The History of Ceylon Tea

Unbelievably, Ceylon tea Sri Lanka hasn't always been the principle export of Sri Lanka. In fact, until the 1860's it was coffee. If it hadn't been for a coffee-rot fungus (Hemileia vastatrix) killing the majority of Sri Lanka's coffee plants, the story of Ceylon tea could be a lot different. The ruinous fungus forced Ceylon estate owners to diversify their crops with many turning to the cultivation of the unaffected original Ceylon tea.

The Original Ceylon Tea Cultivation
 

In 1866 Scotsman James Taylor acquired knowledge of tea cultivation in North India and on his return to Sri Lanka, he began the original Ceylon tea plantation in 1867. These first tea seeds sown in Sri Lanka were planted in what is now field number 7 of the Loolecondera Estate, Kandy, and covered just 19 acres of land. Taylor experimented with tea cultivation and leaf manipulation in order to obtain the best possible flavor from the tea leaves.

The first pure Ceylon tea produced by Taylor was sold locally in Sri Lanka and proclaimed delicious. By 1873 Taylor's high quality original Ceylon teas were sold at the London auction for a very good price. Pure Ceylon tea cultivation began to flourish in Sri Lanka. Over the next seven years pure Ceylon tea exports rose from 23 pounds to 81.3 tons, and by 1890, just ten years later, to a staggering 22,900 tons.

 

Pure Ceylon Tea Cultivation after James Taylor

Taylor died in 1892, but the history of Ceylon tea did not end there. By the late 1880s almost all of Sri Lanka's coffee plantations had been converted to tea. And in 1899, Sri Lanka had almost 400,000 acres dedicated to tea cultivation to meet the demand for the high quality of pure Ceylon tea.

Advancement of Pure Ceylon Tea Production
 

The progression of original Ceylon tea production throughout the history of Ceylon tea went hand in hand with technological and organizational advances. In 1894 the Ceylon Tea Traders Association was formed and even today virtually all tea produced in Sri Lanka is conducted through this association as well as the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. In 1896 the Colombo Brokers' Association was formed. Then in 1915, Mr. Thomas Amarasuriya became the first Ceylonese to be appointed as Chairman of the Planters' Association.

By 1925, it was deemed necessary to research production methods and attempt to maximize yields so the Tea Research Institute was established in Ceylon. After two years, tea production in Sri Lanka exceeded 100,000 metric tons, almost entirely for export. The high quality of original Ceylon tea was protected in 1934 by a law prohibiting the export of poor quality tea.

By 1965, less than 100 years since the original Ceylon tea estate was founded, Sri Lanka became the world's largest tea exporter for the first time. Between 1971 and 1972, the Sri Lankan government nationalized tea estates owned by British companies. These were privatized again 20 years later in 1993. By the year 2000, Ceylon tea production had grown to over 300,000 metric tons. Currently, the Ceylon tea sector employs over 1 million people in Sri Lanka, directly or indirectly.

 

Sri Lanka guarantees the country of origin and protects the image of Sri Lanka's quality teas through the Lion logo, developed by the Ceylon Tea Board. Only products containing 100% pure Ceylon tea can use the Lion logo.