Flavors this good shouldn't need a plane ticket home.

Every Sri Lankan abroad knows the ritual: the suitcase packed with karawala wrapped in three layers of plastic, the prayer at customs, the rationing of keeramin until someone else flies over. Essence of Isles began with a simple conviction — the island's flavors deserve a proper route to the world.

We work directly with coastal fishing families and smallholder spice gardens across Sri Lanka: sardinella and queenfish from the southern and western coasts, cinnamon from the southern cinnamon belt, cloves and nutmeg from Kandyan gardens, cardamom from the cool Knuckles range. The products are cured and dried the traditional way, graded by hand, and sealed at origin in export-grade packs.

Today we ship to Sri Lankan communities and adventurous kitchens in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and New Zealand — and to nearly any other country an air courier can reach.