More Valuable Than Gold: The Epic History of the Ceylon Cinnamon Trade

Imagine a spice so precious, kings burned stockpiles to flaunt power. So rare, explorers risked oceans to find its source. So coveted, it sparked wars and built empires. Ceylon cinnamon wasn’t just a flavor—it was ancient gold with bark.

At DRUERA, we’ve walked Sri Lanka’s cinnamon groves for over 20 years. Today, we unravel its epic saga: from Pharaohs’ tombs to colonial bloodshed, and why true cinnamon still commands reverence.

Ready to learn a few interesting things about Ceylon cinnamon history? 

Whispers from Antiquity: Cinnamon's Dawn (Before 2000 BCE - 5th Century CE)

The Cradle: Sri Lanka’s Hidden Treasure

While cinnamon grew from India to Myanmar, Sri Lanka’s soil birthed the sweetest, most fragrant quills. The first mentions of the spice are available as early as 3,000 BCE. By 1500 BCE, Austronesian sailors traded it across oceans—keeping its origin a mystery. 

Arab and Egyptian traders later bartered Sri Lanka’s "true cinnamon" for Persian silver and African ivory, yet fiercely guarded its source. 

To Mediterranean buyers, it arrived wrapped in mystery—some claimed it grew in dragon-guarded valleys; others said phoenixes nested in it. The truth? A chain of Sinhalese farmers, peelers, and merchants who perfected cultivation over generations.

Egypt: Spice of Gods and Pharaohs (2000–1000 BCE)

For Egyptians, cinnamon was sacred and practical. Queen Hatshepsut organized an expedition to Punt (modern Somalia) in 1450 BCE. Interestingly, they didn’t use "cinnamon" wood they came back with for cooking. They needed it for:

• Embalming: Its antimicrobial oils preserved mummies.
• Rituals: Burned to appease gods like Ra and Osiris.
• Perfumery: Kyphi, a temple incense, blended cinnamon with myrrh and honey.

When Tutankhamun’s tomb was opened in 1922, traces of cinnamon were found beside his sarcophagus. That’s a final luxury for the afterlife. For workers? A day’s wage bought half an ounce. Only elites could afford its magic.

Biblical Lands: Anointing Oils and Divine Aromas (1000–500 BCE)

In ancient Israel, cinnamon symbolized holiness and desire. Here are some quotes from the Bible. 

• Exodus 30:23: God commands Moses to blend "sweet cinnamon" with olive oil for anointing tabernacles.
• Proverbs 7:17: Solomon’s lover perfumes her bed with cinnamon, myrrh, and aloes.
• Sacrifices: Occasionally offered in temples as a rare, costly gift.

Hebrew priests believed its scent bridged earth and heaven. Yet its rarity meant a commoner might smell it once in a lifetime—at a king’s coronation or a rich merchant’s funeral.

Greece and Rome: Myths, Wine, and Imperial Excess (500 BCE–500 CE)

Greece’s Fantasies

• Sappho (630 BCE): First Greek to mention kasia (cassia) in love poetry.
• Herodotus (430 BCE): Spun tales of "giant cinnamon birds" building nests from sticks in Arabia—a lie traders invented to justify sky-high prices.

Rome’s Obsession

• Pliny the Elder (70 CE): Mocked the bird myth, writing, "Traders spin fables to charge 300 denarii per pound."
• Nero (65 CE): Burned Rome’s annual cinnamon supply at his wife Poppaea’s funeral—a stunt so wasteful, it shocked even decadent Romans.
• Status Symbol: Stirred into spiced wine (conditum paradoxum), worn as perfume, but rarely eaten. Too precious!

"While Rome gorged on peppered dishes, cinnamon was saved for perfuming robes and wooing lovers."

The Price of Allure: Economics of Ancient Cinnamon

Cinnamon’s value rivaled silver:

• Diocletian’s Edict (301 CE): Fixed 1lb of cassia at 125 denarii—5 days’ wages for a farmhand.
• Justinian’s Law Digest (533 CE): Listed cinnamon alongside ivory and pearls as "luxury imports."
• Labor Math: Harvesting 1lb required 3 days of dangerous work in Sri Lankan forests.

In a world without sugar, its sweetness was supernatural. And its origin? Still Sri Lanka’s best-kept secret.

Medieval Mystique: The Great Spice Heist (500–1500 CE)

The Arab Monopoly: A Web of Lies

For over 800 years, Arab traders spun fantastical tales to guard their monopoly:

• "Cinnamon grows in valleys patrolled by winged serpents!"
• "We collect sticks dropped by giant cinnamologus birds from their cliffside nests!"

These myths served a brutal purpose: justify 300–500% markups to European buyers. By controlling Indian Ocean trade routes and silencing Sri Lankan sources, Arabs turned cinnamon into medieval Europe’s ultimate luxury—a spice rarer than saffron, priced like silver. 

Venetian merchants paid in gold per pound, believing it hailed from mythical Arabian mountains.

Clues Emerge: Sri Lanka’s Secret Leaks

Despite Arab efforts, truth trickled out through daring travelers:

• 900 CE: Sindbad the Sailor’s logs named Sri Lanka among cinnamon-producing lands, buried in adventure tales.
• 1130 CE: A Jewish merchant’s letter boasted of acquiring "6,000 lbs of finest Serendib (Sri Lankan) cinnamon."
• 1283 CE: King Buvanekabahu I of Sri Lanka sent cinnamon as diplomatic gifts to Egypt, confirming its origin.
• 1292 CE: Franciscan missionary John of Montecorvino documented "cinnamon forests blanketing Ceylon’s hills."
• 1344 CE: Explorer Ibn Battuta wrote of "cinnamon sticks piled like dunes along Sri Lankan shores—washed down from inland groves."

These fragments slowly cracked the Arab narrative, yet Europe remained largely oblivious.

Venice’s Spice Empire: Gatekeepers of Europe

By 1100 CE, Venetian merchants dominated the spice trade, leveraging crusader connections to access Arab ports. Their monopoly made Venice filthy rich:

• Distribution Hub: Imported cinnamon via Alexandria, marking it up 200% for European royalty.
• Cultural Impact: Medicinal: Prescribed for coughs, indigestion, and "melancholy vapors." Culinary: Essential in hippocras (spiced wine) and meat sauces like cameline.
• Economic Power: Cinnamon funded Venice’s golden age—building palazzos and warships.

"To taste cinnamon was to taste power. Few knew it came from Sri Lankan shores."

Blood & Spice: Colonial Wars for Cinnamon (1500–1800 CE)

🇵🇹 Portuguese Brutality (1505–1638): Conquest by Terror

When Admiral Lourenço de Almeida’s storm-blown fleet landed in Sri Lanka in 1505, they found Arab traders dominating the cinnamon trade. The Portuguese response was ruthless:

• Massacred Arab merchants in Colombo and Galle, seizing ports.
• Enslaved Sinhalese villagers to harvest cinnamon under whips and chains. Workers who resisted had hands amputated.
• Built a fortress network (including Colombo Fort) to guard shipments of "brown gold" bound for Lisbon.

The human cost: For every ton of cinnamon exported, 50 laborers died from snakebites, exhaustion, or torture. By 1550, Portugal controlled 90% of Europe’s cinnamon supply—fueling its empire with spice-funded warships.

🇳🇱 Dutch Greed (1638–1796): Monopoly by Fire and Fear

The Dutch East India Company (VOC) orchestrated history’s most cynical spice monopoly:

• Burned harvests: In 1760, torched 2,000 tons of cinnamon in Amsterdam to artificially inflate prices by 400%.
• Crushed rebellions: After peelers revolted (1760–1766), the VOC created Asia’s first "cinnamon plantations"—forcing farmers into serfdom.
• Executed smugglers: Beheaded locals caught selling a single quill outside VOC channels.

"The VOC didn’t just trade cinnamon—they weaponized scarcity."

Their grip was so tight that 1 lb of cinnamon = 1 month’s wage for a Dutch sailor. Yet their cruelty birthed resistance: Sri Lankan farmers secretly preserved grafting techniques in hidden forest groves.

🇬🇧 British Decline (1796–1825): Empire’s Fumble

After seizing Sri Lanka in 1795, the British bungled the cinnamon crown:

• Failed monopoly: By 1800, smuggled saplings grew in Java, India, and Seychelles.
• Flooded markets: Production surged from 300 tons/year (Dutch era) to 2,000+ tons, crashing prices.
• Lost prestige: Cinnamon shifted from "royal spice" to common baking ingredient.

The irony: British botanists at Kerala’s Anjarakkandy Estate grew the world’s finest cinnamon—but couldn’t control the market they’d unleashed.

"Colonialism turned heritage into hemorrhage. While empires bled Sri Lanka dry, farmers guarded cinnamon’s soul in their hands." — Mike de Livera, DRUERA

Key Colonial Impacts

Modern Realities: The Battle for True Cinnamon (1800s–Today)

Global Shifts: Volume vs. Value

While China (39%), Vietnam (27%), and Indonesia (23%) dominate quantity, producing 212,446 tonnes of mostly cassia in 2023, Sri Lanka holds a monopoly on true cinnamon:

• 90% market share of Cinnamomum verum (Ceylon cinnamon)
• Yet only 9% of global production volume (22,410 tonnes)
• Steep decline: From 39% world share (1970s) to 8.2% today

Why? Cassia’s higher yields (1,350 kg/ha vs. Ceylon’s 500 kg/ha), lower labor costs, and aggressive farming have flooded markets. But true connoisseurs—and health-conscious buyers—still seek Ceylon’s signature: sweetness, safety, and heritage.

Bitter Challenges: Tradition Under Threat

1. Labor Crisis

• Aging artisans: 80% of Sri Lanka’s cinnamon peelers are over 50.
• Youth exodus: Few choose this backbreaking work (earning $5/day) over city jobs.
• Skill erosion: Mastering the bronze-knife peel takes 5+ years—knowledge vanishing.

2. Cassia Invasion

• Supermarket deception: 95% of "cinnamon" sold globally is cheap, harsh cassia.
• Health risks: Cassia’s high coumarin (up to 7%) strains livers with daily use.

3. Toxic Adulteration

• 2024 FDA scandals: Lead chromate found in 6 major brands (500+ child poisonings).
• Why? Dyes mimic Ceylon’s golden hue in low-grade cassia.

DRUERA’s Counter-Mission: Ethics as Armor

Direct Sourcing

Partnering with 4th-generation farmers in Kalawana, Sri Lanka:

• Protects heirloom cultivation techniques
• Bypasses corrupt middlemen

Ethical Labor

• Fair wages: $12/day (120% above market) + healthcare
• Youth training: Apprenticeships to revive peeling artistry

Rigorous Safety

• Lead testing: 0.00–0.21 ppm (FDA limit: 2 ppm)
• Coumarin screening: 0.004% max (vs. cassia’s 2–7%)
• Small-batch grinding: No warehouse stockpiles → zero adulteration risk

"We’re not just sellers—we’re guardians. Every quill preserves a legacy colonial empires couldn’t erase." — Mike de Livera, DRUERA

The Enduring Legacy: Cinnamon’s Unbroken Spell

For 4,000 years, cinnamon has transcended its roots as a commodity. It whispered in 

Pharaohs’ tombs, fueled medieval wars, and flavored revolutions. Though its price no longer rivals gold, its magic endures:

• Cultural Anchor: In Sri Lanka, cinnamon peeling remains a sacred craft—passed down like folklore.
• Culinary Time Machine: That first scent of true Ceylon cinnamon still evokes Silk Road caravans and royal feasts.
• Health Wisdom: Modern science now confirms what Ayurveda knew: Cinnamomum verum offers gentle, safe nourishment.

"Empires rose and fell chasing cinnamon’s allure. Today, it connects us to every human who ever savored its warmth."

True cinnamon’s value was never just monetary—it’s the soul of resilience, surviving exploitation to grace your kitchen as living heritage.

At DRUERA, we honor this epic legacy by:

• Preserving heirloom cultivation with Sri Lanka’s generational farmers.
• Rejecting shortcuts (no lead, no cassia, no exploitation)
• Grounding tradition in transparency (every batch lab-tested)

"When you choose DRUERA, you don’t just buy cinnamon—you become part of a story that outlasted pharaohs, monopolies, and empires. You taste resilience."

Carry the legacy forward:

Experience True Ceylon Cinnamon!