SRI LANKA

DALADA MALIGAWA KANDY TEMPLE KANDY LAKE KANDY PERAHARA

Sri Lanka

Text Box: Geography 6o-10o North Latitude & 80o-82o East longitude Maximum Length 432Km Maximum Breadth 224Km Land Area 65,525 Sq km Highest Peak Piduruthalagala 2524 meters Longest River Mahaweli 335 k.meters Highest Water fall Bambarakanda 241 meters Climate Temperature (Mean Annual) 27oC in the lowland. 15oC at Nuwara Eliya (altitude 1800 m). Relative Humidity varies from 70% during the day to 90% at night. Rainfall (annual) 2500 mm to over 5000 mm in South West of the Island. Less than 1250 mm in the North West and South East of the Island.
Rainy Seasons
South west Monsoon - (May to August)
North East Monsoon - (November to February) Weather Sri Lanka, Colombo

The principal production of tea in Ceylon (Sri Lanka, but the tea is referred to as Ceylon) is of black or fully oxidized tea. Ceylon tea was beginning in 1824, at the botanical gardens at Peradeniya in Kandy, that Tea was introduced in Sri Lanka for the first time ever. Earlier it was brought from China, but later, in 1839, more were introduced from Assam. It is produced throughout the year, but the finest plucking are in February and March, and again in August and September. The larger yield, though lower in quality, occurs during April, May, and June and again in October, November and December. In January the quality drops dramatically.

The first tea sale was held at Kandy in 1872. Export was started in 1873 with 23 pounds (approximately 10 kg) being shipped to London.

The first public Tea auction was held in Sri Lanka in 1880 and The Ceylon Tea Traders Association was formed in 1884.Ceylon teas are divided into high, medium, and low grown. Of these, the high grown are of the very best quality and when coupled with the specific times of year they can be stunning. The high grown leaf picked at peak times of the year also have these characteristics but there is much more delicacy in their flavor. Some central highland teas are exceptionally delicious but, since they grow at around 7,000 feet, they are also rare. The mid-country teas usually have a well made leaf with useful commercial value. The low grown teas have a good leaf which can be well rolled with good twist. These generally produce a strong but very plain or common cup. They are in great demand as filler teas for blending. Quality tea should meet all the criteria a tea drinker would look for: such as Flavor, an attractive bright coppery or orange color, good liquoring properties, which give body or strength to the tea, and fragrance. All the type of Tea produced in Sri Lanka is flavored by different drinkers of worldwide.