Ceylon Spices in Sri Lanka

Ceylon has been the center of the spices trade through out the history. In ancient times the country was renowned under many names as Serendib and Taprobane. Sri Lanka being a tropical country and having a vast diverse in climates and soil types which led the path to have so many types of spices in high quality. Most of them are known to be endemic.

Some of the popular spices can be listed as Curry leaves, Turmeric, Clove,Cinnamon, pepper, Cardamom, Ginger, Vanilla, Nutmeg etc. Spices play the mainrole in both Asian and European cuisine. In this industry herbs are left whole orfried or sometimes they are roasted and ground to get their own delicate flavors.
Cardamom, which is called the “Seeds of Paradise” is native to both India and SriLanka. It is also considered to be the most prized spice after saffron as well as it isthe only spice which can be used with sweet and savory dishes.

Cinnamon has an aromatic and sweet flavor. It has been a major spice in Sri Lankan culture for its natural flavoring properties. Cinnamon has many health benefits to treat chronic diseases as diabetes and cancer.
Mustard seeds are widely used spice in Sri Lanka. Adding mustard seed will enhance the taste and aroma of the dish. These seeds can finely grind and make a paste to add flavor to pickles and chutneys.
Fenugreek has a bitter taste, usually it roasted to reduce the bitterness. Gamboge or ‘Goroka’ is used to flavor and thicken the fish gravy. Addition, this paste gives an authentic, unique taste to fish curries. Curry leaves are an herb used to flavor almost all Sri Lankan curries. It is a common plant that can be found in any Sri Lankan home garden. Freshly plucked curry leaves give out a strong fragrance and aroma to curries. Pandan Leaves have blade like leaves with an intense aroma that makes them an ideal accompaniment for curry-based dishes. Cloves are dried flower buds of the Clove tree. It uses to flavor and aromatizes meat or savory rice dishes. It is also famously used as a medicine for relieving toothaches or adding with digestion difficulties.