Masterclass Ceylon Artisanal Tea Association

CATA, Sri Lanka’s eerste specialty tea association, is in 2020 jaar opgericht en verenigt een klein aantal innovatieve, kleinschalige theeproducenten uit verschillende regio’s van Sri Lanka. Tijdens elk webinar bezoeken we een andere plantage die wordt beheerd door een van de CATA-leden. De manager van het landgoed en de theemaker nemen ons mee op een persoonlijke rondleiding over het landgoed om te laten zien hoe hun unieke thee wordt verbouwd en verwerkt. Vervolgens zullen ze live een tea-tasting doen van 4 van hun signature theeën.

Tea tasting

Je kan het webinar volgen en alleen kijken naar de tea tasting of je kan zelf thuis ook meedoen met de tea tasting! Steun de boeren en krijg de unieke kans om 15 verschillende theeën te proeven uit dit gebied. De webinars worden opgenomen, dus je kan de tasting ook nog achteraf doen.

Kaley Farm

• Zondag 24 mei: Kaley Teas – from a single garden in southern Ceylon, thrive on a unique terroir nourished by monsoons, cool mist, dry winds, virgin soil, and natural streams. Surrounded by forests near the Sinharaja rainforest, Kaley Teas are naturally grown, hand-picked, and handmade by artisans, embodying the essence of Ceylon.
• Zondag 14 juni: Amba – perched above the Ravana Ella waterfalls in the Uva mountains, AMBA is a social enterprise focused on maximising local incomes; AMBA’s teas are sold by many of the world’s most famous tea merchants and restaurants.
• Zondag 5 juli: Serene Tea – amid the lush beauty of Ratnapura District in Sabaragamuwa Province, empowering women workers and embracing sustainable farming practises producing innovative handmade teas.

All over the world, discerning consumers are switching from mass-produced blends to artisanal products – from instant coffee to single-origin roasts, from bland beers to micro-brews, from blended scotches to single-malts. Sri Lanka is rightly famous for producing some of the world’s best teas. However, the vast majority are produced in large factories and destined for mass-produced blends. In countries like China and Japan, many teas are still made by hand in small batches, offering a greater variety of terroirs, techniques and flavours. The aim of CATA is to bring the same variety to Ceylon teas. Since artisan teas are produced by hand by the farmers themselves and sold direct to top retailers and restaurants, this ensures much higher incomes for tea farmers and estate workers.

CATA members produce a range of unique teas. These include hand-crafted black teas, pan-fired and steamed green teas, white teas and silver tips, forest-harvested wild teas, flavoured teas and tisanes. Each member operates in a different region, producing teas with unique terroirs and flavours – from the hills of Uva and the Knuckles, to the misty highlands of Dimbula and Nuwara Eliya, the slopes of Sri Pada, and the rainforests of Ruhunu.

AMBA plucking