Photo Gallery

As a vine-like orchid, the vanilla plant relies on a supporting tree. It anchors itself to the trunk with tendrils that grow from its shoots and can grow up to ten meters tall. The leaves are oblong to egg-shaped, thick and fleshy, and a rich green. On plantations, the climbing plants are allowed to grow up light-tolerant tree species and are pruned back to a certain height every year. They can live up to fifty years. – 1990

A bundle of dried vanilla beans, with a fresh, not yet fully matured fruit placed on top for comparison. The cylindrical pods, which can grow up to twenty-five centimeters long, change color from yellow to brown as they ripen. After harvesting, the pods are left to ferment by alternating exposure to sunlight with storage in sealed containers. During this process, they turn blackish, and the glycoside in the pod’s skin is broken down into fructose and vanillin. – 1990

A flowering cinnamon tree in Sri Lanka. Various environmental factors contribute to the growth of this spice tree here. First, the high average temperature of twenty-five to thirty degrees; second, annual rainfall of at least two thousand millimeters; and finally, sandy soils with a high quartz content. The plantations, which require no special care, are established as dense nurseries. Farmers limit their efforts to occasional hoeing, weeding, and fertilizing with natural materials such as manure or copra residues. However, the tree must be pruned regularly so that it does not grow too tall. The cinnamon tree then develops numerous root suckers and takes on a shrub-like form. The cinnamon tree is propagated by seed, cuttings, and layering. – 1990

A worker in Sri Lanka produces cinnamon sticks using traditional methods. This process involves peeling the bark from the branches of the cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum verum). Cinnamon is the inner bark of this tree. First, the outer, rough bark is scraped off the branch. The remaining bark is rubbed with a brass rod to separate it from the wood. Then, a special knife is used to peel off the thin inner bark layer in long strips. These pieces of bark are intertwined and dried, causing them to roll up into the familiar cinnamon sticks. Sri Lanka is known worldwide for its high-quality Ceylon cinnamon, also known as ‘true cinnamon’. Production is traditionally often in the hands of the Salagama caste. - 1990

Cinnamon sticks stacked closely together, viewed from above. The characteristic spiral-shaped layers of the tree bark are clearly visible. Ceylon cinnamon (“true cinnamon”) consists of several extremely thin layers of bark that are tightly rolled together like a cigar. In Cassia cinnamon (Chinese cinnamon), the individual pieces of bark are usually thick and coarse and curl inward from both sides (often like a “U” or a double spiral). – 1990

A large bundle of cinnamon sticks, which are obtained from the dried inner bark of cinnamon trees. Cinnamon is used worldwide as a spice in cooking, baking and beverages. The picture shows the traditional harvesting and storage in bundles, as is customary in growing regions in Sri Lanka. – 1990