The dried inner bark of a Sri Lankan laurel tree, rolled into fragile, many-layered quills. True cinnamon is sweet, warm and delicate, with far less coumarin than its tougher relative, cassia.
What it is¶
True cinnamon, also called Ceylon cinnamon, comes from Cinnamomum verum, an evergreen tree of the laurel family native to Sri Lanka. Trees are coppiced so that they send up many straight shoots. These are cut in the wet season, when the bark is easiest to separate, and the outer bark scraped away. The thin inner bark is peeled off in strips, which curl as they dry and are rolled one inside another into long, cigar-like quills of many fine, papery layers.
Sri Lanka grades cinnamon by the thickness of the quill: Alba is the finest (under about 6 mm across), followed by Continental, Mexican and Hamburg grades. Broken pieces are sold as quillings, the innermost shavings as featherings, and scraps as chips, mostly for grinding and oil.
In much of the world, and especially North America, most of what is sold as cinnamon is actually cassia, a related species with thicker, harder bark and a stronger flavour. See the comparison below.
Origins and history¶
Cinnamon was among the most prized spices of the ancient world; the Egyptians used it in embalming and incense, and it is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, though ancient "cinnamon" and "cassia" cannot always be told apart. Arab traders who supplied it kept its origins obscure, and the Greek historian Herodotus recorded a tale that it was collected from the nests of great birds, a story best regarded as a merchants' tall tale.
The Portuguese reached Sri Lanka in the early sixteenth century and took control of the cinnamon trade; the Dutch East India Company displaced them in the mid-seventeenth century and, in the late eighteenth century, began cultivating cinnamon in plantations rather than harvesting wild trees. The British took the island from 1796 and the Dutch monopoly collapsed. See the spice trade and the dutch east india company. Sri Lanka remains the dominant producer of true cinnamon, and Mexico is one of its largest customers.
Flavour and aroma¶
The main aroma compound is cinnamaldehyde, as in cassia, but true cinnamon has less of it, balanced by eugenol (the cloves compound), linalool and other terpenes. The result is sweeter, lighter and more complex: warm, citrusy and floral, without cassia's hot, slightly bitter bite. It is a subtle spice that works best where it is allowed to be tasted.
In the kitchen¶
- Infusions: a quill of true cinnamon flavours milk, syrups, rice pudding, custards, poached fruit and mulled drinks; see mulling spice. It breaks up as it softens, so strain.
- Mexico: canela is true cinnamon; it flavours hot chocolate, café de olla, arroz con leche, horchata and mole.
- Sri Lanka and India: whole quills are fried in oil at the start of curries and pilafs, and it is an ingredient in Sri Lankan curry powders and garam masala.
- Middle East and North Africa: in tagines, pastilla, rice dishes, baharat, advieh and ras el hanout.
- Baking: cinnamon toast, apple pie, cakes, biscuits and mixed spice. For a typical cake, 1–2 tsp ground cinnamon is enough.
💡 Grinding true cinnamon
Unlike cassia, true cinnamon quills are soft and crumbly and grind easily in a spice grinder or even a pestle and mortar. Grinding your own is worthwhile.
Buying and storing¶
Quills keep their flavour for two to three years in an airtight container away from light; ground cinnamon fades within about six months. Buy from a supplier that states the species or origin: true cinnamon is labelled Ceylon or Sri Lankan cinnamon, or Cinnamomum verum. See storing spices and buying spices.
Substitutes¶
- Cassia: the usual stand-in, with a stronger, harsher flavour; use about three-quarters as much.
- Allspice or mixed spice in baking.
- A little nutmeg with cloves in spiced drinks.
Pairs well with¶
Apples, pears, plums, bananas, chocolate, coffee, milk, rice, lamb, chicken and tomatoes; cloves, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, green cardamom, star anise, vanilla and cumin.
Health and safety¶
True cinnamon contains only traces of coumarin, a natural compound that can harm the liver in large, regular doses; cassia can contain many times more. Anyone using cinnamon daily in large amounts, such as in supplements or several teaspoons a day, is better off with true cinnamon. See coumarin in cinnamon.
Swallowing a spoonful of dry ground cinnamon (the internet "cinnamon challenge") is genuinely dangerous: the powder can be inhaled, causing choking and lung injury. Cinnamon oil is a strong skin and mouth irritant and should not be applied neat.
Cinnamon or cassia?¶
| True cinnamon | Cassia | |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Cinnamomum verum | C. cassia, C. burmannii, C. loureiroi |
| Quills | Many thin, papery layers, pale tan | One thick, hard layer, often curled in from both edges; reddish-brown |
| Flavour | Delicate, sweet, floral | Strong, hot, slightly bitter |
| Coumarin | Traces | Can be high |
| Grinding | Easy | Hard; best bought ground |
| Price | Higher | Lower |