Cinnamon, being one of the first ever traded spices in the world, is considered to be one of the rarest and the most valuable spices in the ancient world. Perceived as a luxury good, cinnamon was one of the motivating factors  for many voyagers, in discovering the new world. The Ceylon cinnamon, scientifically known as Cinamomum Zylanicum, is indigenous to Sri Lanka.

The art of processing authentic Ceylon cinnamon dates back to centuries during when the skill, knowledge, and experience needed to perfect the Ceylon cinnamon quill was solidified. Now it’s been followed by the current generations and, will be by the ones to come. This unique processing method, its flavor and medicinal benefits have made Ceylonese cinnamon as one of the most valuable spices traded from Sri Lanka.

The rarity of cinnamon has always been celebrated all around the world. It used to be a gift for monarchs, Arabs tried to hold full monopoly status due to cinnamon’s worth, and is even a symbol of luxe status among Europeans.

If you ask us how it all started. By 1518, Portuguese voyagers discovered cinnamon in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). The Portuguese conquered Ceylon and proceeded to enslave its population and gain full control and monopoly over the cinnamon trade for over a century. The Ceylon kingdom made allies with the Dutch to overthrow Portuguese of their power. However The Dutch kept Ceylon in debt for military services, thereby having control over the cinnamon trade for over 150 years. Regardless, the rights of the spice land now belongs to Sri Lanka and Savour Route is delighted to take you on this journey.

1⦁   Prior to peeling, the cinnamon trunks must always be kept in moist conditions. This is why they are ideally harvested in the early mornings before direct sunlight hits the crops.   Once the cinnamon trunks are harvested, they are taken into the factory, where the trunks would be soaked in a water tank. This soaking allows the trunks to be scraped and peeled easily. Once soaked, knots in the trunk are clipped off so there is a straighter trunk for scraping.

2⦁   Next, the outer bark of the trunk is fully scraped off using traditional cinnamon scraping tools (soorana kokeththa). To keep in tact with sustainable measures, we ensure to reuse scraped bark residue as compost fertilizer as well!

3⦁   The Scraped trunks are then put through the rubbing machine to release the inner peel (cinnamon peel) from the trunk. The pressure applied from the rubbing machine allows the  cinnamon peel to be unlatched from its trunk, making it much more convenient to peel.

4⦁    Cinnamon peels are then removed from the trunk using a traditional tool
called thalana kokeththa. This step requires a lot of experience and skill. Along with
the perfect peel (leli), small quillings (podi) are also removed, which will be then inserted inside the larger peels to make the quill.

5⦁    Following that, the signature Ceylon cinnamon quill is crafted using the naturally air-dried cinnamon peels along with the quillings; this is called a handiya.  This process is highly technical as small quillings are filled in an overlapping manner inside the matching larger cinnamon peels.

GAYANI – Our in-house supervisor,  who guarantees that everybody is carrying out their job responsibility, accurately and diligently. She is NVQ Level 3 qualified while being in the cinnamon business for 9 years. Aside from that, she’s also a lovely, hardworking mother who is saving her compensation for her daughter’s education.

Kanthi is one of the best in-house scrapers we have. She is a mother of two, who lost her job as a line leader at a bankrupt garment factory 5 years ago. Also, she enjoys gardening, especially Anthurium! She is an independent woman who earns for herself and for her kids. We are ever so grateful to have such skilful, lovely people in our team! .

Meshika, another one of our scraping experts and she loves all things medicinal! She’s the first to be near anyone who needs medical attention at our factory—First-aid Queen. With her husband being injured, she is now the sole earner for her family. Her spare time is mostly spent with her kids and cricket!

GAYANI – Our in-house supervisor,  who guarantees that everybody is carrying out their job responsibility, accurately and diligently. She is NVQ Level 3 qualified while being in the cinnamon business for 9 years. Aside from that, she’s also a lovely, hardworking mother who is saving her compensation for her daughter’s education.

Kanthi is one of the best in-house scrapers we have. She is a mother of two, who lost her job as a line leader at a bankrupt garment factory 5 years ago. Also, she enjoys gardening, especially Anthurium! She is an independent woman who earns for herself and for her kids. We are ever so grateful to have such skilful, lovely people in our team! .

Meshika, another one of our scraping experts and she loves all things medicinal! She’s the first to be near anyone who needs medical attention at our factory—First-aid Queen. With her husband being injured, she is now the sole earner for her family. Her spare time is mostly spent with her kids and cricket!

Being independent at the age of 23, Wathsala knows about cinnamon trunks like a real pro! She’s also a reading and a fashion enthusiast who she spends most of her earnings on books and fashion while supporting her mother’s medical needs as well.

Wasantha, who has mastered the art of the rubbing machine, is easily our rubbing machine champion! She is actually the only person who can operate the machine without harming or damaging the cinnamon bark. Her husband works in the incidental industry of local gem mining so she is the only stable earner for her family.

MUDITHA – Being in the cinnamon industry for almost nine years, she’s highly skilled in peeling delicate grades such as Alba and C5 Special. This process requires a lot of experience and smart-thinking; and she’s NVQ level 3 qualified. She is one hard working soul whose working and concentration ethics stay stable for hours. Her joy surrounds spending on her one and only child, including providing him a place to live in.

 Sampath entered the Cinnamon industry at the young age of eleven, and has been processing cinnamon ever since then. He mastered the techniques from his uncle, when he was with him as a helping hand back in the south.  Later on he was relocated to Rathnapura after tsunami affected his previous residential area. Thereafter, he made Rathnapura his new home, and continued his passion for cinnamon.
In his family it is him, his parents, four siblings, his niece and nephew. This young man spends all his free time talking to his girlfriend Dinu.

Malkanthi has been working in the cinnamon industry for the past 9 years. She’s a passionate soul who wants her cinnamon quills to be of the best quality with no fail or waste.
She’s the sole supporter for her son, who performed very well in his GCE O/Ls and is now pursuing a career in IT. Her life goal is to see her son succeed in the IT industry.

Rohini is a hardworking mother with a teenage son
and a daughter. While her husband is at home taking care of the kids, she is the sole earner for her family. Her earnings are fully spent on her family, especially for the education of her kids.

Jayamini is one of our sophisticated quill makers. She is the only person who can operate our cutting machine; this involves extreme patience and attentiveness. She is also well versed in the grading and bailing department.  We are glad to be in the company of such a confident woman who loves everything culinary—her rice and curry is the one to die for!!!