Ceylon Tea, From Its Origins to New Discoveries

Hello! Hope you’ve had a good June! In this issue of Your Tea Journey Continues we travel to Sri Lanka. The Tea Journey team will spend several weeks on the Resplendent Isle in July. Our conversations have been about what’s happening there, what we hope to see, and the teas we are excited to taste. Sri Lanka’s tea story has a colonial beginning, but it has come a long way today.

In recent years, Sri Lanka has set out to do more with artisan tea making, tea tourism, and tea innovation. We expect to come back with many stories to share with you. Meanwhile, this issue includes four stories that showcase the many facets of this teardrop in the Indian Ocean. Our featured story introduces our Sri Lankan correspondent Rasika Galhena, who writes about the white tea made by the Lumbini tea estate. This uncommon tea is a worthy addition to our Tea Discovery series.

We also have an origin story by Anne-Marie Hardie that sets the context for those new to teas from here. Ellen Kanner’s story on the incredible Forest Hill tea from Adam’s Peak came after her travels here – on our bucket list! And there’s a story by yours truly on the Ceylon Artisan Tea Collective, whose work in tea making and community building remains inspiring.

I hope you enjoy reading them!

Innovation, Loose Leaf Tea, Origin

By Rasika Galhena

Tea Discovery: Lumbini Tea Valley White Tea

In the lower elevation gardens of the Lumbini tea estate, bordering the pristine Sinha Raja forest, a decade-long pursuit has led to a special white tea range produced in small batches for discerning tea seekers.…

By Aravinda Anantharaman

Sri Lanka’s Artisan Tea Collective

Sri Lanka celebrates diversity in tea. A new generation of Ceylon tea growers recently established an artisan tea collective to showcase exceptional teas produced to interest a niche domestic market…

By Ellen Kanner

Wild Forest Grown Ceylon Tea

Community Driven Tea Nestled in the Adam’s Peak mountain range of Sabaragamuwa Province, in the tiny village of Erathna, Kuruwita, tea producer Buddika Dissanyaka has launched a new venture, Forest…

By Anne-Marie Hardie

Origins: Historic Ceylon

From Colombo’s vibrant colors and culture to the peaceful hillsides of Kandy, Sri Lanka is both a tea lover’s and traveler’s paradise. Formally known as Ceylon, this South…

Aravinda Anantharaman

Editor, Tea Journey Magazine
Write me at aravinda@teajourney.pub