Ceylon Tea

Ceylon tea is tea grown in Sri Lanka, the island nation known as Ceylon until 1972. Introduced by the British in the 1860s, it's predominantly a black tea, prized for its bright colour, brisk flavour and citrus-edged finish - a result of the island's tropical climate and mountainous tea-growing regions.

Ceylon most commonly refers to black tea. However, Sri Lanka also produces genuine Ceylon green, white and herbal teas as well. Unless specified otherwise, "Ceylon tea" on a shelf almost always means the black, orthodox-processed version.

What does Ceylon tea taste like compared to other teas?

Ceylon tea is known for a bright, brisk, citrus-tinged flavour with a light-to-medium body - lighter and zestier than Assam, less floral than Darjeeling. 

What's the difference between high-grown, mid-grown and low-grown Ceylon tea?

No. A cup of Ceylon tea typically contains 40–60mg of caffeine, while a cup of coffee typically contains around 95mg of caffeine.

Boil fresh water to ~95-100°C. 

Use one teaspoon of leaves per cup. 

Steep 3-4 minutes for black Ceylon (less for green/white). 

Strain and serve - with milk for low-grown, or plain for high-grown teas

For an in-depth look, read our complete guide about how to brew Ceylon tea properly as a beginner.

Genuine single-origin Ceylon involves smaller harvests, orthodox (hand-rolled) processing rather than mass CTC production, and direct estate sourcing. All of these cost more than blended, mass-market black tea but produce a noticeably higher-quality cup.