Since ancient times Sri Lanka was famous for its spices, especially during the existence of the silk road, the spice played a much greater role in food preservation. When the Dutch conquered Ceylon, they tried to grow them in plantations near the coast. One of these plantations were the cinnamon gardens at Colombo Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo 07).

Although plantations in Colombo no longer exists, the name has remained. Now cinnamon, cloves, pepper, vanilla, cardamom and other spices are grown in small private farms in the districts of Kegalle, Mawanella, Kandy and Matale, where the climate is quite wet and cool.

The bulk of production is exported. Spices are used not only in food, but in medicine and in cosmetics. All around the United States "spice garden", where tourists can see how to grow spices, to listen to a short story about their use, well, and, of course, to buy.