Ceylon Sri Lanka – the land of good fortune In the middle of the Indian Ocean, surrounded by numerous coral reefs lies a beautiful island; during the British Raj it was known as Ceylon. Even though Ceylon became independent in 1972 and was renamed Sri Lanka, the tea was allowed to retain its old name. Since 1978 Sri Lanka has been a socialist republic under a president, comprising nine provinces and 25 districts. Ceylon tea has influenced the tea-drinking cultures of Arabia, Russia, and England up to the present day. However, tea has not always been an integral part of Sinhalese agriculture. It is true that in 1830, at around the same time that tea had been discovered in Assam in India, tea bushes of the sinensis and assamica varieties were planted here but they had no economic significance and were grown only for experimental purposes. Around 1860 a fungus known as hemileia vastatrix destroyed all the coffee plantations on the island. In 1867, the Scotsman James Taylor put an enormous effort into establishing the first tea plantations. In 1890, Thomas Lipton from Glasgow built tea factories in grand style, surrounded by numerous tea plantations. Ceylon is divided into three growing areas - Dimbula in the west, the Nuwara Eliya highlands and UVA in the east. Each region produces its own distinctive flavours. In January and February, delicate aromatic teas are harvested in Nuwara Eliya, while at the same time Dimbula district produces its stronger brilliant red teas. In UVA, soft aromatic premium quality teas with a slight touch of citrus flavour are produced in June to September.