A reprint from The Nation (LK)

by Hassina Leelarathna

Alarming levels of banned toxic found in substitutes makes local Cinnamon safer 
and desirable

A scientific research study four years in the making and just released in the US 
spells a major windfall for Sri Lanka’s cinnamon industry.    
Appearing in the April issue of the prestigious Journal of Agricultural and Food 
Chemistry (JAFC), published by the American Chemical Society, the study by 
researchers at the University of Mississippi analyzing levels of the banned 
toxic chemical coumarin in cinnamon products affirms the superiority of Ceylon 
Cinnamon, AKA True Cinnamon, as compared to more widely used cinnamon 
substitutes.     

High levels of coumarin, a chemical that naturally occurs in cinnamon, is a 
toxic to the liver, acts as an anticoagulant, and is known to cause cancer in 
rodents.  According to the researchers, experiments conducted using a variety of 
popular cinnamon flavored foods and cinnamon food supplements found in Ceylon 
Cinnamon to contain insignificant traces of coumarin whereas barks from cassia, 
imported from China, Vietnam and Indonesia and sold as cinnamon in the US, had 
substantial amounts of the toxic chemical.

“This is a great development that opens up many possibilities for Sri Lankan 
cinnamon growers”, said former Consul General Ananda Wickremasinghe (now living 
in Canada). He has been patiently awaiting the results ever since he took the 
initiative to get the study started in 2009 while serving as Consul General in 
Los Angeles. Wickremasinghe, an agricultural graduate who spent most of his 
career as an agriculture scientist spotted the potential for promoting Ceylon 
Cinnamon in the US after its lower coumarin content and superiority over 
substitutes was established by European as well as Sri Lankan researchers. “Some 
Sri Lankan exporters were already aware of Ceylon Cinnamon’s lower coumarin 
levels and studies have been conducted by the Industrial Technology Institute. 
However, to gain acceptance in the U.S., an independent study by American 
researchers was needed”.  

He presented the proposal to Research Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences at 
the University of Mississippi Dr. Dhammika Nanayakkara, one of the nation’s top 
pharmaceutical research colleges.  Dr. Nanayakkara eventually co-authored the 
study with research scientists Dr. Yan-Hong Wang (University of Mississippi),   
Bharathi Avula (University of Mississippi), Jianping Zhao, and Ikhlas A Khan.

The research was supported in part by “Science Based Authentication of Dietary
Supplements” funded by the Food and Drug Administration, the United States 
Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, and the Global 
Research Network for Medicinal Plants (GRNMP), King Saud University.
The researchers analyzed coumarin and other compounds in authenticated cinnamon 
bark samples as well as locally bought cinnamon samples, cinnamon-flavored 
foods, and cinnamon-based food. “The experimental results indicated that C. 
verum bark (Ceylon Cinnamon) contained only traces of coumarin, whereas barks 
from all three cassia species, especially C. loureiroi (Vietnam Cinnamon) and C. 
burmannii (Indonesian Cinnamon), contained substantial amounts of coumarin”, the 
study said.  

Researchers then analyzed 21 cinnamon-flavored foods such as cereals, snacks, 
bread, rolls, buns, swirl, bar and pastries all purchased from local stores. 
Except for cinnamaldehyde that is essential for cinnamon flavor, coumarin was 
detected in all cinnamon-flavored food products, varying in content from 0.05 to 
2.4 mg per serving. Two cinnamon dietary supplements that contained powders of 
cinnamon bark were also analyzed and found to contain high coumarin levels - 2.5 
and 3.9 mg per serving.
The identity of the cinnamon used in the samples was determined based on 
cinnamaldehyde and coumarin content, leading to the conclusion that most of the 
cinnamon used was of the Indonesian variety (C.burmannii) which has higher 
coumarin content, is cheaper, and accounts for 90% of US cinnamon imports in the 
past five years.

Surprisingly, despite cinnamon’s widespread use as a flavoring in a wide range 
of foods and its growing popularity as a ‘miracle cure’ for everything from 
diabetes to weight loss this is the first published study in the US that 
analyzes the coumarin content of cinnamon. As such this is also the first 
American study that affirms Ceylon Cinnamon’s low coumarin content – a fact long 
known to European researchers and industry insiders.  

While coumarin has been banned in the US as a food additive since 1954, its 
presence is mostly associated with artificial vanilla (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanilla). Coumarin was also banned as an adulterant in cigarettes by tobacco companies in 
1997 but due to the lack of reporting requirements to the U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services, it is still being used as a flavoring additive in 
pipe tobacco.
The JAFC article warns that ingesting substantial amounts of coumarin on a daily 
basis may pose a health risk to individuals who are more sensitive to the 
compound. The researchers are calling for the establishment of a Tolerable Daily 
Intake (TDI) and maximum limits for coumarin in foods marketed in the US.

European health agencies already recognize the adverse side effects of coumarin 
and EU regulations specify a TDI for coumarin of 0.1 milligrams of coumarin per 
kilogram for food products. But setting such limits doesn’t ensure compliance. 
Recent tests by a leading independent consumer protection group warned that 
coumarin levels in a variety of cookies, cereals and rice puddings sold in 
Germany were up to 20 times the European legal limit.

The US study, which establishes the occurrence of high coumarin levels in 
popular foods as well as health supplements, is bound to attract the attention 
of consumer groups and open the door to scrutiny of cinnamon additives by the 
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the federal agency that oversees and sets 
guidelines for food safety.  
Wickremasinghe believes Sri Lankan authorities should seize the opportunity and 
take proactive measures, such as promotional events by foreign missions, 
contacting food watchdogs, and making oversight bodies such as the FDA and 
Health Canada in North America aware of the study, in order to maximize the 
leverage potential of Ceylon Cinnamon.  

Sri Lanka’s share of the world cinnamon market is around 22% while its share of 
the US market is slightly less than 6%.    
Upping the statistics to 10% of the international market is well within reach 
says Wickremasinghe, adding that every measure must be taken to increase 
cinnamon production. “It will require doubling Sri Lanka’s current cinnamon 
growing area, improving agronomic practices, and extending cultivation into 
parts of the wet zone where cinnamon is not currently growing”, he says. He 
strongly believes coumarin free cinnamon plants could be found in Sri Lanka and 
that they could be used to introduce coumarin free cinnamon varieties.

Coincidentally, the study comes in the midst of a growing controversy over “The 
Cinnamon Challenge”, a prank that challenges teenagers to shovel a spoonful of 
ground cinnamon into their mouths. The fad has gone viral with over 40,000 
videos posted on You Tube, nearly 3 million Google hits and on the flip side, 
dozens of challengers ending up in emergency rooms with serious problems such as 
collapsed lungs. Worried parents are scrambling to put a stop to it, while 
bloggers, talk show hosts, school authorities, and doctors are all weighing in. 
Surprisingly, doctors are coming out saying cinnamon is ‘totally harmless’ other 
than for an inert substance called cellulose which can lodge in the lungs. No 
mention of coumarin.

“What better time to start talking about the facts of cinnamon and the 
superiority of our cinnamon to the American public and pass the message along to 
other countries?” asks Wickremasinghe.
The planets are definitely lined up in favor of a big push for Ceylon Cinnamon. 

With spring upon us and summer right around the corner, I’m inspired  to get outside more, and start hitting the farmers market for fresh produce. It’s also time to start shedding that winter weight and get healthy again, and vegetables are the perfect tonic. Since the south of India is known for its primarily vegetarian diet, and also some incredibly tasty dishes, I looked in Healthy South Indian Cooking by Alamelu Vairavan and Patricia Marquardt for inspiration, and pulled this amazing recipe for Vegetable Kurma. It uses carrots, potatoes, cauliflower and peas, but feel free to use whatever vegetables you like. I also substituted cashew nuts for almonds (since I didn’t have any handy), and, of course, upped the heat quotient by adding more green chilis. While the dish is simple to prepare, there are a lot of ingredients involved, but mysteriously enough, no garlic! Though it turned out great, I think next time I will add some garlic as it can only enhance an already delicious dish. Also, salt to taste as I believe the recipe called for not enough salt.

The Recipe

from Healthy South Indian Cooking (Hippocrene Books, 2008)

by Alamelu Vairavan and Patricia Marquardt

Ingredients:

½ cup ground fresh coconut or unsweetened coconut powder

1 green chili pepper

12 raw almonds

1 tablespoon white poppy seeds (optional)

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 thick slices ginger root (peeled)

1 tablespoon roasted chickpeas

2 tablespoons canola oil

6 to 8 curry leaves

1 dry bay leaf

3 or 4 slivers cinnamon sticks

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped tomato

2 cups peeled and cubed Idaho potato

½ cup peeled and thinly sliced carrots

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon curry powder

½ cup green peas (fresh or frozen)

1 cup cauliflower florets

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1.)   In A blender combine coconut powder, green chili, almonds, white poppy seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, ginger root slices, chickpeas. Add 2 cups hot water and grind the ingredients to a smooth paste.

2.)   Heat oil in a wide-bottom saucepan over medium heat. When oil is hot, but not smoking, add curry leaves, bay leaf, cinnamon sticks, remaining cumin and fennel  seeds. Cover and fry to a golden brown.

3.)   Add onion and ½ cup of the chopped tomato to saucepan and stir-fry for a few minutes until onion is lightly translucent.

4.)   Add potato and carrots to saucepan. Add turmeric powder and stir well.

5.)   Add curry powder and stir-fry for a minute or two.

6.)   Add peas and cauliflower to mixture and stir fry for a couple of minutes.

7.)   Add ground spices from the blender to vegetable mixture in saucepan plus 2 cups of warm water. Mix thoroughly.

8.)   When mixture begins to boil, reduce heat. Add remaining ½ cup chopped tomato, salt and cilantro leaves. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Serve with rice or bread.

Serves 6

I originally made my raw and roasted Sri Lankan curry powder at home and gave it out to friends and family, who were the first to encourage me to actually market my brand. When my book came out, this seemed like a no brainer as most of my recipes called for either a raw or roasted curry powder. Since I’m on a mission to promote Sri Lankan food, one of the last undiscovered cuisines of Asia, far and wide, it only makes sense to flog my curry powders. I truly stand behind my product, and firmly believe that these are the most complex and original spice blends you will find anywhere. My family and I cook with them regularly. Not only do they make for delicious dishes, but they also have myriad health benefits as all the spices used have applications in the ancient Ayurvedic system of medicine. In short, this is the real deal.

I started selling my spices exclusively in an artisanal food site called Foodoro.

http://skizsspice.foodoro.com/products/sri-lankan-curry-powder-set-12-oz

I also sell them locally at two retail outlets:

The Milk & Honey Market in Baltimore

http://milkandhoneybaltimore.com/chicken-curry-kukul-mas/

and Bazaar Spices @ Union Market in DC

http://www.bazaarspices.com/

Now, I’ve just set up another online store on Open Sky, which I hope you will visit and follow me as I need 20 followers to open the store:

https://www.opensky.com/skizs-original-spice-blends

one of the giants at Ministry of Crab

Since ending a brutal 27-year conflict in 2009, Sri Lanka is writing a new chapter in her history, which is seeing the country growing and changing in leaps and bounds. One of the first things I noticed on my latest trip there, after the absence of about a year, was how clean the streets of Colombo have become. Forget about those rotting mounds of garbage that pockmarked the urban landscape–you’re hard-pressed to find even the odd scrap of litter. I’m talking capital C-L-E-A-N. Minister of Defense cum Urban Development Gotabaya Rajapaksa deserves kudos for his beautification campaign, which includes knocking down the walls around all public spaces to create a sense of openness, which is, indeed, very rare these days in most congested Asian capitals. The government is also behind the renovation and restoration of such historic sites as the Colombo Racetrack and the Old Dutch Hospital, both of which have been turned into luxury shopping complexes boasting fine restaurants and bars.  Originally built in 1677, the Old Dutch Hospital, in particular, provides a fitting showpiece for the new Colombo—elegant, exciting, and certainly not cheap. As headquarters for the culinary hotspot known as Ministry of Crab, it is a mandatory stop for all visitors here.

I had heard reports about the Ministry often tempered by complaints about how pricey it is. According to their own website, an XL crab clocking in at about a kilo will run you RS 5250 (which comes to about US $41). Though you may instinctively shudder at the thought of paying that much for a single crab consider the fact that you have never, ever in your life laid eyes on such a monstrous creature unless, of course, you grew up near the lagoons of Negombo or Chilaw, where these crabs are sourced. And never mind the tantalizing sauces they are cooked in—chili garlic being my own personal favorite—which can be mopped up with the old-style kade pan (bread) with which they are served. The crabmeat itself is some of the richest, most succulent animal flesh on land or sea, and even the smallest of its legs is loaded with this white gold. So, if you are the type who appreciates good food and think nothing of, say, plunking down $80 for a couple of ounces of prime Kobe beefsteak, $40 for a 32 ounce crustacean seems like a bona fide bargain. When you also consider that these native lagoon crabs were never before available in Sri Lanka because they were all exported to Singapore, you are, in fact, getting a true taste of The Resplendent Isle.

the open kitchen at Ministry

Veteran restaurateur Darshan Munidasa, along with his partners, star cricketers, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, are the men behind the Ministry, but it is Darshan who maintains a daily presence, when he’s not splitting time at his other exceptional establishment, Nihonbashi, without a doubt the finest Japanese restaurant within 1000 miles (Darshan is half Japanese himself). Brimming with new ideas and enthusiasm, this guy is on top of every detail here—from the design of the open kitchen; to the Japanese, carbon-steel woks used to cook the crabs; to the fact that the pol sambol is made to order here on traditional grindstones, and served in a coconut shell with a 5 mm layer of coconut meat left intact. He clearly loves what he’s doing, and he’s set the bar quite high for Sri Lanka’s fine dining establishments. Hopefully others will follow his lead.

the main event — chili garlic crab

claypot prawn curry

Though I ate Sri Lankan clams for the first time, and the biggest freshwater prawns I’ve ever seen in my life, the star of the show was, no doubt, the Sri Lankan lagoon crab, which sent shivers of patriotism down my spine. Ministry also takes a playful approach to five-star dining providing customers with bibs, which you will definitely need as you dig into these crabs with both hands. As a connoisseur of crustaceans and a Cancer myself, I can honestly say that these were the biggest and best crabs I have ever eaten. But don’t take my word for it. Indulge for yourself! And long live Ministry of Crab!

Lunch is served at my Uncle Wilson’s place in Kandy

Despite Sri Lanka’s compact size (roughly about the area of West Virginia), there are definite regional variations in its cuisine. The food from the south is said to be spicier and more fish-based, as is exemplified by one of my favorite dishes from that region, fish ambul thiyal; whereas Tamil cuisine from the northern city of Jaffna  tends towards using a lot of tomato and tamarind as the basis for their spicy curries. Upcountry cooking, on the other hand, focuses largely on the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables that grow in this mountainous central region of the country; while coastal cooking relies heavily on the use of the ubiquitous coconut.

Located in the central highlands, Kandy was the last Sinhala holdout against British colonial rule. As the seat of Sri Lankan kings and the site of one of Buddhism’s most important shrines, the Dalida Mahligawa (or Temple of The Tooth), which supposedly holds one of Lord Buddha’s teeth, Kandyans are proud of their heritage, and equally as proud of their cuisine, which is largely vegetarian. It’s probably got as much to do with what’s available in the proximity as much as an adherence to Buddhist doctrine, which eschews meat.

Some of the vegetables from my uncle’s garden

At his modest house overlooking the migthy Mahavelli River in Kandy, my Uncle Wilson has always taken great pride in his garden, which is flush with all kinds of produce. Mango, papaw and king coconut trees share space with spiky green jackfruit, pumpkin, and plantains. Greens such as gotu kola and koakka grow in the backyard. Under the ground, he’s got tubers like manioc and sweet potatoes growing. He even used to have a paddy field in his front yard until he gave up the land so that one of his sons could build a house there.

King Coconut growing in Uncle Wilson’s yard

His garden, in fact, is almost a microcosm of these central highlands, well-known as the center of tea production in the country, but a veritable Garden of Eden as well. I took a trip to the central Kandy market to get a better idea of this region and all it has to offer.

Meanwhile, back at the house, Uncle Wilson’s cooks Kumari and Saroja were busy preparing lunch, which proved to be a veritable vegetarian feast including such dishes as red rice, white rice, jackfruit curry (kos), boiled manioc (battala), coconut sambol, dry fish curry (karola), banana blossom curry (keselmuwa), young jackfruit curry (polos), and egglant (ela batu). Most of the produce came straight from the garden, and anything that didn’t was from close by. Lunch was symphony of different tastes and textures, and even though I’m no vegetarian, I would have no qualms about eating food like that everyday.

a righteous spread!

For all the fuss about restaurants, everyone knows the best meal you can ever eat is at someone’s home—especially if that someone is Leela. If you’ve ever checked out my blog before, or saw the Sri Lanka episode of No Reservations, you’ll be familiar with this diminutive lady, who was my Aunty Dora’s cook for 40-some years. Practically every middle class family in Sri Lanka has a “Leela,” who cooks and cleans, and helps raise the children of the household on her way to becoming an actual member of the family.

Leela whips up a pot of her signature dish

When Leela retired after so many years of faithful service, my aunt and cousin Sam and his children (who are now grown up themselves), took it upon themselves to look after her. This usually involves frequent visits to Leela’s village outside the town of Chilaw, bringing her provisions and money. In keeping with the unwritten rules of Sri Lankan hospitality, Leela and her nieces, who live with her on a small plot of land where they grow everything they need to survive, make lunch.

My favorite dish of Leela’s is her crab curry, which also happens to be a regional specialty in Chilaw, known for its large lagoon crabs.  Though I recreated the recipe in my book, Rice & Curry: Sri Lankan Home Cooking (Hippocrene Books, 2011), there’s nothing like having Leela herself make it, and this is exactly what she did on a recent trip to visit her. Being a good Buddhist Leela will not kill live crabs, so we brought some sea crabs from the fish market in Colombo. Sea crabs are usually sold dead, but you have to eat them immediately, so we packed them on ice and drove up to Chilaw so Leela and her nieces could prepare them in the traditional manner. They also put up a whole spread of other tasty dishes—just like they did when I brought Tony Bourdain here, and he proclaimed it his best meal in Sri Lanka.

Leela with Tony B.

cleaning the crabs

Leela cooks with her nieces

Leela with her nieces and grand niece

Whenever I’m in Colombo, a city I’ve eaten my way around quite often, I’m always eager to go off the eaten path and discover a place that I’ve never dined at before. A special favorite of mine is Jaffna food, the spicy Tamil cuisine of the northern part of the island, and when in search of a new spot, it’s wise to take a well-informed guide like my friend, filmmaker T. Arjuna, who has a nose that knows since he himself hails from Jaffna. We meet at my Aunt’s place in Slave Island on a stiflingly hot day, and after downing a cold beer and making a few phone calls, Arjuna has just the spot in mind in nearby Wellawatte, a predominantly Tamil enclave in Colombo. He’s never eaten at Nalapaham Restaurant located just off the Galle Road on E.S Fernando Mawatha, so we are both in for a surprise.

fried fish

What I’ve learned about the differences between ordinary rice and curry and Jaffna cuisine comes down to subtleties in spicing and flavoring. Jaffna curries tend to use more tamarind and tomato as their base, but there are also just as many “frys” or dry curries without gravy. Seafood and mutton are the main proteins, but plenty of vegetables make it to the table as well. Of course the use of chilies is abundant, which makes this particular regional cuisine among my favorites.

Arriving just short of noon, we are the first customers in Nalapaham, and I’m immediately impressed with the cleanliness of the place. This is clearly not your ordinary “hole-in-the-wall.” A large menu in English dominates an entire wall, and they are just bringing out all of the days dishes onto the steam table.

They’ve got nandu (crab) curry; iral pooriyal (dry fry prawns); kanawa pooriyal (cuttlefish dry fry); varutha koli (dry fry chicken); attuirachi (mutton) curry; jillameen (fish) curry; and fried fish. They also offer a whole host of vegetables including katharika kootu (eggplant tamarind curry); gotu kola salad; pineapple/cucumber/onion salad; dhal, long beans, and wing beans. We order one of everything except the crabs (since I had been ODing on crabs this trip). Served first, the rice, dhal, and vegetables are all-you-can- eat. But pretty soon our table is covered with a colorful, mouth-watering palette of different dishes, and we dig in—using out fingers, or course.

my lunch plate

After filling my plate with a bit of everything—Sri Lankan style—I douse my mound of red rice with a few spoonfuls of the crab gravy, which is one of the spicier things we ordered. I dive right into the curries and pretty soon my lips are pleasantly on fire. This is how Jaffna food is supposed to taste! The dry curries—prawns and chicken—remind me of a spicy stir-fry with sliced capsicums and onions. The mutton curry has a proper gravy, thickened by coconut milk, and the tender eggplant has the tangy taste of tamarind. I eat the fried fish, which has been marinated in spices, bones and all, since it is so crispy good. Everything has a little bite to it–even the gotu kola salad, which is laced with slices of fresh green chilies. Following the meal, we sip a cup of the traditional rasam, which is a digestive made of ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, black pepper and some other spices I can’t quite identify. But good to last drop! The meal was amazing save for the cuttlefish, which was a little overcooked and rubbery. When I got the bill, however, I couldn’t be mad: 1430 rupees, which comes to about US $11.34 or $3.78 per person since Arjuna’s driver also joined us. For its fast, friendly service; cleanliness; cheap prices, and excellent eats, Nalapaham proved to be a great find, and a definite keeper.

dry fry prawns and chicken
(w/ the pineapple salad in the background)

cuttlefish dry fry with papadum and fried sardines

mutton (goat) curry

fish curry

brinjal (eggplant) curry

Washed down with a cup of spicy rasam

On Thursday, April 11th at 6:30pm at Bazaar Spices in Union Market, we welcome author and gastronaut Skiz Fernando as he discusses the practical and health benefits of using spices in your cooking as well as demystifying some of these “exotic” ingredients often found in Sri Lankan cuisine.  For your sampling pleasure, he will also offer a demonstration and tasting of his famous chicken curry from his recent cookbook, Rice & Curry: Sri Lankan Home Cooking (Hippocrene Books, 2011),  a New York Times notable cookbook, which put Sri Lankan food on the map. Skiz also creates his Original Sri Lankan Roasted Curry powder, a unique blend of 13 different ingredients, which forms the basis of most Sri Lankan curries. He also produces a cooking show on YouTube called “Pan Asian,” which features simple, healthy, and delicious dishes from all over Asia. Hope you will join us for this exciting and delicious event!

on Sunday, March 24 , 2013 from 9 am to 3 pm
in the Vihara premises
at 5017, 16^th Street NW, Washington DC 20011

Proceeds will go to rebuild one of the Buddhist Temples destroyed recently in Bangladesh.

For more details, please contact Ven. Maharagama Dhammasiri Nayaka Thero at 202 723 0773