during the growing season. Leaves that are slow in development tend to produce better-flavoured teas.Pests of tea include mosquito bugs that can tatter leaves, so they may be sprayed with insecticides.
Organic tea cultivation is endorsed by governments, corporations, and foundations in tea-growing countries, due to the danger of insecticides to human health and the potential for soil pollution. Naturally occurring mined products are used for soil fertilization. Leaf pests and diseases are controlled with the use of biological control agents, which are prepared or extracted without the use of chemical solvents.


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Categories: History, Tea

History of Tea production in Sri Lanka

Tea production in Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, is of high importance to the Sri Lankan economy and the world market. The country is the world's fourth largest producer of tea and the industry is one of the country's main sources of foreign exchange and a significant source of income for laborers, with tea accounting for 2% of GDP, generating roughly $700 million annually. In 1995, Sri Lanka was the world's leading exporter of tea, (rather than producer) with 23% of the total world export, but it has since been surpassed by Kenya. The tea sector employs, directly or indirectly over 1 million people in Sri Lanka, and in 1995 directly employed 215,338 on tea plantations and estates. The humidity, cool temperatures, and rainfall in the country's central highlands provide a climate that favors the production of high quality tea. The industry was introduced to the country in 1847 by James Taylor, the British planter who arrived in 1852.

Pre-Tea era

Cinnamon was the first crop to receive government sponsorship in Ceylon, while the island was under Dutch control. During the administration of Dutch governor Iman Willem Falck, cinnamon plantations were planted in Colombo, Maradana, and Cinnamon Gardens in 1769. The first British governor Frederick North prohibited private cinnamon plantations, thereby securing monopoly on cinnamon plantations for the East India Company. However, an economic slump in the 1830s in England and elsewhere in Europe affected the cinnamon plantations in Ceylon. This resulted in them being decommissioned by William Colebrooke in 1833. Finding cinnamon unprofitable, the British turned to coffee.
By 1825 the Ceylonese already had a knowledge of coffee. They started planting coffee as a garden crop and the first coffee plantation was started in Baddegama in Galle District. Although this venture failed due to the unsuitability of the area for the crop, George Bird Hemileia vastatrix or coffee rust, better known as "coffee leaf disease" or "coffee blight". The planters nicknamed the disease "devastating Emily" when it was first identified in the Madolsima area in 1869. Production dipped rapidly as the disease set in and every effort failed to revive coffee production. Of 1700 coffee planters, only 400 remained on the island as the rest left for their home countries. The coffee crop died, marking an end of an era when most of the plantations on the island were dedicated to producing coffee beans. Planters experimented with cocoa and cinchona as alternative crops but failed due to a bug, Heloplice antonie, so that in the 1870s virtually all the remaining coffee planters in Ceylon switched to the production and cultivation of tea. By the year 1900, only 11,392 acres (46 km²) were still under coffee cultivation.

became the first to start planting coffee on a commercial scale. After Bird began his coffee plantation in Singhapitiya, Gampola governor Edward Barnes also started a plantation in Gannoruwa. The demand and high price in the European market for coffee fueled the rush of coffee planting. Investors flocked to Ceylon from overseas and around 100,000 ha (386 sq mi) of rain forest was cleared to pave the way for coffee plantations. The term "Coffee rush" was coined to describe this developing situation in 1840. In 1869 the coffee industry was still thriving in Ceylon but shortly afterwards, coffee plantations were devastated by a fungal disease called Hemileia vastatrix or coffee rust, better known as "coffee leaf disease" or "coffee blight". The planters nicknamed the disease "devastating Emily" when it was first identified in the Madolsima area in 1869. Production dipped rapidly as the disease set in and every effort failed to revive coffee production. Of 1700 coffee planters, only 400 remained on the island as the rest left for their home countries. The coffee crop died, marking an end of an era when most of the plantations on the island were dedicated to producing coffee beans. Planters experimented with cocoa and cinchona as alternative crops but failed due to a bug, Heloplice antonie, so that in the 1870s virtually all the remaining coffee planters in Ceylon switched to the production and cultivation of tea. By the year 1900, only 11,392 acres (46 km²) were still under coffee cultivation.

Categories: History, Tea