Why Sri Lankans Never Need a Reason for Tea

Ask any Sri Lankan why they drink tea and you’ll probably get a chuckle before an answer. Because here, there’s no “tea time.” It’s whenever you crave it. Whenever the rain begins to fall. Whenever the sun feels too heavy. When the 3pm slump hits, or when you just woke up and need to feel human again. Tea, to us, is not just an export crop. It's a small act of comfort that fits anywhere in the day.

In most homes, there’s always a kettle ready. When a guest arrives, before we ask who they are or where they’ve come from, we ask, “Tea?” It’s our first gesture of welcome. More than being polite, it’s the simplest way we Sri Lankans know to start a moment of connection.

And no cup is ever alone. There’s usually a small porcelain plate of biscuits nearby. You dunk them just enough to catch the edge of softness before they fall apart. It’s the kind of pairing that carries you through late night assignments to cosy evenings.

Tea is also the most flexible drink. If you’ve just had a heavy rice and curry lunch, it's plain tea that follows after, the black tea equivalent in every South Asian household. Dark brown, strong, slightly tannic, helps the meal "settle" as any Sri Lankan uncle puts it. And there’s a reason it feels that way. The L-Theanine in the leaves naturally calms the body after a big meal.

For conversation, it’s milk tea. For long afternoons, cardamom tea or masala chai, thick and fragrant. And for those on their mindful streak, green tea or a light infusion does the trick. The beauty is in this freedom. Nobody asks how strong or how sweet, it’s made the way you like it. A little milk, maybe no milk. A spoon of sugar or none at all. Sometimes, lime is squeezed in and it's Lime Plain Tea. Sometimes it's ginger, then it's Ingi Tea. Across communities, they've found a way to make tea a deeply personal affair.

At Kandy Myst by Cinnamon, this daily ritual is elevated into something unhurried. A table of handpicked teas, savouries, and sweets served against a backdrop of mountain quiet. You come for the view, but it’s really the tea that makes you stay.

Going back to the root of it all, Sri Lanka’s connection with tea began almost by accident. In 1824, a few tea plants were brought to the island and planted in the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya meant to be just an experiment. Four decades later, a Scotsman named James Taylor turned that experiment into the country’s first tea estate in Loolecondera, near Kandy.

What followed reshaped our hills forever. When coffee failed, tea took over, carpeting the slopes of Nuwara Eliya, Hatton, Kandy, and Uva province. From the 19th century onward, Ceylon tea travelled the world. Even as it became a global export, it never ceased to be the drink that bookends our days.

What is lesser known is that the land gives tea its personality. Rainfall, soil, altitude, and even the mist that hangs over the hills can alter its taste. You can sense it when you sip, the difference between a high grown cup poured in Nuwara Eliya and a low country brew in Galle.

At Cinnamon Citadel Kandy, you’re staying in the heart of the mid grown tea region, where estates around Kandy produce full bodied, copper tinted teas praised for both strength and flavour. And if you find yourself down the coast at Cinnamon Bey Beruwala, you’re near the low grown tea zones around Galle and Moragalla, where tea grows fast and strong, shaped by sea air and tropical heat.

Uva teas are gentler, almost honeyed. But we don't overthink tea, because we reinvent it daily. Add condensed milk and your cup is richer in taste. Cardamom or ginger elevates it a notch. A hint of clove or cinnamon turns it aromatic. It all depends on the mood.

And if you’re in the mood for something festive, both Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo and Cinnamon Grand Colombo are bringing back their festive high teas this December. Expect warm pastries, family favourites, sweet and savoury bites, and a pot of tea you’ll probably refill without even thinking.

…and that is the point.

In Sri Lanka, we never really finish our tea. You just pause before the next cup. So the next time someone asks how many cups you have in a day, just smile and say, “As many as it takes.”

-Written by Shakirah Mohamed