Kandy tea produces a broad mix of Tea
The Kandy tea region of Sri Lanka sits between 2000 and 4000 feet above sea level. This is one of the historical areas in Sri Lanka with high mountains. In 1867, James Taylor gave birth to the tea industry in Sri Lanka. In 1867, he established a tea plantation on the Loolecondera estate in the Kandy Tea region. And the tea plantation is on an estate of just 19 acres (76,890 m2) in Kandy.
Also, he began In 1872, he started a fully equipped tea factory on the same Loolecondera estate. As a result, the first sale of Loolecondra tea was made in Kandy.
Tea factories produce a broad mix of different “tea grades” or leaf-particle sizes. Most tea factories use the orthodox tea manufacturing process. They produce whole-leaf and semi-broken grades through broken orange pekoes, or ‘BOPs’, to BOP fannings. Some of the factories are producing CTC-style teas. Since leaf particle size affects the strength of the brew, the general effect of Kandy teas is one of considerable local and regional variations.
Kandy teas tend to produce a relatively bright infusion with a coppery tone. Though lighter in the cup, they present a good deal of strength and body, though not as much as the lower-grown products of Sabaragamuwa and Ruhuna.
Tea producers in the Kandy district produce the best-quality tea during the first quarter of the year. The weather will be cool and dry across the district. The Kandy region is described as “mid-grown”, with the altitude of cultivation ranging between 2000 and 4000 feet above sea level.
The Kandy area is in the middle of the three districts in the Central Province and is located north of Nuwara Eliya and south of Matale.