Kandy District: a fragrant, full-bodied tea
First stop: Kandy, the cultural capital of Sri Lanka. The city nestles on a plateau surrounded by enchanting mountains. The landscape is blanketed in tropical rainforest and tea plantations. The Ceylon teas produced here are generally full-bodied and highly aromatic. As if in slow motion, at 20 to 25 km/h at most, the train offers a timeless escape... By your side: tourists, certainly, but also local families heading to work in the plantations. Also on board: vendors passing through the carriages carrying large, colourful baskets. And through the open windows and doors, exceptional scenery!
Nuwara Eliya: a floral tea with an amber liquor
Old rural stations with vintage charm, forests, a hint of mist, tea, sunshine, paddy fields, lakes, and yet more tea... And among the plantations, the pluckers waving gently to you. 3.5 magical hours later, you arrive in Nuwara Eliya... Perched at 1,900 metres altitude, this town truly feels like part of another continent. Nicknamed 'Little England', it is filled with colonial-style buildings. It is the ideal place to pause and visit one of the many Ceylon tea plantations. Sheltered from the heavy monsoons, its prime tea harvest takes place from February to April. Once infused, Nuwara Eliya teas reveal a clear, amber liquor. When tasted, these Sri Lankan teas disclose floral notes reminiscent of jasmine.
Uva: a coppery, round black tea
The Podi Menike takes you all the way to Ella, situated over 1,000 metres above sea level in the Uva district. Here, the tea plantations are exposed to a dry wind from June to September. These climatic conditions give rise to their distinctive aromatic profile. Ceylon teas from Uva are recognisable by the coppery colour they yield when infused. On the palate, they are smooth and round. Uva teas are among the least full-bodied of Sri Lankan teas.
Learn more about Sri Lankan tea
Your journey aboard the Podi Menike has allowed you to meet local pluckers and learn a little more about Ceylon tea! You now know more about...
... the origins of Ceylon tea
Tea was introduced to the island of Ceylon by the British around 1860. James Taylor then planted tea bushes imported from China and Assam. Shortly afterwards, a pest devastated the coffee plantations that were also found across the Emerald Isle. Furthermore, global market prices undermined the profitability of coffee. This paved the way for the tea bush, which subsequently replaced coffee.
... Ceylon tea grades
Just like other Indian black teas, Sri Lankan teas come in different quality grades.
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Flowery Orange Pekoe: FOP is a blend consisting of the terminal bud and the top two leaves of each shoot. This is known as an 'imperial' plucking. If these plucked leaves are crushed, the result is a Broken Orange Pekoe tea (BOP), a Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings (BOPF), or even a Dust tea.
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Orange Pekoe: OP tea is made from young, delicate leaves, located near the very top of the tea bush.
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Pekoe: Its leaves are slightly less delicate than Orange Pekoe. They are rather coarse and yield a light tea.
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Souchong: These leaves are plucked from lower down the tea bush. They are large, mature, and low in caffeine.
Did you enjoy your journey to tea country? To take home a souvenir or to savour the delights of Sri Lankan tea once again, discover our Ceylon OP tea.