Spices for milk wine

Cinnamon is almost universal in milk wine. Sri Lanka is the home of true cinnamon, often called Ceylon cinnamon, which has a delicate, sweet, slightly citrus flavour, gentler than the cassia sold as cinnamon in many countries.

Ceylon cinnamon is sold as quills, rolls of thin, papery bark. Two quills, or sticks, per bottle of arrack is typical. They are broken and steeped with the citrus peel.

Ceylon cinnamon gives milk wine a softer, more fragrant spice than cassia. Families abroad who bring cinnamon from Sri Lanka often say it makes the difference.

Good quills are pale tan, thin and tightly rolled, and smell sweet when broken. Thick, dark, hard bark is usually cassia. Sri Lankan cinnamon is graded by the thickness of the quill, and the finer grades, though more expensive, are worth it for a drink where the aroma matters so much.

Cloves add a warm, pungent depth. They grow in Sri Lanka, especially in the Kandy and Matale districts, and are widely used in Sri Lankan cooking.

Six to eight cloves per bottle of arrack is typical. Cloves are strong, and too many give milk wine a medicinal taste. Some families like a strong clove note; others use only a few.

Whole cloves are steeped, not ground, so they can be strained out cleanly.

Fresh cloves are plump and oily and release a strong scent when pressed with a fingernail. Old, dry cloves have lost much of their aroma. Buying a small packet each year for the Christmas batch is better than relying on a jar that has sat in the cupboard since last December.

Cardamom adds a fresh, floral, slightly eucalyptus note. Green cardamom grows in the hill country and is a favourite in Sri Lankan sweets and tea.

Four to six pods per bottle, lightly crushed to open them, is typical. Cardamom brightens the spice mix and pairs well with citrus and vanilla.

Some families leave cardamom out, preferring a simpler cinnamon and clove profile.

Nutmeg, grated or as a few pieces of whole nut, appears in some recipes, giving a warm, sweet note familiar from English punch. Mace, the lacy covering of the nutmeg, is occasionally used.

Vanilla is the most common flavouring after the spices. Sri Lanka grows vanilla, and families use either a pod, split and steeped, or vanilla essence added to the syrup.

Some recipes add rose essence or almond essence, echoing the flavours of Christmas cake, and a few add star anise or a little ginger.

Spices are usually steeped in the arrack, together with thinly pared citrus peel, for a day or two before mixing. This extracts their aroma into the spirit.

Steeping too long can make the spice taste harsh, especially with cloves. Some cooks remove the spices after a day; others leave them in until straining.

The spices are strained out with the curds, leaving only their aroma in the finished milk wine.

Some cooks lightly toast the whole spices in a dry pan for a minute before steeping, which brings out their oils. Others prefer them raw, for a cleaner, fresher spice. Either method works; toasting gives a slightly warmer, rounder flavour that suits a darker, caramel-rich milk wine.

Visitors can buy fresh spices at markets, supermarkets and spice gardens across Sri Lanka. Spice gardens near Kandy and Matale offer tours showing how cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg and vanilla grow, and sell spices at their shops.

Prices at spice gardens are often higher than in markets, so compare. Supermarkets in Colombo sell good-quality packaged spices at fair prices.

Lankan Stays & Trails can add a spice garden visit near Kandy to any itinerary, a natural stop for anyone planning to make milk wine at home.