Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) is one of the most historically significant agricultural products of Sri Lanka, cultivated and traded from the island’s south-west and central regions since at least the 14th century. Sri Lanka accounts for approximately 80 to 90 per cent of global true cinnamon production, making it the world’s dominant source. Ceylon cinnamon is botanically distinct from Cinnamomum cassia, the bark sold as cinnamon in most supermarkets: true cinnamon is thinner-barked, more delicately flavoured, and significantly lower in coumarin.
A cinnamon estate tour in Matale covers the full production cycle on a working plantation: walking through the cinnamon gardens where bushes are maintained in a coppiced form to encourage new bark growth; observing the bark harvest, which is most efficiently done during the rainy season; and watching the quill-rolling process in which trained artisans layer thin inner bark strips into the hollow cylinders that form a cinnamon quill. The classification of quills by grade â from the hair-thin Alba grade (the finest) through numbered commercial grades â is demonstrated and explained. Most estate tours include the opportunity to purchase organic-certified products direct from the producer.
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