Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Tea’s origins are widely believed to be in China, with the tea plant, Camellia Sinensis, native to the southwest of the country, particularly the Yunnan province. It’s an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of Camellia Sinensis. While tea has been initially considered as a “beverage” it is no longer considered just a “beverage” by itself but rather a drink with medicinal value. The speaker will introduce the history, tea manufacturing process, the types of genuine tea varieties, and the distinction between these genuine teas and “non-tea” types. Speaker: Dr. Sampath Walgama Sampath is originally from Sri Lanka (Ceylon), a country famous for the quality teas it produces. He graduated from University of Colombo, Sri Lanka specializing in Environmental Science and pursued his studies at the University of Queensland, Australia to obtain a PhD in Agriculture with a focus in Entomology. He worked at Sri Lanka’s Tea Research Institute as an Entomologist, gaining over