Tour Guide, Colombo, Sri Lanka
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From 1824....
It was as far back in the year 1824 when the British brought a tea plant from China to Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was known at the time). It was planted in the Royal Botanical Gardens Peradeniya, and is considered to be the first non-commercial tea plant in Sri Lanka.
After nearly two decades in 1867, James Taylor, Scottish by origin, planted 19 acres of tea in the city of Kandy in Ceylon, at the Loolecondra Estate, as the first commercial tea plantation. The eventual sale of Loolecondra tea resulted in 1872, in Kandy and the first tea consignment to London was sent in 1873. These pioneering efforts were done by trial and error and improved over the years via the introduction and improvement of tea processing machines and methods, by different individuals and companies.
The first broking firm John Brothers & Co. was established in 1876 and the first public Colombo auction took place in 1883 under the guidance of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (which was established in 1839). The Colombo Tea Traders' Association was formed in 1894 and in 1925 the Tea Research Institute was established. These organizations helped boost the production and export of Ceylon Teas in its early stages.
Milestones
One million tea packets sold at Chicago World's Fair - 1893
The prohibition of export of poor quality teas - 1932
Ceylon as world's largest tea exporter for first time - 1965
Establishment of the Sri Lanka Tea Board - 1976)
Export of Tea Bags – 1976
Export of Green Tea – 1982
Abolition of Tea Export Duty and Ad Valorem Tax- 1992
Establishment of Tea Research Board - 1992)
Ceylon tea production exceeds 300,000 metric tons – 2000
Quick Facts
Chinese Emperor Shen Nung accidentally discovered tea in 2737 BC.
Tea is the most popular beverage, next to water, in the world.
In the U.S. approx. 1.42 million pounds of tea are consumed a day.
Approx. 3 billion cups of tea are consumed daily worldwide.
Four pounds of fresh tea leaves produce one pound of dried tea.