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. There are a few types of cassia, all nicknamed a type of cinnamon - Indonesian cinnamon (C. Burmannii), Chinese cinnamon (C. Cassia), and Vietnamese cinnamon (C. Loureiroi)
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 (Cinnamomum verum). It’s the inner bark of a small evergreen tree that originates from Sri Lanka - formerly called Ceylon. The more expensive Ceylon cinnamon has a more delicate and complex flavor than cassia, which makes it ideal for desserts where the spice plays a supporting role in the dish. The hard, recognizable cassia stick (or quill) – which consists of both the outer and inner bark of the cassia tree – has a sweeter, spicier, more pungent taste making it suitable for savory dishes like curry, and when you want a dominating flavor in desserts like cinnamon rolls.
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 mildly 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:
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9 comments:
So, few weeks earlier, on my trip to Zagreb, I found the REAL cinnamon powder. It was quite a bit expensive, but I had to try it :) Thanks guys!
That's great Maja, definitely try it out in your baking recipes.
The link below will help you to identify true Cinnamon from Cassia.
http://www.ceylon-cinnamon.com/Identify-Cinnamon.htm
OMG. I just cannot believe it. Will check shops in UK and Poland for real one.
our company (http://spice.vn/en) is a company specializing in exporting spices.
We specialize in export cinnamon to all countries
What you need to contact me: duyviet@spice.vn
Great block and nice pictures - you may be interested in this free photo gallery - it has some high quality png images of cinemon, cassia and other spices - http://www.jeyjoo.com/gallery/img-cinnamon-and-cassia-721.htm
this link will help you identify Ceylon Cinnamon from Cassia
http://ceylon-cinnamon.com/Identify-Cinnamon.htm
Do your research people! I am using cinnamon for medicinal purposes. I could have potentially damaged my liver in the process because I was taking a tsp of cinnamon a day which has the high concentration of coumarin because it was the cassia type not the ceylon type. Thank God I learned the difference after only three days in! Also, FYI the cinnamon flat sticks they sell in the indian markets in the United States are cassia not ceylon. I talked to a chef from sapna foods inc that was in Georgia to confirm this.I now buy my real ceylon cinnamon from indusorganics.com for $13.99 for 6 ounce bottle of grounded ceylon cinnamon. I hope this helps somebody not make the same mistake I almost made. Stay healthy!
Do your research people! I was using cinnamon for medicinal purposes. Ceylon and cassia are very different. I almost damaged my liver because I was using the wrong one. FYI- Suraj cinnamon flat sticks you buy at local indian grocery stores are cassia not ceylon. I confirmed this with a chef from sapna foods, inc that distributes this product.I now buy my ceylon cinnamon from indusorganics.com for $13.99 for 6 ounces of ground ceylon cinnamon. Stay healthy and God bless!
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