| Then the seasons affect the quality of the flavor as well. Sri Lanka is a classic example with its two monsoon seasons. The Western slopes yield the best flavor when plucked during the months of January to April. Likewise, the Eastern slopes are best from end July to end September or Early October. The prices of tea during these respective months really soar says Mr. Perera.
Explaining the final factor – the process – Mr. Perera says that there are two main methods followed by the industry in processing the tealeaf to its final product. Orthodox is the most traditional method and differs according to the tea type. Though time consuming and costlier, it producers the best quality as a human hand tends to every step and detail of the process. Thus, tea produced by orthodox methods is much sought after by tea connoisseurs.
The Crush-Tear-Curl method or rather the CTC method, which is used by almost every large tea manufacturer, is machine-driven and thus very effective and efficient in producing better quality teas from medium and lower quality teas. As only small leaves are used, CTC teas are very strong and often end up in tea bags.
Mr. Perera continues that Sri Lanka is quite unique in the
sense that a whole range of flavors of tea are produced rather
than a particular variety as in most other tea growing countries.
Though Sri Lanka is tiny, its tea estates fall into a wide
diverse array of geographical locations, with Nuwara
Eliya tea estates been the best of the pick. The Nuwara
Eliya tea estates not only hug the contours of the high
mountains, but also is the happy recipient of best of both
monsoon seasons. As the area the Nuwara
Eliya tea estates cover is significantly small, the tea
produced there is highly priced.
The Sri Lankan tea is named after its region and then its grade, which is an indication of its size and sometimes its appearance, but not necessarily the quality of the tea. The grades are referred in the industry by a host of acronyms such as OP, BOP, Pek, Sou, BP and so on.
For tea fans who are not fanatical about what exactly these million or so tea acronyms actually mean to select the tea variety to suit the mood, Mr. Perera outlines some interesting tips. A grade that begins with an ‘F’ in front of the acronym means it has a flowery tip and is used mostly in gourmet teas. The best tips come from Denniyaya, Kalawanna. These are good teas to have it plain as opposed to teas with acronyms that have an ‘F’ at the end, which means it is a fanning.
For a strong cup of black tea with milk and perhaps sugar, then try an orthodox BOP or a BOPF or a CTC PF1, which comes in tea bags. If you like your tea plain and strong, then you will like a Nuwara Eliya FBOP. However, if you want to spike it with ginger, a cinnamon stick or chopped fresh mint leaves, then teas from Maskeliya are great, but it is the Dimbula teas that are the best. If you want a light plain tea, then try a leafy tea advises Mr. Perera.
Products such as The Mlesna Gold Label teabags as well as teas from Kandy and Matale are strong and have the perfect punch for a good breakfast tea. For the 10 o’clock pick-me-up tea, Royal Colonial FOP, Nuwara Eliya FBOP, Classical High Tea OP or Victorian Brew FP should do the trick, he says. The afternoon cup should be a good BOP to handle the sweets and the savories of the traditional tea table.
Yes! There is a cup of black tea for every mood of the day muses Mr. Perera.
Read the next in series, Black Tea Induces Some Strange Habits! |
