Ceylon tea has a great bold flavor that’s perfect on its own or with milk. It’s a great tea to drink hot or iced — see how to make it properly.
Ceylon Tea
- Ceylon tea is from Sri Lanka, which used to be called Ceylon.
- Sri Lanka started producing tea in the 19th century under British colonial rule.
- There’s caffeine in Ceylon tea.
- Ceylon is known for its bold, bright flavor.
- Ceylon tea is often used in blends like Earl Grey and English breakfast tea.
CEylon Tea Brewing Guide
TO MAKE HOT CEYLON TEA
TEA: 1.5 teaspoons loose Ceylon tea or 1 tea sachet
WATER: 1 cup (8 fl. oz.)
WATER TEMPERATURE: 208°F
STEEP TIME: 5 minutes
TO MAKE COLD BREW CEYLON TEA
TEA: 1.5 teaspoons loose Ceylon tea or 1 tea sachet
WATER: 1 cup (8 fl. oz.)
WATER TEMPERATURE: Cold water
STEEP TIME: 12 hours
What you’ll need
TO MAKE HOT CEYLON TEA
TO MAKE COLD BREW CEYLON TEA
My Ceylon Pick:
Photo Credit: Harney.com
How to Make hot ceylon tea Properly
STEP 1: Boil water.
Go for filtered water instead of tap water to boil. Your tea will only taste as good as the water you use.
I always use an electric kettle with a temperature setting instead of boiling water on the stovetop.
Boil extra water to use for warming up the teapot.
STEP 2: Warm up teapot.
Pour some hot water into a teapot. Swirl the water then throw the water out.
Tea Sommelier’s Tip: Warming up the teapot is an important step to brewing tea properly. This step makes sure that the boiled water stays hot and there isn’t a big temperature drop when steeping the tea.
STEP 3: Put Ceylon tea into teapot and add hot water.
STEP 4: Cover teapot and steep for 5 minutes.
Don’t forget to keep the lid on nice and tight to keep the tea hot while it brews. Don’t brew it for more than 5 minutes since it can make your tea bitter.
STEP 5: Strain Ceylon leaves and pour hot tea into a teacup.
How to Make Iced Ceylon Tea Properly
Ceylon tea is so refreshing as iced tea!
Tea Sommelier’s Tip: The best way to make iced tea is to cold brew loose tea.
STEP 1: Put Ceylon tea and water in a pitcher or glass container.
Using cool or room temperature filtered water for a better tasting cold brew.
STEP 2: Cover pitcher and put in refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
Ceylon tea can be left to steep for up to 24 hours, depending on how strong you want it.
STEP 3: Strain Ceylon tea leaves and pour tea into a cup.
One of the great things about cold brewed tea is that it’s already cold, so ice is optional.
Simple syrup is the easiest way to sweeten iced tea since it mixes in the easiest. To make it at home, just mix equal parts sugar and hot water until the sugar dissolves.
Ceylon Tea Tips
- Ceylon black tea is great with milk, sweetener, and spices, so it’s perfect for Chai Latte or Thai iced tea.
- Try iced Ceylon tea with a lemon wedge to bring out its citrusy notes.
- If you want a stronger brew, add more tea instead of steeping it for longer. Brewing it for longer will just make the tea bitter.
Questions You May Have
Ceylon black tea has a full, bright flavor with a citrusy aroma. The bold flavor is the reason it works well with milk and sugar.
This drink naturally contains caffeine.
Ceylon tea is completely calorie-free.
Loose tea is the best choice for high quality Ceylon tea since unbroken tea leaves produce the best flavor. Although a lot of this tea comes in teabags, go for tea sachets first if loose tea isn’t an option since it gives the tea space to expand.
Yes, Ceylon tea comes from the camellia sinensis plant so it is a real tea. Only tea that comes from that plant is a real tea. All herbal teas aren’t real tea.
Related
- 6 Easy Steps to Make English Breakfast Tea Properly
- How to Make Assam Tea
- Iced Milk Tea
- Decadent Milk Tea with Brown Sugar
- Quick Start Tea Guide
Ceylon Tea
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup water + more to warm teapot for hot tea
- 1 ½ teaspoons Ceylon loose tea
INSTRUCTIONS
- Boil water.If using an electric kettle with temperature setting, set it to 208°F. Heat a little more water than needed so that it can be used to warm up the teapot. If boiling water on the stovetop, let it come to a simmer, then turn off heat. (Filtered water is best.)
- Warm up teapot.Pour some hot water into the teapot and swirl it around a bit. Discard the water.
- Put Ceylon tea into teapot and add hot water.
- Cover teapot and steep for 5 minutes.
- Strain Ceylon tea leaves and pour hot tea into a teacup.
