Ceylon Tea 101
Many of us have heard about Ceylon tea. If you like black tea then chances are you have. It sounds like a brand, yet every brand seems to carry its own version of it. It must be a type of tea, since it can be mixed with other teas to create new ones... The answer is yes, but not quite. Ceylon tea has been so well marketed that at this point it is practically considered a brand of tea. It can also be considered a type of tea, since it is sometimes used in famous blends of tea such as the Irish Breakfast Tea, but in reality the word "Ceylon" refers to the name of the country where this tea is grown. The purpose of this article is to tell you about the history of Ceylon tea and where it stands today.
Ceylon Tea is Born
In the world of marketing, knowing a product that is well known by its characteristics (whether good or bad) is called brand recognition. It is always interesting how a name can sometimes stick to a product even after changing its name. Big companies know this name game far too well, but in this case, the name Ceylon is not to be associated with any company in particular, but with a country: Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is a small island that sits on the Indian Ocean, very close to India as a matter of fact. Before Sri Lanka gain its independence from the United Kingdom in 1972, the island was known as Ceylon. During the years of colonialism, Ceylon was strictly a coffee producing island, and doing quite well too. But then in 1869, the coffee plantations were destroyed by plant disease and tea started to take the place of coffee as the product of choice. It didn't take long before the island began to rip the benefits of tea by producing many wonderful varieties, thanks in great part to the altitude of its regions and the variation in seasons.
Just a short twenty years after the cultivation of tea in Ceylon began, an English man by the name of Sir Thomas Lipton came to the island, and recognizing the quality of the tea and the opportunity for big business, he returned home with a great amount of tea, ready to popularize the commercialization of Ceylon tea in England and create a name for himself. And so, it is in great part thanks to the Lipton brand that Ceylon tea has become what it is today.
Ceylon Tea Today
Sri Lanka is one of the main exporters of black tea today and at that, Ceylon tea is one of the most popular black teas. Tea is produced all over the island, and usually the teas that come out of Sri Lanka are classified by their altitude (high, low and medium) or geographic location (Eliya, Uva, Dimbula and Nuwara).
Ceylon tea is so popular today, that one of the main grades of black tea known as Orange Pekoe is usually familiarized with tea from Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lankan government understands the importance of the cultivation of tea as part of its economy and has made sure to continue marketing the name of "Ceylon tea" as a brand on its own. There is also the logo of Ceylon tea: a lion carrying a sword and the the words "Ceylon Tea, Symbol of Quality" on it. The goal here is to separate Sri Lankan tea by portraying the Ceylon name as one of luxury and a tea that should be drunk in its loose form instead of tea bags.
There is no question that Ceylon tea is a champion in the black tea industry. Those who love black tea will attest to this. The story of Ceylon tea in the world is about a small country using its geographic position to its advantage in order to offer a great product to the rest of the world. It reminds us that we don't have to be big in order to do big things. All that we need is the will, the knowledge, and lots of determination.
A Black Tea: Halmari Tea
Halmari tea refers to a brand of Assam tea that has come to be known as one of the top suppliers of high quality Assam tea in recent years. The company behind the Halmari Tea is Amarawati Tea and it comprises two tea estates: the Halmari Tea Estate and the Duliabam Tea Estate; both located in Assam India.
Assam is a state in India located in the northeastern region, which is known for being the world largest tea-growing region. The state has had a long history with the production of tea since it was discovered in 1,834. Tea plantations have been developed in Assam since a few years after the discovery of tea plants in the area and the tea commercialization has proven successful.
Amarawati Tea has been in the industry for more than 85 years. The owners of the company are the Daga family, who also manage the company and are responsible for ensuring the quality of the Halmari brand.
The company has a labor force of more than 700 employees. The Directors of the company include: Sunil Daga, Amit Daga, Sriprakash Bhoopal, Kavi Seth and Abhishek Modi.
About the Halmari Tea Estate
The Halmari estate is located on the high lands of Assam, also known as Upper Assam, and encompasses a total of 374 hectares. According to Amarawati, the estate is characterized by having a “rich loamy soil" with the right conditions to produce a high quality Assam. Upper Assam is well known for its climate and soil suitable for tea production.
The tea plants grown in the estate are produced from clones such as TV-1, which is tolerant to a prolonged shortage of rainfalls, as well as S3A3 clones, P126A, T3E3 and others. Halmari specializes in orthodox teas. As such, the estate only uses orthodox clones.
Products of Halmari Tea Estate
- Halmari Gold: a tea that is exclusively plucked from the P126A clone, it has a malty flavor and golden tips from where its name is derived.
- Silver Tips: this tea has been sun dried to give it a mild flavor with a taste of cocoa and honey. According to Amarawati, the Halmari estate is one of the few growers in Assam to produce this tea. The leaves used for the silver tips are only the youngest of buds that have carefully been hand picked.
- Crush Tear Curl Halmari: the highest CTC in Assam Tea Exchange, it is described by the company as a very smooth and bright cup. This is a tea that can be enjoyed with or without milk and perfect for the mornings. Some customers describe this tea as being bold and robust, with a caramel note at first sip and no bitterness.
Who sells Halmari Tea?
Halmari Estate teas are sold all over the world. The Assam teas are especially popular in the United Kingdom and Switzerland, where it is sold by tea boutiques such as Queen Camellia & Langgasstee, two of the finest in the country.
Online, it is possible to buy Halmari tea at several stores. The list of stores and availability of the Halmari tea depend on the season and whether retailers are willing and able to carry the tea year round. The best advice is to search for Halmari tea to see which reputable stores currently carry this delicious Assam tea.
Chinese Black Tea
China is one of the leading producers of tea. The country’s production accounts for more than 25% of the world’s production, second only to India. It is not known for sure how black tea first came to be produced in China. Especially since the country only produced green tea for centuries before. Black tea in China is essentially produced for export and mainly comes from the regions of Yunnan, Anhui, Fujian and Sichuan.
In China, black tea is actually known as red tea or Hóngchá, referring to the color of the liquor produced and not the actual coloration of the leaves. During the initial production of black tea in China, many producers considered it to be of a lesser quality and therefore it never became popular inside the country. Black tea is also easier to export due to its long life and ability to retain flavors. It is for these reasons that Chinese black tea continues to be produced mainly for international trade with the West. The historical result: 90% of the tea consumed in western countries is black tea while more than 80% of the tea consumed in China is green.
Making Chinese Black Tea
The process of making Chinese Black Tea is not necessarily complex, although it does require a certain amount of time if the final product is to become of the highest quality within its type. Mainly there are four steps to follow. Each one as essential as the next:
- Withering: this is the first thing that is done after plucking the leaves. In this stage the leaves lose moisture and become flaccid. Also, biochemical changes from the moment the leaves are plucked start to occur. A good withering technique is the foundation to quality tea.
- Rolling: the main objective in this stage is to break open the surface of the leaves, allowing more moisture to escape before continuing the processing.
- Oxidation: once the leaves have been rolled, they are exposed to air under a controlled temperature and humidity. The amount of oxidation of the leaves will be crucial in determining the quality of the tea. After oxidation, the aroma of the leaves will also drastically change.
- Drying and Firing: this step stops the oxidation from continuing to happen. It is also responsible for giving the Chinese black tea its black color.
Popular Varieties of Chinese Black Tea
- Yunnan: many believe this is where the tea plant first originated. The province of Yunnan is located in the far southwest region of China in a mountainous area bordering with the countries of Burma, Vietnam and Laos. One type of wild tea plant growing in this area is believed to be 1,700 years old and grows over 100 feet tall. Of the 320 sub varieties of Camellia sinensis, 260 of them grow in Yunnan.
- Keemun: this is a Chinese black tea with a fruity taste, which originates from the county of Qimen in the Anhui province. Keemun tea is the only black tea in the list of The Ten Great Chinese Teas. Although it is worth noting that there are several versions of the list, most usually don’t include many black teas.
- Pingsuey: this tea is characterized for being mild and delicate for a black tea. It originates in the province of Zhejiang, to the east of China.
- Hainan: grown in the island of Hainan in the south of China, this Chinese black tea produces a strong flavor and fragrance.
- Dian Hong: also from the Yunnan province, this black tea has a rich taste. It is considered to be one of the better quality black teas.
Although Chinese black teas are not considered as equal in quality to green teas within the borders of China, its long life and ability to retain its flavors have made it the perfect tea for trade. The production of Chinese black tea is thriving and thanks to the increasing demand from the West, it is fair to say Chinese black tea is here to stay.
The Most Popular Black Tea Brands
Black tea is by far the tea type with the highest rate of consumption in the world. It is estimated that black tea accounts for almost 80% of the tea produced worldwide and it is the most commonly consumed tea in Western civilizations. The reason why black tea is so popular is because of its ability to travel well and its long-lasting life.
The leaves of black tea have been dried through a process called oxidation. There are different levels of oxidation for tea leaves. Oolong teas, for example, may be oxidized anywhere from 5% to 75% while black teas are fully oxidized. The oxidation process is what gives black tea its distinctive strength in flavor, liquor color, and therefore its name.
When it comes to black tea brands, they are truly a dime a dozen. Because black tea is easy to transport and most of the production of black tea occurs in China and India, companies involved in the import and export of tea will usually opt for black tea first. However, like most industries, there are always a few big players responsible for a large part of the production of black tea. Fortunately for the tea consumer, the three biggest players in the industry can account for about 25% of the production worldwide. This leaves a lot of room for other companies to not only produce, but also be able to offer their products to a growing market. The bottom line is the consumer gets more options and greater access to a variety of black teas as companies compete for higher market shares.
The top four black tea brands
- Thomas J. Lipton Company: this company was first introduced in 1,890 in Glasgow, Scotland and most consumers have come to know it as Lipton. In fact, the popularity of this brand is so vast that many will ask for tea by its name: “Lipton tea”. Besides black teas, Lipton also offers green teas and herbal teas in a variety of forms: loose, tea bags, pyramids, as iced tea, etc. The company has been sold to Unilever, a British-Dutch multinational corporation that also owns another tea brand by the name of PG tips. Together, Lipton and PG Tips account for more than 17% of the market.
- PG Tips: this British company was first introduced in 1,930. Its original name was Pre-Gest-Tee, but new government regulations in the late 1940’s made it illegal for any company to describe its products as aiding digestion. Like Lipton, PG Tips offers its black tea in many forms: loose tea, tea bags and in vending formats. As mentioned earlier, Unilever also acquired this company.
- Twinings: the company started in 1,706 by Thomas Twining is particularly known in the business world for having one of the oldest unmodified logos in the world and also for operating the oldest tea room in history. Twinings today sells a variety of black teas, including Darjeeling, Lapsang Souchong and Lady Grey. Their production share of black teas of the world is close to 4.5%.
- Joseph Tetley & Co.: the Tetley company was founded on 1,837 by Joseph and Edward Tetley and was acquired by Tata Tea in 2,000, the world’s second largest manufacturer and distributor of tea. Their black teas are mainly categorized as “Classic Blend” and “British Blend”, although they also sell popular blends such as Earl Grey and English Breakfast. Tata Tea’s production percentage is established at 4%.
There are many options for black tea when it comes to buying tea these days. Even though popular black tea brands are recognized for their quality, some smaller tea companies are also doing a fantastic job at not offering a great selection of black teas, but also educating the public. Venture out a little bit. Try black teas from some of the smaller companies and let us know what you find. We would love to hear what you have to say.
Black Tea and Pregnancy
It is often said that certain life events can change your life forever. Pregnancy is pretty much on the top of those events that can change your life, especially if you’re becoming a mom for the first time. While many changes can be on the long term, being pregnant also means that there are changes you will have to make while you’re carrying: the hormonal changes leading to mood swings and cravings, the frequent urination and even the change of diet. The intake of caffeine is one of the substances doctors warn pregnant women to modify in their diets.
Is black tea good for pregnant women?
All teas come from a plant called Camellia sinensis. This plant naturally produces caffeine and as a result, all teas once brewed will also contain caffeine. The only way to get rid of the caffeine in tea is through the process of decaffeination. However, a small amount of caffeine, about 2 percent of the original amount, may still be found in your cup of tea.
What is the best tea when pregnant?
According to the American Pregnancy Association, recent studies have shown that while caffeine consumption has shown to cause birth defects, reduced fertility, preterm delivery, increase risk of low-birth weight offspring, amongst other reproductive problems; experts have also stated that moderate levels of caffeine between, 150 mg and 300 mg, intake have not been found to cause any negative effects on pregnancy. * Please don’t take this information as the final word, for more information please consult with your doctor.
An 8 ounce cup of black tea can have anywhere between 40 mg to 120 mg of caffeine while the same amount of a generic cup of coffee could have between 95 mg and 200 mg of caffeine. If research were correct (and that is not always the case), it would mean that pregnant women ought to drink no more than one cup of coffee or up to two cups of black tea to stay on the safer side. It is also important to consider that products such as sodas, chocolate and even pain relievers such as Excedrin contain caffeine.
Conclusion
The best solution when deciding whether to drink black tea while pregnant might just be to stay clear of it. If you really need that cup then perhaps you can go for a cup of something decaf, but as said before: best to consult a doctor since they are the ultimate authority in what is best for your body.