Sri Lanka's Spice Gardens: What to Buy and Why Ceylon Cinnamon Is in a Category of Its Own

Sri Lanka's spice trade is among the oldest in the world. Arab traders came for cinnamon. The Portuguese came for cinnamon. The Dutch came for cinnamon. The British stayed for cinnamon, tea, and rubber. The country's agricultural history is essentially a story about the extraordinary abundance of what grows here and how the rest of the world wanted it badly enough to cross oceans.

Ceylon cinnamon is not cassia, which is what most of the world sells as cinnamon. The real thing — Cinnamomum verum — grows here and in very few other places. It is softer, more fragrant, more complex, and completely different once you have tried it properly. Buy it in quill form from a spice garden in the south or from a good spice shop in Colombo. Hold it, smell it. The difference from what you have in your kitchen at home is immediate and significant.

The Matale district north of Kandy is the heart of Sri Lanka's spice growing region. Spice gardens here offer tours that walk you through living plantations of cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, turmeric, ginger, and vanilla. Some of these tours are commercial and shallow. The better ones are run by families who have been growing these spices for generations and who understand what they are showing you. Ask how long the family has been farming before you commit to a tour.

When buying spices to take home: buy whole rather than ground wherever possible, and in small quantities of several varieties rather than large quantities of one. The freshness deteriorates quickly once ground. Vacuum-packed options from reputable producers are available at better food shops in Colombo and are worth considering for the journey home. Your kitchen will smell different for months. In the best possible way.