The Past and Present Life of “Foreign Specialties”丨Ceylon Black Tea Entered the Chinese Milk Tea Cup

At the Sri Lanka National Pavilion at the CIIE, the unique aroma of Ceylon black tea hits your face. This year, Sri Lanka will appear as the guest country of honor at the CIIE for the first time.

From Colombo to Shanghai, the journey of this cup of black tea is becoming lighter and faster. The fast track that China has paved for countries in the Global South with its proactive opening up is allowing more and more "foreign local specialties" to enter the daily lives of Chinese people. The story of this cup of Sri Lankan black tea starts from the mountains and clouds near the Indian Ocean:

In the mid-to-late 19th century, a large area of coffee plantations in Sri Lanka was almost destroyed by a sudden natural disaster. Local practitioners had to look for new cash crops, and tea trees were pushed onto the industrial stage. No one expected that this "helpless choice" would eventually create a classic flavor that has been popular all over the world for hundreds of years.

"Ceylon" is the old name of Sri Lanka. After the country was officially renamed in 1972, the name "Ceylon Black Tea" with a century-old memory has been retained by tea lovers all over the world.

The soul of Ceylon black tea is hidden in the strict standard of "two leaves and one bud". Hand-picked, only the freshest parts are taken; traditional rolling, so that each leaf carries the breath of the Indian Ocean monsoon and highland clouds. Sri Lankans have maintained this craft for more than 100 years.

The first cup of milk tea you drink in autumn this year, there is a high probability that its tea base comes from Sri Lanka. Last year, of the approximately 10,000 tons of tea exported from Sri Lanka to China, 20% to 30% directly flowed into the core supply chain of domestic new tea drinks. In other words, the silky and mellow mouthful you take into your mouth is likely to contain the taste of morning mist, monsoon and sunshine from the high mountain tea gardens in central Sri Lanka.

Chairman of Sri Lanka Export Development Board Mangala Vijaysinghe: Sri Lankan tea is one of the top teas in the world. All tea leaves are produced in coastal tea gardens far away from pollution. We hope to increase tea exports to China and further expand the share of our products in the Chinese market. Therefore, we are also continuing to deepen trade cooperation with China through various economic and trade agreements.

From "foreign souvenirs" to daily drinks, China, with a market size of more than 1.4 billion, provides a larger stage for the specialty products of southern countries around the world. The warm temperature of this cup of black tea is the choice on the tongues of Chinese consumers, and it also benefits more Sri Lankan tea farmers.