Spice island

Photo provided to China Daily

Curry and cinnamon gave a pleasant flavor to the baked cod fish with coriander and mushrooms; the dish was a good match to black tea, another signature product of Sri Lanka.

Wang Chundong, executive chef at Mill Cafe, applauds his guest chef's fare, calling it charming in its rustic and rich flavors, as well as its awareness of going green and healthy.

Before the dessert was served, I had been wondering what would be the meal's finishing touch.

It turned out to be a pleasant and healthy surprise: passion fruit mousse with a red-rice pancake stuffed with coconut. The whole-grain pancake was dry but soft and sweet, while the passion fruit was tart and crunchy. The creamy mousse was not made from egg; instead, the chef used yogurt for its health benefit.

During the food festival, the restaurant's buffet features dozens of dishes in Sri Lanka style. An exhibition of black tea and precious gems from Sri Lanka has been set up nearby.

Contact the writer at liuzhihua@chinadaily.com.cn

If you go

Mill Cafe at Minzu Hotel

1/F, 51 Fuxingmen Inner Street, Xicheng district, Beijing

158 yuan ($25) per person for lunch, 11:30 am－2 pm

188 yuan per person for dinner, 5:30－9 pm 010-6601-4466.

Trade Zone

Portuguese, Dutch and British companies pursued Sri Lanka's lucrative plant species for cooking, dyeing and medicines. The British had the longest impact, colonizing the island, renaming it "Ceylon" and launching its still-famous tea industry. The men who gathered spices on the "Cinnamon Route" of the Maritime Silk Road risked their lives to do so. "Their bravery was compensated for by high demand and high prices for their sometimes intermittent supply of spice," writes Laura Kelley on her blog, The Silk Road Gourmet. Harvesting rare bark was dangerous and hot work－though the perils were often exaggerated: ancient accounts describe huge bat-like, winged creatures that screeched horribly and attacked the spice gatherers.