Compare two teas
Side by side across seven dimensions. There is no verdict and no winner — the purpose is to understand the difference, not to be told which to buy.
Kandy tea
Black tea
Sabaragamuwa tea
Black tea
Why these two get confused
Two Sri Lankan districts at opposite ends of the elevation range, both sold simply as Ceylon. One is mid-grown and balanced, the other low-grown and heavy.
Point by point
| Dimension | Kandy tea | Sabaragamuwa tea |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Black tea · fully oxidised | Black tea · fully oxidised |
| Production | In order: Withering → Rolling and shaping → Oxidation → Drying. year round harvest. | In order: Withering → Rolling and shaping → Oxidation → Drying. year round harvest. |
| Origin | Sri Lanka — Kandy | Sri Lanka — Sabaragamuwa |
| Flavour | citrus, sweet and woody. full bodied and drying in the mouth. Aroma: malt, citrus peel, dry wood. Straightforward in character. Bold in intensity. | sweet, woody and earthy. full bodied, rich and astringent in the mouth. Aroma: dark malt, molasses, wood. Straightforward in character. Bold in intensity. |
| Brewing | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 210s. Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 4–5 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 10s of 5 authored. | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 210s. Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 4–5 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 10s of 5 authored. |
| Cultural context | Not recorded for this tea. | Not recorded for this tea. |
| Who may prefer it | Someone who wants the cup to assert itself and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew and takes milk. | Someone who wants the cup to assert itself and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew and takes milk. |
Nothing above is a recommendation. The last row describes the drinker each tea suits, using each tea’s own authored fields and the same sentence structure for both, so neither can be framed as the safe choice.