There’s trouble in the brew for orthodox tea, given the lukewarm interest from major importing countries. Known for flavour complexity and delicate make, orthodox teas had a stellar run last year.
There was frenetic buying of Indian orthodox last year as Sri Lanka, the world’s largest supplier of the variety, faced an economic crisis. That took auction prices to a record high. But the panic has subsided this season, even though the island nation is no closer to its peak production.
And it is playing out on auction prices.
Prices of the orthodox leaf — the bulk of which is