True Ceylon cinnamon at source estate visits and buying alba grade direct

Third generation estate family answering The cinnamon belt runs inland from the south coast Karandeniya Elpitiya Kosgoda hinterland this is where the worlds finest true cinnamon grows and where the peeler craft lives For a chef the visit that matters watch the morning peeling session the peeler harvests two year shoots scrapes the outer bark rubs the stem with the brass rod to loosen then draws the inner bark off in long strips that telescope into each other forming the quill The skill takes years and the peelers are the highest paid workers in the spice chain Visits several working estates around Karandeniya and the Mirissa hills receive visitors by arrangement 1500 to 2500 LKR including demonstration and tasting your Mirissa or Galle guesthouse can call ahead the Cinnamon Training Academy near Kosgoda also runs proper educational tours Grading what you want is alba the thinnest finest quill diameter under 6 mm pale tan sweet with no bitter edge then continental grades C5 C4 down to M and H grades getting thicker and stronger Buying at source alba runs roughly 8000 to 12000 LKR per kilo direct from estates depending on season airport shops charge four to six times that for lower grades in pretty tins Verify you are getting verum not imported cassia true Ceylon quills are many thin layers rolled like a cigar and snap softly cassia is one thick hard curl Your pastry application alba ground fresh is floral and delicate use a third more than you would cassia the punch is different