Ceylon (tea)
As Ceylon tea , various teas referred to in Sri Lanka , formerly called, grown and processed Ceylon. Black Ceylon teas are characterized by a medium-strong, tart, slightly malty, fresh taste that is partly reminiscent of citrus fruits. They are economical and relatively insensitive to hard water . Ceylon is rarely offered as green tea . Ceylon is often the main ingredient in typical English tea blends.
The three major tea growing areas in Sri Lanka are Uva, Dimbula and Nuwara Eliya . The best quality levels come from steep altitudes of 1200 meters with sufficient humidity and precipitation, because tea plants do not tolerate waterlogging.
history
In 1870, the Scotsman James Taylor succeeded in growing tea in Sri Lanka for the first time. The cultivation was a reaction to a rust fungus epidemic (Hemileia vastatrix) that destroyed the previously predominant cultivation of coffee plants. Growing coffee in plantations was no longer profitable, as an infestation would have led to complete destruction. Investments by foreign investors did not materialize. The coffee cultivated by the locals continued to be produced and distributed, and remained an important financial support for the local farmers. The locals were unable to plant tea because they lacked the capital for the machines they needed and the knowledge of tea production. With the conquest of the highland kingdom of Kandy in 1815, a lot of land was gained for the cultivation of tea. The climate and location make the highlands extremely lucrative for growing tea and the large amount of land available was conducive to the creation of large plantations. The lack of manpower available all year round to harvest tea created a wave of immigration. Mainly South Indian Tamils came , who settled permanently on the island (see Indian Tamils in Sri Lanka ).
literature
- Bandarage, Asoka: Colonialism in Sri Lanka. The Political Economy of the Kandyan Highlands. Berlin 1983.
- Forrest, Denys M .: A hundred years of Ceylon Tea. 1867-1967. London 1967.
- Wenzlhuemer, Roland: From coffee to tea cultivation in Ceylon, 1880-1900. Leiden 2008.
