Ceylon’s cup that cheers!
Larina Arrowsmith visits a tea factory to understand the process of tea making
Avisit to Sri Lanka wouldn’t be complete without a trip to a tea estate; and being a true Brit, I have been a fan of this traditional beverage for years. So I was keen to watch the process in action and savour how the different flavours of Ceylon Tea compared to some of my favourite brands back home.
We stop on the way to Nuwara Eliya at the Store Field Tea Factory where we’re welcomed by a friendly lady in traditional dress. She leads us through the gardens and explains the process, stopping at one of the tea bushes to show how production starts at the picking stage.
I learn that the various teas are not from different types of bush but essentially similar tea leaves. The difference in taste lies in the process. The most expensive is white tea, which is made from only the tips and buds of the plant.
The place is a veritable oasis of tranquillity, and an aromatic treat for the senses as the gentle breeze disperses the flowery aroma of the leaves while we stand and listen. Our guide’s dulcet tones and soft accent are slightly hypnotic as she explains the intricate process in detail. Her pride is clear as she describes the process that has made her country an icon in producing one of the most famous beverages in the world.
Following our tour in the gardens, we are taken to the factory to see the various stages of tea making, beginning with withering where the leaves are spread on racks and warmed to reduce the moisture content. This enables the leaves to be rolled in the rolling room, which is filled with large noisy machines working overtime to produce as much tea as possible. The rolling entails twisting and rolling the leaves for about half an hour to break up the leaf cells, so that their oils and enzymes can be released.
The penultimate stage is oxidation where the leaves are allowed to ferment under humid conditions and their colour changes from green to brown. Finally comes the firing stage where the leaves are dried evenly and this determines what type of tea will be produced – basically the smaller the pieces, the stronger the tea!
Afterwards, we visit the tea shop where we’re presented with a tray containing a selection of teas of various colours – and we sit to enjoy the spread. The range includes the traditional flavours, and others like vanilla, mango and English Rose. Once again, my senses are treated to a sumptuous delight as the sweet flavours and fruity tangs of these Ceylon delicacies warm the palate and tantalise my tastebuds.
Later, as I sit back and relax in typical English tea drinking style, I’m glad that I tried the different brands and opened up my horizons after decades of enjoying the same old cuppa. There’s certainly something to be said for the phrase ‘out with the old and in with the new.’