【A Quest for Hong Kong-Style Milk Tea (Part 1) — The Home of "Ceylon Black Tea"】

To truly appreciate Hong Kong-style milk tea, you have to use a Ceylon black tea base. But did you know that Ceylon tea doesn't actually come from a place called "Ceylon"? In this episode, let’s hop on our Hiang Kie flight 🛫 and fly to the birthplace of Ceylon tea!

We’ve landed! Not in Ceylon, but in Sri Lanka. "Ceylon" was its former name, and because the tea produced there was top-tier in color, aroma, and taste 👍, "Ceylon Tea" has maintained a prestigious reputation ever since 👑. The tea has 7 major growing regions, and just like MBTI personality types, each region offers its own unique flavor profile, including:

High-grown regions (≥1,200 m) produce more precious leaves with a more elegant, delicate, and sweet aroma. The most famous is "Dimbula," known for its refreshing, bright character with unique notes of jasmine and cypress; then there’s "Uva," with its sweet tea finish and woody, minty undertones. Other regions include "Nuwara Eliya" and "Uda Pussellawa."

Next are the mid-grown regions (600–1,200 m), such as "Kandy," which has a richer, fuller body; and finally, the low-grown regions (≤600 m), "Ruhuna" and "Sabaragamuwa," which offer a rich and diverse range of flavors.

Now that you know more about Ceylon tea, are you craving a cup of milk tea? Next episode we’ll dive deep into the secrets of tea blending, so make sure to hit follow 🔔!