While Sri Lanka's most famous export is tea, historically the most important has been cinnamon. In fact, so strong is the the link between cinnamon and Sri Lanka that the botanical name of the spice - Cinnamomum zeylanicum - is derived from the island's former name, Ceylon.
Every morning cinnamon peelers go to the fields to collect branches to be stripped for bark. The plant grows as a bush. It's hot, hard work.
Words and pictures by Roland Buerk.