Help: Ceylons to buy during Sri Lanka trip?
My brother is in Sri Lanka right now. I’m not too well versed on Celyons so I’m looking for some advice. Is there anything there particularly special to look out for? Anything unique that couldn’t be found in the US?
Thanks.
I don’t have any specifics to recommend but I really enjoy golden tip Ceylons. I can’t say what can be found in the US either, but I know none of my local shops carry any pure Ceylon teas of any kind – just flavored blends. Even when I’ve seen unflavored Ceylons in other stores elsewhere in my travels they aren’t the golden tips. What-Cha sources some from Kirkoswald estate but no idea if you can find that in Sri Lanka to buy or if they only deal with wholesalers.
My boss brought back a lot of broken orange pekoe (BOP) from his Sri Lanka trip. I’d have preferred a fuller leaf, and if you’re the same you should mention it to your brother. I got the impression that they sell/export a lot of broken leaf and CTC for those who prefer it but I would have loved the chance to try a fuller leaf ceylon tea.
Funny you say that, great minds think alike! ;-) I sent him a long text (gotta love hangouts for cross seas texting) on the grading system, and what to look for and/or avoid. Hoping for some FTGFOP or something along those lines.
Do you know if there are preferred flushes in Ceylon? Like how 2nd flush is supposed to be best in Assam…
PS You have a pretty cool boss. (Unless you work in a tea shop, in which case, the BOP may have been passive aggressive!)
Haha, no tea shop. He and his wife go on a big trip every year for 3-4 weeks in March for his birthday. It’s actually pretty stressful as it is a small office and his not being here has a big impact, but it’s nice when he brings back tea. If only he were going to China…
Subliminal suggestions: Hang lots of Chinese decorations in the office. Pictures of beautiful tea gardens…
I’m unsure if you’ll find any Far Too Good For Ordinary People (FTGFOP) grade tea out there. Preferred flush is 1st, but it’s a little old for 15’ Spring and it’s too early for 16’. You’re best bet is finding some decent whole leaf 2nd flush. Stay away from Monsoon Flush. It’s used to blend batches, and is the cheapest and lowest grade.
@haveteawilltravel very useful info that I was searching for and couldn’t find. Thanks. Passing it along!
Ask for Mlesna Victorian Blend Selected Orange Pekoe made from finest green gold of Ceylon.
http://www.ceylon-store.com/victorian-blend-leaf-tea-200g-tin-caddy-mlesna.html
My husbands coworker brought it from Sri Lanka. It’s expensive by their standards. They don’t drink whole leaf but bagged tea only ( he is srilankan). He said he’d never spent so much but I asked for loose leaf only ;). They sell it in boutique he said
@boychik I’m in the same boat in not having Indian blacks in a while. And I’ve never done a whole lot with Ceylons. I’ve been on a Chinese green kick for the last few months, I’ve especially enjoying Ding Gu Fa Fang, which reminds me of a nice Lung Ching. But I’ve been drinking a tippy Assam Doomni 2nd flush for the last 2 days. I haven’t drank Indian in so long that I’ve severely botched the steeping so far, so bad that I put milk in it yesterday, which I almost never do.
My brother is on a year long honeymoon, and texted 3 days ago saying that he was visiting tea plantations and shops in Sri Lanka, and asked what he should get for himself and to send me. Quite a surprise, and it’s awesome to have such thoughtful brother!
I was in the process of putting together my first order of serious Pu-erh when my brother texted me (I’ve drank some a couple of times before but just super basic), so I’ll be sitting on a whole bunch of tea a few weeks :-D
Thats wonderful he is getting you tea. just tell him smallest amounts possible. you will be swimming in tea soon lol
If you’re going to be in the vicinity of Galle, keep an eye out for mentions of the Handunugoda tea estate. They do some pretty interesting things.
Thanks Geoffrey and Boychik. (My dad used to call me Boychik when I was a kid!)
I just joined started an account on steepster a couple of days ago. Everyone is so helpful. What a great site!
Thanks. My IG has mostly cheese stuff (and I hardy post!) but I have a feeling that my tea posts will be on the rise, soon!
I didn’t use the “Cheese Nerd” handle here, which is a very big step for me. Gotta take it one step at a time! ;P
I’m always glad to answer any questions that you guys have about cheese. And I think that I have some tea and cheese pairing notes squirreled away somewhere, so that would keep the conversation a little more on topic ;)
@Uniquity. If only I were a better photographer you’d be at the store right now!
Os there a cheese forum like here? I love cheese
also, do you have to buy specialist to get good cheese or is supermarket stuff pretty good. does quality vary a lot like it does with tea?
A cheese forum like this would be a big tease to me right now. I get get away with drinking some great tea for a dollar or two a day. With good cheese, I can easily down $15 a sitting or $30 /day no problem! So right now I’m going through delicious cheese withdraw (Doing a career shift… I was in the cheese business for almost 2 decades, and ate a lot of it!) So, going on such a forum at the moment would be cruel and unusual punishment.
Most supermarkets are starting to carry better quality cheese these days. (Though, I have no problem eating regular old cheddar.) You just have to make sure that they have very high turnaround rate, especially with the soft cheeses because the way they are stored makes a big difference, and plastic wrap doesn’t do the majority of cheese out there any favor. Quality varies just as much as it does with tea or wine. With higher quality grass fed raw milk single farm cheese there can be variance in flavor depending on what the animals ate that day, the micro flora in the air during production and aging, the protein/fat/moisture content changing throughout the season and time elapsed from birthing, humidity and temperature during aging, how it was stored at the retailer, and whether or not it was prepackaged. Lots of variables going on there. You can have two wheels of cheese aged for a year but one day apart that will taste different because the cows were eating onion grass one day and honeysuckle the next. A shop with knowledgeable people who will let you taste (which I encourage each time with artisan cheeses for the reasons I listed above, even if you’re familiar with it) can be invaluable. If you live near one, consider yourself lucky. Although coming across such a shop can end up putting a very big dent in your wallet!
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