Spices Unearthed: Cinnamon & Cassia

Have you ever tried cinnamon?

Of course you have.  There’s probably a bottle of ground cinnamon in your kitchen cupboard right now.  Maybe you sprinkle it on your coffee or cookie batter, or into your curry.

But is that really “cinnamon”?

If you’re living in the US, it’s probably not.  That bottle you have marked “Ground Cinnamon” is actually another similar spice called cassia.  Cassia is also referred to as Chinese cinnamon, so food companies use that reference to stretch their definition of ground cinnamon; a practice banned in many countries.

So where does true cinnamon come from?  In ancient times, Arab traders kept the source of cinnamon a secret, concocting extraordinary stories of giant birds in Arabia that built their nests from these mysterious cinnamon sticks.   Brave men would risk their lives to collect the sticks by climbing up to the cliff hanging nests. Of course following this fantastic story, the traders would charge a premium.

To many of us, the source remains a secret.

“Ceylon cinnamon” is true cinnamon.  It’s the inner bark of a small evergreen tree that originates from Sri Lanka (formerly called Ceylon).  The more expensive Ceylon cinnamon is sweeter and has a more delicate flavor than cassia, which makes it ideal for desserts.  The hard, recognizable cassia stick (or quill) – which consists of both the outer and inner bark of the cassia tree – has a stronger, more pungent taste making it more suitable for savory dishes like curry.

Who can tell the difference anyway?

While Americans enjoy cinnamon buns coated in cassia (which includes the aromatic and popular Saigon Cinnamon or Vietnamese Cinnamon), across the border, Mexicans are enjoying the real spice in many of their local dishes and sweets - the best one, a perfect match of chocolate and Ceylon cinnamon.

The good news for Mexicans is that cinnamon is healthy.   It can reduce blood sugar and cholesterol, and even fight leukemia and lymphoma. While many of these health benefits are true for cassia as well, the bad news for Americans is that cassia contains coumarin – a sweet smelling substance, but also moderately toxic in high concentrations (but nothing to worry about as long as you’re not eating a spoonful of cassia a day)

Can you believe it?  It’s possible that you've never tried cinnamon…

For a taste of cinnamon or cassia, try one of these excellent recipes:

Oatmeal Cinnamon Pancakes - Vintage Trinkets

Monkey Bread Muffins - Bite My Cake

Simple Butternut Squash Soup - Greedy Gourmet

Cinnamon Bread - Cooking for Seven

Baked Spiced Apples - Season with Spice

Honey Vanilla Spiced Almonds - Season with Spice

More Recipes with Cinnamon or Cassia------>