The collection
Recipes built around whole spices
Nine recipes that use cinnamon quills, ground Ceylon, whole cloves and black pepper the way they are meant to be used — added early, kept whole, and taken out before serving.
Nine recipes
From a two-ingredient tea to a two-hour curry
Sri Lankan dishes where these spices originate, and the European baking they travelled to. Every one specifies quantities that respect how strong clove actually is.
Ceylon Cinnamon Tea
The simplest way to taste what true cinnamon actually is, with nothing else in the cup to hide behind.
DrinkMasala Chai
Whole spices simmered in milk and tea. Cloves lead, cinnamon rounds, ginger lifts.
DrinkMulled Wine
Kept below a simmer so the wine stays wine. Whole spices, citrus peel, and restraint with the clove.
DessertWatalappan
Sri Lanka's steamed jaggery and coconut custard, spiced with clove, cardamom and nutmeg.
MainSri Lankan Beef Curry
Slow-cooked with whole cinnamon, cloves and pepper, finished with thick coconut milk.
BlendSri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder
Dark-roasted thuna paha: the blend that gives Sri Lankan curries their colour and depth.
BakingCinnamon Rolls
Made with Ceylon rather than cassia, which gives a rounder, more perfumed roll.
BakingSpiced Apple Filling
Cinnamon and a restrained amount of clove, cooked down so the fruit stays in front.
MainClove-Studded Glazed Ham
The classic use for whole cloves — studded into scored fat so they lift out with the rind.
Where these spices come from
One island, one narrow belt of wet ground, and five centuries of people fighting over it.
Read the story