Tea tales: how Ceylon tea won the world over

For some 5,000 years, China has been heralded as the birthplace of tea, but it’s actually in Sri Lanka that this aromatic beverage was refined and produced to worldwide proportions.

Just 150 years ago, Sri Lanka’s hill country remained a wild sweep of jungle-clad mountains. But now these beautiful highlands are known for producing some of the world’s finest tea – and they make for an amazing photo opportunity, too. You can see it (and taste it) for yourself on our Sri Lanka tours – but before you go, be sure to brush up on your Ceylon tea knowledge…

A brief history of Ceylon tea

In 1867, Scotland-born James Taylor arrived in Sri Lanka and fancied a good cuppa. He planted the very first tea estate (20 acres) in Loolecondera, near the city of Kandy. Taylor discovered and introduced the more widely used technique of ‘fine plucking’ – two leaves and a bud – as opposed to the Emperor’s ‘Imperial pluck’ method, where the top bud and first leaf were picked.

In 1890, Taylor made a business deal with British millionaire Thomas Lipton and before long, Lipton tea was exported from Sri Lanka (known as Ceylon until 1972) and distributed throughout Europe and the USA. Today, Sri Lanka has more than 188,000 hectares of tea plantations across the island.

Where to see tea plantations in Sri Lanka

Although the first tea plantation in Sri Lanka was situated in Kandy, Nuwara Eliya is now considered the prime area for the production of the finest Ceylon tea.

Nuwara Eliya is nestled in the highlands of central Sri Lanka. Often referred to as ‘little England’, the town has a distinctly British feel to it. Built in the 19th century in the style of a charming old English country town, the streets are lined with colonial-era bungalows and Tudor-style hotels.

Visiting a Ceylon tea plantation

If you’re interested in tea tasting or want to tour a plantation, there are several to choose from. You can choose to dive in with the workers – or ‘pluckers’ – and pick delicate leaves by hand for production. In some places, there’s also the chance to tour the entire manufacturing process from beginning to end, learning more about how the tea is produced. And, of course, there’ll always be opportunities for a tasting of Ceylon tea (don’t forget to buy a box or two to take home with you).

What does Ceylon tea taste like?

When growing tea, there are three main categories of altitude: low-grown, medium-grown and high-grown. Each level produces a unique flavour, from light and delicate to rich and full-bodied.

• Udawatte (high-grown tea – above 1,200m) is considered the finest. It has a delicate, crisp flavour and golden orange colour that makes it very sought after. Dimbula, Nuwara Eliya and Uva are the three prime tea districts.

• Medawatte (mid-grown tea – between 600 and 1,200m) is less refined with floral, malty notes. It’s the middle ground in terms of price and quality and is mostly grown around the city of Kandy.

• Yatawatte (low-grown tea – below 600m) is stronger, more robust and higher in caffeine. Ratnapura and Galle are two important districts of this type of tea.

Is Ceylon tea black tea?

Yes, Ceylon tea is black tea. To be labelled Ceylon tea, the leaves must have been picked and processed in Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon). Ceylon is used to make breakfast tea blends, too, where it’s often mixed with Assam tea.

Do you put milk in Ceylon tea?

As with any black tea, you can choose have Ceylon tea with or without milk. The aromatic flavours hold up well with milk and sugar – how you take it is all down to personal preference. At a tea tasting in Sri Lanka, you’ll have the chance to sample Ceylon tea so you can decide how you like it.

What makes Ceylon tea so special?

Ceylon tea is a particular variety of tea that can only be found in one place in the world: Sri Lanka. Its heritage and provenance make it special, along with the unique flavour profile (which varies depending on the altitude the tea was grown at).

Visiting a Ceylon tea plantation and tasting the tea is a fantastic experience to add to your holiday to Sri Lanka, as tea is such a big part of life here.

Which Sri Lanka tour includes a tea tasting?

On The Best of Sri Lanka, you’ll sample some of the world’s best tea in Nuwara Eliya – we’ll visit the plantation, help to pick leaves, learn about the manufacturing process and end with a tasting (followed by a traditional afternoon tea).

We’ll also discover mountaintop fortresses, ancient capitals hidden in forests and national parks where elephants roam free. We finish with a safari in Yala National Park before relaxing by the coast. It’s the perfect introduction to Sri Lanka.

Find out more about our food and drink tours to destinations across the world.

This post was first published in 2018 and updated for 2025