Since ancient times, Sri Lanka, has been world famous for its spices, especially in the days of the silk road, when spices played a much larger role in the preservation of food. When the Dutch took over Ceylon, they tried to cultivate them in plantations near the coast. One such plantation was the Cinnamon Gardens in Colombo (Colombo 07).
Although the plantations in Colombo no longer exist, the name remains. Now cinnamon, cloves, pepper, vanilla, cardamom and other spices are grown in small private farms in the areas of Kogalle, Mawanella, Kandy and Matale, where the climate is quite humid and cool.
Most of the produce is exported. Spices are used not only in food, but also in medicine and in the manufacture of cosmetics. There are "spice gardens" scattered all over the country, where tourists can see how spices grow, listen to a short story about their use, and, of course, buy them.
Spice gardens are located in the centre of the country.
