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.
Ruhuna
Black tea
Sabaragamuwa tea
Black tea
Why these two get confused
Sri Lanka’s two low-grown districts, producing very similar dark heavy tea for the same export markets. The district is rarely stated and the teas are largely interchangeable in blends.
Point by point
| Dimension | Ruhuna | Sabaragamuwa tea |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Black tea · fully oxidised | Black tea · fully oxidised |
| Production | In order: Withering → Rolling and shaping → Oxidation → Drying. bud and two leaves and year round harvest. | In order: Withering → Rolling and shaping → Oxidation → Drying. year round harvest. |
| Origin | Sri Lanka — Ruhuna | Sri Lanka — Sabaragamuwa |
| Flavour | chocolate and earthy. full bodied, rich and drying in the mouth. Aroma: dark malt, treacle, dried fruit. 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 240s. 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.