Kandy: The Historic Heartland of Ceylon Tea

Kandy is the sacred heartland of Sri Lankan tea history. It was here in 1867, on Field No. 7 of Loolecondera Estate in Hewaheta, that Scotsman James Taylor planted the first 19 acres of commercial tea bushes, launching what would become the island's premier agricultural export.

Situated at mid-elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 feet (600 to 1,200 meters) above sea level, the Kandy tea region is nestled within a protective ring of mountain ranges including the Knuckles Massif and the Hantane Range. This sheltered geography tempers extreme monsoonal winds while ensuring consistent year-round rainfall and tropical warmth.

The soils are deep, fertile reddish-brown latosols enriched by tropical vegetation. The combination of gentle warmth, sheltered humidity, and mid-altitude sunshine produces dark, succulent tea leaves that yield thick, full-bodied liquors loved worldwide.

In the professional cupping room, Kandy teas stand out for their deep mahogany-copper color, heavy mouthfeel, and warm malty sweetness. Unlike the delicate floral notes of high-grown teas, Kandy teas provide a solid, comforting structural foundation.

The liquor possesses a generous concentration of thearubigins (TR), which bind effortlessly with dairy proteins. As a result, Kandy teas produce a bright, creamy, golden-orange cup when milk is added—making them the premier choice for traditional British milk teas, Irish breakfast blends, and iced tea syrups.

On the nose, Kandy teas offer hints of caramel, wild honey, and toasted barley, with a clean, smooth finish that exhibits minimal bitterness.

Kandy tea factories excel in producing stylish, well-twisted traditional leaf grades. Thanks to the supple, pliable nature of mid-grown green leaves, factory masters achieve elegant leaf twists during rolling without excessive fragmenting.

Key leaf grades manufactured include Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe (FBOP)—featuring attractive silvery tips—alongside long wiry Broken Orange Pekoe 1 (BOP1), curly shotty PEKOE, and classic Orange Pekoe (OP).

Fermentation is allowed to proceed slightly longer than in high-grown regions (75 to 90 minutes), encouraging full enzymatic development of malty caramel compounds before firing.

Kandy teas enjoy broad international appeal across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Australia. Bulk exports are packed in 4-ply kraft paper sacks with 80-micron inner foil seals.

Standard sack weights range from 25kg to 35kg. A 20ft container accommodates approximately 10,000kg of packed traditional tea, while a 40ft High Cube holds up to 22,000kg.

All exports carry official certification under ISO 22000, HACCP, and the Sri Lanka Tea Board Lion Seal.