Different Types of Tea in Sri Lanka - Top Varieties of Ceylon Tea to Sample in Sri Lanka

As the most widely available and popular tea variety manufactured in Sri Lanka, high-quality black tea has become synonymous with the country's tea industry. As a type of tea that is fully fermented unlike other varieties, black tea leaves are picked and withered in order to make the leaves more pliable to rolling, fermenting and drying. Black tea in Sri Lanka is usually single-origin teas that are grown in estates that are dedicated to cultivating only black tea. Brewed using hot water, black tea can be enjoyed with or without additives such as milk, cream, or condensed milk. Anverally & Sons and other brands synonymous with pure Ceylon tea consider black tea among their biggest sellers due to this reason.

White Tea, or Silver Tips Tea as it is also known, is a recent addition to Sri Lanka's tea legacy as it is one of the rarest types of tea in the market today. Enjoyed by a certain variety of teetotaller, white tea is both scarce and costly when compared to green or black tea, which are easier to grow and process. White tea earns its curious name due to the silver hue of the leaves used to create this tea variety, which is renowned for its velvet-like texture, superior health benefits, and golden colour upon brewing. Silver Tips tea is handpicked by pickers who are familiar with how to pluck the leaves gently without damaging the bud's cellular integrity. Mainly cultivated in the southern reaches of the island, the tea must also be plucked in the wee hours of the morning before sunlight begins the process of photosynthesis.

Dubbed "Springtime Oolong Tea" by fans, this floral tea varies from light to darker tones based on how long the tea leaves have been fermented. Only three leaves are picked from a bud to create oolong tea before it is withered, oxidised, rolled and then dried in tea factories.

Although green tea is traditionally associated with China and Japan, it is also grown in the hills of Sri Lanka and is exported around the world due to its unique flavour and health benefits. Although the green tea made in Sri Lanka tastes different from those grown in Japan, Taiwan, or Vietnam, this unfermented tea variety is a big hit among health-conscious tea drinkers who wish to enjoy a lighter and weight-loss inducing tea after meals.

While they may be new to the market, Sri Lanka's fruit flavoured teas are also making a splash overseas due to the creative mix of various fruit essences into traditional black tea. Peach, apple, and lemon-flavoured teas are some of the best sellers in this flavoured tea range that are usually consumed by tea drinkers who prefer fruity undertones in their daily cuppa.