Sri Lanka’s Spice Heritage
Stories from the island that shaped the world’s spice trade — the history behind each spice, and the health benefits Sri Lankan households have relied on for generations.
4 stories
Ceylon cinnamonThe True Cinnamon: Sri Lanka's Ancient Spice That Shaped World History
Only the inner bark of Cinnamomum verum, grown along Sri Lanka's southwestern coast, earns the name "true cinnamon" — and empires were built and broken over it.
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Ceylon black pepperCeylon Black Pepper: The Spice That Built Empires
Rent, dowries and taxes were once paid in peppercorns. Sri Lanka sat at the centre of the maritime routes that carried them west for over a thousand years.
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Ceylon cardamomCeylon Cardamom: The Queen of Sri Lanka's Hill Country
Traders nicknamed it "green gold". Grown in the misty hills around Kandy and Matale, cardamom remains one of the most expensive spices in the world by weight.
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Ceylon clovesCeylon Cloves: The Aromatic Nail With a Global Past
Cloves take their name from the French clou, meaning nail. The Dutch once destroyed whole groves to control them — and Sri Lanka has grown them for centuries.
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Every spice we write about is grown on the same island, sun-dried and stone-ground in small batches.
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