Anyone for a cuppa?

Tea has been an enduring cornerstone of the Sri Lankan economy. It was first introduced by James Taylor - obviously a man with an eye on the future and a tongue alive to possibility - in 1867 when the island's coffee plantations were virtually wiped out by disease. Not only did tea pick up the slack, it soon engulfed the hill country and much of the surrounding lowlands.

If you didn't know, tea grows on a bush. Bushes are pruned back to about a metre in height allowing squads of pluckers - all women - to move through the bushes picking the leaves and buds. These are then 'withered' or demoisturised, crushed and left to ferment. What makes a good brew is knowing when to stop the fermentation, by 'firing' the tea to produce the final brown/black leaf.

Sri Lankan tea comes in all types and varieties. The finest blends are picked in February and again in August. These are then exported (that's good for you and me) leaving the island's tea-drinking poulation to sip blends of a less superior quality (not so good for visitors). Fortunately, there's plenty of tea factory and plantation tours available in Sri Lanka where you can try it fresh, fragrant, unscented, stewed black, milky sweet, iced or as punch.

Just remember to pack a strainer.

Illustration by Penelope Richardson
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