The famous island of Ceylon has many advantages. True, now it is called Sri Lanka, but this does not prevent him from occupying one of the leading places in the world for the production of the oldest drink - tea. In this art, local residents can be considered real professionals. Among the many varieties and varieties, it is green Ceylon tea that attracts special attention of connoisseurs.
Interesting details
For the first time, the islanders saw tea bushes only at the end of the 19th century. They were brought from India by the famous Scottish planter James Taylor in those years . After the death of his coffee grounds, the entrepreneurial owner was forced to look for other sources of income. Life itself prompted the exit, and soon a product collected from new tea plantations brought him success and international fame. Over the years, this shrub has become a real symbol of the island. They began to grow it everywhere: from the lowland eastern regions to the western places of the highlands. After simple processing, the collected leaves turned into black or green Ceylon tea. The difference between these two types of product is relatively small. And one and the other is obtained from small leaves of the same bush. True, these leaves are processed in different ways. To get black tea, they go through 5 stages in the production process after collection:
1) Withering.
2) Twisting.
3) Fermentation.
4) Drying.
5) Sort.
Green Ceylon tea is made in a similar way, excluding only the first and third stages. This allows the leaves to preserve their natural properties. The technology is taken from Japanese and Chinese masters. Moreover, the quality of green Ceylon tea is in no way inferior to them.
Variety of taste
Today, the tea industry in Sri Lanka is very well developed. Numerous plantations give a rich harvest, which is then turned into a fragrant product and shipped to all countries of the world. Tea makes up almost 15% of the island's total exports. Tea factories produce products of various types and varieties. They differ from each other in the place of collection and processing methods. If the local industry has already mastered the production of black tea in six main regions, then experience in the production of green varieties was acquired by specialists not so long ago. Previously, this technology was used mainly in China. Now unfermented products in large quantities are supplied to the world market. The most popular is natural green Ceylon tea without flavors. However, to expand the assortment and satisfy growing consumer demands, new types of tea cocktails have been developed using natural fillers to give the drink a special aroma. As additives are usually used:
- mint;
- jasmine;
- wild strawberries;
- peach;
- cherry;
- Garnet.
The main representative of the tea industry on the island is the Tarpan group of companies, which owns the two largest brands: Bazilur and Tipson. They ship their products to many countries, some of which have made their name on first-class products. Among them are representatives of Russia: Nadin, Conversation, Brook Bond, Tea with an Elephant, Bernley and others.
Special product
Many buyers claim that of all the known types and varieties of unfermented product, the best is Ceylon green leaf tea. It is obtained at the last stage of production after sorting. Usually this light refreshing drink has a delicate taste, wonderful aroma and a long pleasant aftertaste. Experts say that this product surpasses even the famous black tea in many ways. It contains a huge amount of catechins and 6 times more vitamins. And unoxidized tannins are biologically more active. All this makes green tea infusion the most useful for the human body. It is advised to use cores and those who have certain types of cancer. And nutritionists argue that green varieties accelerate metabolism, thereby contributing to the speedy weight loss. This feature of the drink is extremely interesting for women. But everything should be in moderation and under the supervision of doctors.
New look promotion
Many people still drink only black tea. This habit has developed over the years. After all, for a long time it was believed that this drink should be just that. Over time, other technologies became known to the world. Initially, they were owned only by oriental masters from China and distant Japan. True, their methods and techniques were slightly different from each other. The Chinese folded the leaf across the central axis so that it turned into a pea, and then dried it by direct heating. The Japanese acted somewhat differently. They simply evaporated moisture from it.
Ceylon green tea repeats the experience of its closest neighbors. It began to be made only at the end of the 20th century, so the product is not yet so famous and popular. The islanders use a special kind of tea bush for production, specially brought from India. Typically, such plantations are located near those places where eucalyptus, cypress and mint grow in large numbers. They give the future drink an incomparable aroma. Most often these are high-altitude areas that are located above sea level at an altitude of more than two thousand meters.
Understanding the attractive prospect, the leaders of tea companies have recently begun to pay special attention to this product.