Integritea

For centuries, problems of mankind have been solved over a cup of tea. Whether they were problems between nations, between businesses, even in families between husbands & wives, tea has been the soothing balm that helped their solution. The simple act of pouring a cup of tea is, in itself, an ice-breaker, providing pleasurable anticipation of the goodness that is to follow. I have dedicated nearly 60 years of my life to providing that cup of tea: not only to solve problems but to add sunshine to your day, with the first sip of Dilmah.

Merrill J. Fernando Founder of Dilmah Tea...

Read the rest of this entry » Is it CSR or just business as usual?
Author: Dilhan, July 28th, 2008

The June 2008 issue of ‘The Director’ Magazine of the IoD, included a well researched feature on the subject of CSR. It was to me, an informative, yet bewildering overview of the subject. Informative because it is a comprehensive and well researched feature, bewildering because in many cases, the businesses that practice this ‘corporate social responsibility’ – apparently with the aim of helping people and the environment - are taking a very un-businesslike approach to the matter. The difference between businesses and charities - in general of course - is that the former usually has clear, measurable and efficiently implemented outcomes, whilst the latter are often limited in their relevance by their adoption of inappropriately focused and sometimes impractical methodology. The combination of the two, using businesses – and businesslike methods - to help people and the environment may therefore offer a potent solution to the ills of our 21st century society. CSR should therefore be...

Read the rest of this entry » The beauty in the leaf
Author: Dilhan, June 20th, 2008

Here's where it all starts, the two tender leaves and the bud. Picking tea by  hand, as we do in Sri Lanka, ensures that we use just these two leaves and bud, not the third and fourth leaves which introduce coarse, undesirable characteristics to the tea. Antioxidants in tea are concentrated in the bud, making real white tea (not the many pretenders which claim to be white, but are really green or black) deliciously, naturally good for you. White Tea in its pure form consists only of the bud - in fact a special cultivar of Camellia Sinensis with a particularly slender bud, covered in tiny, fine silvery 'fur'. This gives Ceylon Silver Tips, its characteristic appearance.   Read all about it here....

Read the rest of this entry » Two leaves and a bud
Author: Dilhan, April 27th, 2008

The art in tea starts here, with the tender shoots at the extremes of the evergreen shrub, Camellia Sinensis. Flavour and natural antioxidants are concentrated in the two leaves and bud; harvesting it is art because the men and women that pick these need to ensure they pinch off the bush only the two leaves and bud. The third and fourth leaf introduces an undesirable, coarseness to the tea. For this reason, Dilmah stays true to handpicked tea from Ceylon, grown, picked and produced by us the traditional way. Expedients like machine harvesting as done in some countries, CTC manufacture as offered by most of the big brands, are only good for the producer for they do nothing but reduce cost. When the difference between a good cup of tea and an inferior one is just a few cents per cup, is there sense in trying to cut costs? (only if the brandonwer wishes to grow their profit maybe). Enjoy it the way it has been appreciated for centuries, handpicked, produced in the traditional, orthodox manne...

Read the rest of this entry » Tea in the first sense
Author: Dilhan, March 26th, 2008

The beauty of the leaf evolves to take on a different appeal when infused. The spectrum of colour in the dry leaf, assumes a different plane, with more compelling and different hues, textures and aroma in the infused leaf. This image of a Sencha Green Tea (steamed Japanese green tea), a real White Tea (Ceylon Silver Tips) and a Tippy Ceylon Flowery fannings offers a glimpse of the differences. The jade green Sencha, the pale yellow and golden Silver Tips, and the coppery Flowery Fannings are but a hint of the true variety in tea for a thousand more forms, colours, textures, aromas and tastes exist, changing with the weather, the art and expertise of the teamaker, the soils and sunshine....

Read the rest of this entry » Picked by hand
Author: Dilhan, March 26th, 2008

The first step towards a cup of Ceylon's finest, two leaves and a bud handpicked on Somerset Estate in Sri Lanka's Talawakelle region. 'Coarse plucking' where the third and fourth leaves are picked, bring an undesirable taint to the tea. The same applies in the case of machine harvested tea; whilst tea has many parallels with wine, this is not one of them, for the nature and delicacy of the tender, fresh shoots of the plant do not lend themselves to machine hearvesting....

Read the rest of this entry » Just two leaves and a bud!
Author: Dilhan, March 26th, 2008

Producing the finest tea starts with the tea picker; only the young ‘two leaves and bud’ of the Camellia Sinensis should be used. In Sri Lanka, Ceylon Tea is produced in a traditional and natural process that starts with the handpicked leaf. The aspect of art that starts with picking only two leaves and a bud, not the third or fourth leaf or the stalk, permeates the entire process of making fine tea, from picking through manufacture, tasting and packing...

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