History & Region
Ceylon Orange Pekoe is a classic breakfast tea grown on the island of Sri Lanka. The name comes from the Dutch
Royal House of Orange - not from the fruit.
Situated just off the southern coast of India, Sri Lanka's climate is tropical,
with two distinct monsoon seasons allowing for yearlong tea production. Gorgeous
green tea bushes wrap the lush hills, and the narrow roads wind through the
Long ago, Europe found it
an ideal place for trading, and it became colonized for 450 years before
gaining independence in 1948. The Portuguese, Dutch and British have all left
their influence. The island is now home to almost 20 million people.
The Dutch were the first to experiment with planting tea,
but without success. When the British secured the island, they had more luck.
Planters came from England
spurred by courage and opportunity. They bought land and toiled in harsh
conditions, and by 1875, the tea industry was up and going. Sir Thomas Lipton is the most famous of the
Tea produced in Sri Lanka is still referred to as
is the world's third largest producer of tea in the world. Most estates are
also home to their own tea factories, processing thousands of tons of tea in
many instances. The majority of tea production is black, 'orthodox' and grown
in the following regions: Kandy, Nuwara Eliya,
Dimbula, Uva, Ratnapura and Galle.
The region of Nuwara Eliya is the highest growing region and is credited for
producing the finest teas.
'Orthodox' tea production is a
method of crushing tealeaves by rolling. The rolling process helps break down
and twist the leaves, allowing oxidization to begin. The tea is then fired, and
final grading is based on the quality of the leaf.
Glossary of Tea Grades
Pekoe: derived from
the Chinese word 'bai hao' meaning 'white hair.' It refers to the silvery white
down present on young tealeaves.
Flowery Orange Pekoe:
high quality whole or broken leaf tea with lots of tips
whole leaf tea with some tips
whole leaf tea with leaves rolled lengthwise
Pekoe: whole leaf
tea of medium quality
Broken Orange Pekoe:
smaller and broken leaves with lots of tips
broken, less quality tealeaves
Tasting Notes & Brewing
When making our teas from Ceylon, we like to pre-heat our
teapot or mug. Add 1 teaspoon per cup, add hot water (just as it comes to a
boil) and steep until desired strength. This tea is ideal for making in a
porcelain teapot with white cups that show off its clear amber color.