Sri Lankan tea growers produce magnificent and rare Ceylon white tea. Only lengthy tea buds wrapped in dense, downy hairs make up its entirety. It differs from all other types of tea because of this. Because of its distinctive qualities, this tea has a mild fruity flavor that tastes like honey. Ancient people offered this unique tea to the Chinese emperor. How can you sip a white tea Sri Lanka cup?
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Want to taste what ancient emperors tasted? Try white tea Sri Lanka
Tea growers produce this rare, clean, and expensive Ceylon tea in a manner that resembles an old Chinese ritual in which the tea leaves are handled only by bare skin from the bush until the point of brewing. And you don’t need to add milk, honey, or sugar when using this light Ceylon white tea to brew a lemony, honeyed tea.
Why do people call it virgin white tea? During the reigns of Emperors Tsong and Tsang in the fifth and sixth centuries AD, legend has it that the Chinese mandarins hired virgins to collect white tea. The damsels used golden scissors to cut the white tea leaves that dropped into a golden bowl. The emperor’s lips were the only human organ to contact the tea. Today the term “virgin” exclusively refers to the tea, not the tea pickers.
White tea types in Sri Lanka
There are two types of Ceylon white tea.
- Ceylon silver tips
- Ceylon golden tips
Ceylon silver tips
The imperial pluck, often referred to as silver tips, is a plant that produces small, closed leaves. They have delicate hairs and are of a silvery, white color.
Ceylon golden tips
Tea growers grow Ceylon golden tips at higher elevations in Sri Lanka. This tea has a golden-white color.
How to grow white tea?
Tea growers chose only slightly curled silver tea buds slightly longer than an inch (about 2.5 cm) to make this white tea, which is why it is so rare. Some tea trees have only one or two tea leaves used for this white tea. Therefore, this is a challenging process to do on a large scale. The first step in producing the ideal mix of Ceylon white tea is selecting the proper kinds of tea leaves and buds. After that, the tea undergoes several processing steps. It takes consideration and commitment to make such a superb tea.
The process of picking tea leaves
The tea plant that produces this white tea is black. Tea growers grow tea bushes at an altitude of 2200 to 2500 meters for Ceylon white tea. The harvesting procedure doesn’t involve any machinery to protect the buds. Young women pick these tea leaves. The hands of virgins do everything from the production process to packaging. This also affects the attraction of this white tea.
The next step is manually rolling the gathered tea buds into a bit of curvature. They are then left in the sun to deteriorate. The next step is to dry the tea buds as naturally as possible so that nearly no oxidation occurs. Following this, the tea estates sort, package, and deliver Ceylon white tea worldwide.
The best way to make a virgin white tea cup
You can brew three to four cups of beautiful white tea from one teaspoon of virgin white tea. Follow these steps to enjoy white tea without adding milk or sugar.
- Get the water to boil. Do not over boil.
- For each cup, use 3 grams of white tea per person (1 tsp is the correct amount).
- After 5 minutes, strain it into a cup and drink. Keep in mind to enjoy the aroma.
- Pour boiling water again for the second pour. After seven minutes, sip it.
- The third pouring should be steeped for 10 minutes before consumption.
- After steeping for 15 minutes, pour the fourth serving.
What benefits do you get from Ceylon white tea?
This white tea from Sri Lanka is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. The health advantages of this nutrient-rich tea are many. Here are some white tea facts that are helpful to you.
- This tea’s antioxidants strengthen your immune system, which also aids in everyday defense building.
- You can feel awake and energized by drinking this white tea, which includes caffeine. It also has the amino acid theanine, which helps to calm the mind.
- You can be heart-healthy when consumed frequently. More substantial heat and a reduced chance of blood clots forming in your arteries are two benefits of a diet high in antioxidants that help ward off strokes. Furthermore, it might lower blood pressure and lower your bad cholesterol levels.
- By helping your stomach break down food and expel waste materials more quickly, Ceylon white tea may help lower your chances of developing indigestion and acid reflux.
- Since this tea already has a sweet flavor, drinking it unsweetened can help you maintain a healthy metabolism and prevent sugar levels from rising to the point where you develop diabetes.
Handunugoda Tea Estate – Where you can find white tea Sri Lanka
There is just one virgin white tea plantation in Sri Lanka’s coastal region that industrially produces the best virgin white tea: Handunugoda Estate. The 200-acre Handunugoda Tea Estate is about 30 minutes from Galle Fort. The owner of the tea estate is Malinga Herman Gunaratne. Herman teas are extremely specialized. They make teas to brew numerous times to tickle consumers’ taste buds, provide a memorable experience, and keep their distinct flavor.
The unique way the Handunugoda Tea Estate makes white tea
Handunugoda Tea Estate produces virgin white tea per the Chinese tradition of never touching a human. In the Handunugoda Tea Estate, women harvest these white tea leaves with golden scissors. Pure gold is put into the basins and not touched by hand. No human touch. They are careful not to damage delicate tea buds. After that, they use only filtered sunlight to dry these buds.
There is a special dress when producing white tea from the girls who pick these flowers to the production process to the packaging. They prepare them with gloves, masks, and special tools made of gold. The gloves eliminate all potential for contamination, leaving the tea spotless. All this happens in an environment where the beauty of the environment is in the greenery.
Visit Handunugoda Tea Estate to see how they make high-quality white tea and take a sip of white tea.
The tea state allows guided tea plantation visits. They treat guests to a free delicious cake and a pot of tea at the owner’s bungalow for just $2 per person at the end of the tour. There are countless teas to sip, swirl, and let the flavors entice the senses. These precious teas are available at the tea shop for customers eager to purchase tea. If you are spending your vacation in Sri Lanka, this is a must-take tour to explore the tea estate and taste what Chinese emperors drink. What are you waiting for? Explore now from here!
Conclusion
When it comes to white tea, virgin white tea is the rarest variety since humans have never touched it from the tea bush through manufacture until it is consumed. Ancient people offered this exceptionally healthy drink in the Imperial court.
Virgin white tea has a flavor that is both sought-after and hard to come by. The entire experience of drinking this delicate tea, from brewing to tasting, should be savored. Handunugoda Tea Estate is one of the few estates in Sri Lanka that exports premium white tea Sri Lanka to international markets, attracting the interest of tea lovers worldwide.
