The best ground cinnamon. The benefits and harms of cinnamon

Which is widely used in cooking. It has been valued since ancient times for its healing properties. Many people associate the aroma of cinnamon with comfort and warmth, delicious homemade cakes. Therefore, most housewives constantly buy this spice. But do they only buy cinnamon? Most likely, almost no one knows that there are two identical spices - cassia and cinnamon. You need to figure out how to distinguish them. After all, the most widely sold spice is cassia - a low-quality and often harmful substitute for this spice.

Benefits of cinnamon

It is no coincidence that this spice has been known and popular since ancient times. It was used not only in cooking, but also in medicine. It was believed that cinnamon calms and gives peace, warms and cures colds. In addition, this spice invigorates, gives good mood and improves memory. It contains a lot of manganese, calcium, iron and fiber. And the special substance eugenol helps accelerate tissue regeneration and wound healing.

Modern medicine has proven medicinal value cinnamon. This spice has the following properties:

How to use cinnamon correctly

This spice is most often used in cooking. Everyone is familiar with the smell of baking with cinnamon, which is associated with comfort and tranquility. But this seasoning is also successfully added to desserts, drinks, salads, and main courses. Coffee with cinnamon is especially popular, Apple pie or baked chicken.

There are several recipes for using cinnamon to treat various diseases:

• Brew half a teaspoon of powder and a pinch of black pepper with a glass of boiling water, cool slightly, add a spoonful of honey and drink for flu or cold;
• if you mix a spoonful of honey with half a spoonful of cinnamon, this mixture helps with nasal congestion and cough;
• an infusion of cinnamon with honey, consumed on an empty stomach, helps reduce weight;
• A glass of kefir with a teaspoon of cinnamon in the morning helps improve digestion and normalize blood pressure.

Cinnamon can also be used in cosmetology. When mixed with honey, the powder brightens the skin and makes it softer. When added to hair masks, it accelerates hair growth.

Types of cinnamon

This spice is highly valued and widely distributed. But the process of obtaining real cinnamon is very labor-intensive, and the trees whose bark is taken to produce it grow only in a few places. Therefore, both cassia and cinnamon are most often found on sale. Few people know how to distinguish them from each other. Usually people do not realize that there are 4 types of cinnamon, of which only one is truly valuable:

• Ceylon cinnamon, or quinamon, is a real expensive spice;
• Indonesian or Chinese cassia;
• Malabar brown, or tree cinnamon, also called “cassia vera”;
• cinnamon, or spicy cinnamon.

In addition, cinnamon substitutes are often used commercially and in food production: Burmese or bay cinnamon, as well as cinnamon extract.

Ceylon cinnamon

Both cassia and real cinnamon have a spicy aroma and add flavor to baked goods. But only spice from a tree growing in Ceylon, on the island of Sri Lanka and in South India brings benefits. This is the most valuable type of cinnamon - Ceylon. She's rich delicate aroma and light brown tint. These cinnamon sticks are thin and fragile and crumble easily.

For its production, young trees 1-2 years old are used. A thin layer of inner bark is removed from them. It is dried in the sun and hand-wrapped into tubes. Then it is cut into sticks about 12 cm long or ground into powder.

Characteristics of Cassia

Despite the fact that this particular spice is presented on the shelves of our stores in 90% of cases, few people know this name. What cassia is is known mainly by culinary specialists and those who are seriously concerned about their health. This seasoning is made from trees related to cinnamon, but with slight differences. They grow in Vietnam, Indonesia and China. To produce cassia, whole pieces of bark are taken from trees that are at least 7 years old. That is why the sticks of this seasoning turn out to be so hard and rough, and its smell is sharp and bitter.

Why is cassia dangerous?

There would be no need to try to find out whether you bought real cinnamon, because the aroma of the fake is still pleasant. But in fact, constant consumption of cassia is dangerous to health. It contains a very large amount of tannins, and most importantly, coumarin. Its content exceeds the permissible limit by 1200 times. In cassia it is present in quantities of more than 2 g/kg.

Coumarin is also known as rat poison and is quite poisonous to humans. At frequent use it accumulates and damages the liver and kidneys. A person begins to experience headaches, indigestion, and dizziness. It became known that a dangerous dose of coumarin for a child preschool age contained in 4 cinnamon cookies. For an adult, 6-7 mg of cassia, that is, a fifth of a teaspoon, is toxic.

The main differences between cinnamon and cassia

At first glance, these spices are not different, which is why there is such confusion. Most people don't realize that both cassia and cinnamon are commercially available. What is the difference between them can be understood by studying their characteristics in detail. Since people most often buy powder, you need to know how they differ. Real cinnamon lighter in color, has a subtle pleasant aroma, slightly sweet. Cassia, on the other hand, is dark, even with a reddish tint, smells more sharply, and leaves a bitter aftertaste.

Cinnamon and cassia sticks

It is in this form that this spice is more useful. Flour or starch is often added to the powder to make it more crumbly. In addition, during storage, ground spice loses its aromatic and taste qualities. And the sticks make it easier to compare cassia and cinnamon.

How to choose real cinnamon

In most cases, people purchase this spice in sealed bags, so they cannot determine the color, much less smell it. In this case, you first need to look at the name and country of manufacture. Real Ceylon cinnamon is produced in Sri Lanka. China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and even more so other countries are producing cassia. Conscientious manufacturer will also correctly indicate the name of the product: Cinnamomum zeylonicum is real cinnamon, and Cinnamomum aromaticum is fake.

In addition, it would not hurt to pay attention to the price: real cinnamon cannot be cheap, it is usually 5-10 times more expensive than cassia. The expiration date is also important. After all, after a year of storage, cinnamon loses its properties and aroma.

How to Test the Quality of Cinnamon at Home

What should those who just found out that cinnamon and cassia exist? How to distinguish a fake product at home from an already purchased product? You can look at the color so that it is not very dark, and smell it. But the most informative way is to take a little powder and drop a drop of iodine into it. Real cinnamon will hardly change color, but cassia will turn dark blue. You can also determine it by taste. Cinnamon is sweetish-spicy, has soft taste and delicate aroma. Cassia smells more strongly, bitter and pungent. And if you pour boiling water over a little powder, the cinnamon residue will become jelly-like and red-brown.

Now you know that cassia and cinnamon are very similar. How to distinguish them? If there are sticks in front of you, then you need to try to break them. Ceylon cinnamon fragile, easily broken, and cassia is dense and rough. The fake will be a strip of thick bark, slightly curled, often only on one side.

Now you know that both cassia and cinnamon are available for sale. It’s quite easy to remember how to distinguish them. So you can take advantage of everything beneficial properties real noble cinnamon.

How can you tell the difference between cassia and cinnamon? Just! On the left is cassia, on the right is cinnamon.

There are hundreds of types of cinnamon. But only 4 of their varieties are used for commercial purposes. These are Ceylon cinnamon, Chinese cassia, Saigon cassia and Indonesian cassia. Cassia and cinnamon: how to distinguish a “fake” from the original? What are the benefits of cinnamon for the body?

With the exception of Ceylon cinnamon, all others are classified as cassia because they are very similar to each other with only slight variations in color, taste, shape and coumarin content.

All types of cassia cinnamon are hard and have high levels of coumarin, which is known to cause liver damage when consumed above certain levels. Only Ceylon cinnamon is the only soft and brittle variety with ultra low coumarin levels.

Ceylon cinnamon sticks are crumbly, like cigars, with layers of soft, pliable bark. All other cassia cinnamons are very hard, hollow, and have only one rolled layer.

Please note the color difference. Ceylon Cinnamon is lighter in color while Cassia is darker in color.
As a rule, grocery stores sell cassia, which is passed off as real cinnamon. Usually it is either Chinese or Vietnamese cassia. Real cinnamon carries great benefit for health, while the other can cause damage to our liver….
It is a spice that evokes a sense of comfort, provides a delightful ambiance, and brings back some of our most cherished memories...

Real cinnamon and cassia are made from completely different types of wood. True Ceylon cinnamon is typically produced in Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Brazil, or the Caribbean, while fake cassia is typically grown in China, Indonesia, or Vietnam.

Another difference is the appearance and taste. While the “cinnamon” that we are used to seeing on store shelves food products Typically dark red-brown in color and quite spicy in flavor, true cinnamon is much lighter in color and has a sweeter, softer, subtler and rich taste. Finally, the biggest difference is the content of a compound called coumarin. Ceylon cinnamon contains about 0.017 g/kg while other types of cinnamon contain between 2.15-6.97 g/kg coumarin.

This substance acts on the blood and is an anticoagulant. Studies have also shown that coumarin is toxic to the liver if we take it above the tolerable daily dose, which is set at 0.1 mg/kg body weight. This means that for a person weighing 68 kg, the maximum permissible daily dose is 6.8 mg. Since one gram of cinnamon can contain between 2.15-6.97mg of coumarin, you can reach this upper limit by consuming about 1/5 teaspoon per day.

If you're looking to add this spice to your diet to improve your health, you'll probably want to take a little more of it... So it's best to look for Ceylon cinnamon (just in case). Your liver does a great job for you, so show it some love by eating the best quality spices!

How to find the best quality real cinnamon?

1. Look for a seasoning that is labeled as:

• Real cinnamon
• Cinnamomum Zeylanicum

2. Buy organic cinnamon to prevent contamination with pesticides and other fillers or preservatives. (Follow the link you can buy real Ceylon organic cinnamon with a $5 discount on your first order)

3. If you buy the bark, real cinnamon is "clumped", the thin bark will be rolled into a circle in layers, rather than a stick with two curls.

4. It is often light brown in color, more loose and fluffy, and easily crumbles and breaks.

5. As a rule, it will be 10 times more expensive. This is not always an indicator :), but in combination with the other differences described above, it can be useful.

What are the benefits of cinnamon for the body?

Benefits of cinnamon for the body

Now that you know the differences between types of cinnamon and how to buy a quality spice, you can consider the incredible health benefits of those nutrients which it contains.

1. It is an excellent source of manganese, which is a micronutrient essential for bone health and proper metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. This super spice also contains fiber to improve digestion, calcium for strong bones, and iron for energy production. A teaspoon of cinnamon powder contains up to 16% of the recommended daily intake of Manganese, 5% fiber, 3% iron and 3% calcium.

3. Research suggests that its anti-inflammatory properties may be protective against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. This disease is becoming increasingly common throughout the world.

4. If you suffer from prediabetes, diabetes mellitus Type 2 insulin resistance, cinnamon can be a true savior! Even a small amount, such as ½ teaspoon per day on an empty stomach, can help lower glucose levels. As a result of taking this spice, blood pressure is also normalized.

5. We're all getting older every day (lucky us! :) but incorporating cinnamon into your daily diet can help prevent the signs of aging. This is due to its powerful effect on inflammatory and oxidative processes in the body. Cinnamon is a powerful antioxidant, even better than garlic. The benefits of cinnamon for the body are enormous!

6. Essential oil cinnamon reduces itching from insect bites, repels them, and is also effective for fungal skin diseases and indigestion.

And finally, the main thing

The powdered cinnamon you find in the store was most likely made through an industrial grinding process. To prevent sticking, flour is added several times. Therefore, buying crushed seasoning is highly not recommended. Sometimes they write that you can check the authenticity of cinnamon powder by dropping iodine. If cassia powder - it will become of blue color. This is a little different. The powder may turn blue if ground seasoning starch was added. Therefore, buy the bark and grind it yourself as needed.

If cinnamon is stored for a long period of time, it nutritional value will be small. Do not store it in the refrigerator or in open containers. Place in a tightly sealed container or jar.

Residents Ancient Greece nicknamed cinnamon impeccable spice“, and they knew a lot about striving for the ideal. In addition to the Greeks, the Egyptians were fans of the spice, including it in the mixture for embalming the bodies of departing pharaohs. IN eastern countries Cinnamon gained popularity as a valuable medicine more than 4,000 years ago, and until the 19th century Europeans used it only in cooking and as a sweetener for bitters. The Portuguese who conquered Ceylon liked cinnamon so much that they obliged the local population to pay an annual tribute with it. Today this spice is a full-fledged component aromatic dishes and drinks, some medicines, and it is also a gentle, warm and natural room scenter.

Cinnamon is obtained by cutting off the inner layer of the bark of the evergreen cinnamon tree, which grows in Brazil, South. China, India, Indonesia, Egypt, Vietnam, Madagascar, Sumatra, and its homeland is Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

The cut bark is dried, and it is rolled into tubes, which are cut into sticks up to 12 cm long. Cinnamon is sold in the form of sticks or ground into powder.

Also sometimes found on the market are dried flowers or clove-like cinnamon tree buds, which give tea and other drinks a clean, delicate aroma.

How to choose cinnamon

What stores call cinnamon is not always what it is. The most useful and aromatic types of cinnamon are grown in Ceylon.

Cassia (“Indonesian cinnamon”) is often passed off as cinnamon; this is the bark of another variety of cinnamon tree cultivated in China and Indonesia; cassia has slightly different properties. To get high-quality cinnamon, cinnamon shoots that are 2-3 years old are selected, and the thinnest inner layer of bark is cut off.

Cassia is prepared from whole pieces of bark of 7-10 year old trees and quite successfully replaces cinnamon in many cases, however, this spice contains 100 times more of a substance harmful to human health - coumarin, which causes headaches and even hepatitis; this substance is used as rat poison. In 1 kg of noble cinnamon the coumarin content is about 0.02 g, in cassia - 2 g.

Knowing what cinnamon is, it will be easy for you to choose a high-quality spice.

How to distinguish real cinnamon from cassia

1. Most often, it is not the high-grade valuable spice that is sold in ground form, but cassia or other low-grade cinnamon. If you need good spice, check the country of origin: preference should be given to cinnamon brought from Ceylon rather than from China, Indonesia or Vietnam. It is also not recommended to purchase cinnamon from Germany, the USA, or Israel - local production is not established in these countries, and they do not sell cinnamon from Ceylon.

2. True cinnamon is more expensive; the packaging may be marked “Cinnamomum zeylonicum”. Cassia is sometimes labeled as "Cinnamomum aromaticum".

3. The smell of true cinnamon is softer and more noble - soft, warm, sweet. Cassia smells weaker, but rougher and sweeter.

4. As for cinnamon sticks, a noble spice high grade has a delicate uniform light brown color, the color of cassia is not the same inside and outside and has a reddish-brown or gray-brown tint. Real cinnamon sticks are always curled at both ends, forming “ram's horns,” while cassia sticks may be slightly curved or not twisted at all.

5. The cut of cinnamon wood is thinner; the thickness of the cuts of the best varieties is comparable to the thickness of a paper sheet. Cinnamon is easily crushed and is fragile, while cassia is stronger, thicker (3-10 mm), coarser and breaks into fibers.

6. You can check the quality of the spice at home. To do this, drop iodine onto a stick or a pile of cinnamon powder - cassia will turn dark blue with this interaction, and true cinnamon will turn slightly blue.

Storing cinnamon

Keep the spice in an airtight container at a temperature no higher than 20°C and a relative humidity of no more than 70%. It is better to purchase cinnamon sticks and grind them into powder before use.

Cinnamon shelf life

In sticks, the spice remains useful for 12 months; the optimal shelf life of ground cinnamon is six months.

Useful properties and contraindications of cinnamon

Therapeutic effect

Cinnamon stimulates, invigorates, improves mood, relieves depression, restores strength, improves memory, coordination and attentiveness.

It improves the circulation of fluids and thins the blood, lowers cholesterol levels, cleanses the liver and choleretic system.

Cinnamon is used to strengthen the heart and prevent strokes and heart attacks.

Consuming cinnamon relieves a runny nose, cough - dry and with phlegm, removes mucus from the nose, removes congestion and congestion in the sinuses. It can soothe a sore throat, relieve cold headaches, cure flu and bronchial asthma.

Large amounts of cinnamon cause uterine contractions. The spice helps to recover during the postpartum period and increases milk flow. This is a traditional Indian remedy to reduce the risk of recurrent pregnancy immediately after childbirth up to 20 months.

In addition, cinnamon freshens breath, relieves muscle spasms, relieves colic, helps with indigestion, facilitates digestion, removes gas accumulation, and helps normalize weight. By the way, it is recommended to use cinnamon with those who want to lose weight - the product normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, calms nervous system and reduces appetite.

What are the benefits of cinnamon and honey?

When combined with honey, cinnamon reveals its useful qualities to a greater extent. Main -

These components of the flu remedy: 1 tbsp. Boiled water needs to be brewed 0.5 tsp. with a pinch of black pepper, let it brew, consume internally with honey.

For colds, coughs and congestion respiratory tract Take orally a mixture of half the volume of cinnamon with 1 volume of honey.

For weight loss, it is recommended to drink an infusion of spices with honey and water on an empty stomach, upon waking up and at night.

By mixing honey and cinnamon in a 4:1 ratio, you get a natural mask to treat skin rashes.

Contraindications

You should refrain from using the spice in case of bleeding, epilepsy, nervous exhaustion and increased blood pressure. Cinnamon should absolutely not be consumed by pregnant women.

Dosage

Add half to 1 tsp to dishes and drinks. per 1 kg or 1 liter.

How to use cinnamon

It is best to grind cinnamon sticks into powder immediately before use: lightly fry them in a dry frying pan, grind them in a coffee grinder or mortar and then add them to dishes and drinks - this way the sticks will crumble better and give more taste and aroma. Another way is to lightly fry the sticks until fragrant.

It is best to grind cinnamon sticks into powder immediately before use: lightly fry them in a frying pan with or without oil, grind them in a coffee grinder or mortar and then add them to dishes and drinks - this way the sticks will crumble better and give more taste and smell.

Add cinnamon 7-10 minutes before a hot dish, such as buns, is ready. In cold dishes, such as salads or curd masses, the spice is added before serving.

The sweet warm taste and aroma of cinnamon makes it ideal for use in widest spectrum dishes, including preserves and jams, compotes and jelly, liqueurs, punches, coffee, tea and chocolate drinks, sweet pilafs, jellies, mousses, pies, curd pastes. The spice is great for salads made from carrots, cabbage, corn, cucumbers, spinach, quince, pears, vegetable side dishes and marinades, for example, with zucchini, tomatoes, red pepper.

Cinnamon perfectly emphasizes the taste of apples, balancing the natural sourness inherent in their taste in pies, salads, and when baked. The aroma and taste of the spice combine perfectly with citrus fruits such as tangerines, lemon, orange, creating a holiday mood.

Cinnamon with kefir

Kefir, being a nutritious dietary product, is perfect for fasting days. By adding cinnamon to it - half a teaspoon per glass - you make this drink more beneficial for digestion and promoting weight loss. Kefir with cinnamon is great for fasting days or as a snack.

Ecology of life: It is now difficult to imagine that because of this aromatic spice wars were fought, and the cinnamon trade enriched or ruined countries. The aroma of cinnamon was known in Ancient China and Egypt long before the appearance of the famous pyramids.

Real cinnamon and cassia

It is now difficult to imagine that wars were fought over this aromatic spice, and that the cinnamon trade enriched or ruined countries. The aroma of cinnamon was known in Ancient China and Egypt long before the appearance of the famous pyramids.

Even during the time of trade between the Phoenicians and the Egyptians, two main types of cinnamon were distinguished: real cinnamon(Cinnamomum zeylonicum/Cinnamomum ceylanicum Bs.) and cassia(Cinnamomum aromaticum/Cinnamomum Cassia Bl.) or Chinese cinnamon tree.

Real cinnamon has a dark brown color, a bright and strong aroma, pungent taste, thin and fragile walls of cinnamon sticks.

Cassia has a light color, not like bright aroma and taste, the structure of cinnamon sticks is dense and difficult to break.

Both types of cinnamon differ not only in flavor, but also in chemical composition.

Cassia contains large amounts of starch and the substance coumarin (lat. Cumarin), which is dangerous to health. Real cinnamon also contains both substances, but in very small quantities.

In addition to these two main types, there are also Malabar and spicy types of cinnamon, which have less value and worse taste, but which are often used in mixtures of ready-made cinnamon powder in small packaging.

Real cinnamon(Cinnamomum ceylanicum Bs.) is obtained from the bark cut from cinnamon trees that grow in the subtropical climate of India and Ceylon at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level. In areas of active collection, cinnamon trees look like dense, low-growing shrubs with many shoots.

Cinnamon pickers work only with copper knives, and this has not only an ancient sacred meaning, but also a practical meaning - the bark of the cinnamon tree contains a lot of tannins, and other metals (except gold and silver) are oxidized.

The bark is cut in August-September, when the rainy season ends and the bark is easily removed from the branches. Humidity makes the bark more aromatic, and cinnamon collected immediately after the rains are especially highly prized.

There is an outer and inner bark. The inner one is cut into strips, the skin is scraped off and dried in the shade until it curls into a tube and darkens. The outer layer is dried most often in the shade until golden brown. After drying, the thickness of the outer bark may be less than a millimeter. The best varieties are similar in thickness to a sheet of paper.

Real cinnamon, that is, the dried bark of cinnamon trees, grown in Ceylon or southern India, looks like tubes with concave edges, light brown or yellow-brown on the outside and dark brown on the inside. Real cinnamon is very thin; tubes are often placed one inside the other. Another important difference is fragility. Ceylon cinnamon is fragile, breaks easily and has a gentle, delicate and exquisite aroma. The smell of real cinnamon is fresh, you can catch fruity notes or shades of dried fruits with a predominance of cinnamon aroma. The taste is sweetish, slightly hot.

Cassius(Cinnamoum Cassia Bl. - Chinese cinnamon) or as it is also called, simple cinnamon is collected by cutting the bark from 8-10 year old trees. The procedure is repeated after 7-10 years. Cassia is dried in the shade in the same way as Ceylon or Indian cinnamon. When dried, cinnamon appears as short, thick-walled tubes with a rough red-brown outer surface and a smooth brown inner surface. Cassia is much more resistant to fracture due to its structure and wall thickness, which can be from 2 to 4 mm. The aroma of cassia is less refined, but bright and simple. The taste is more pronounced, tart, island-sweet, slightly astringent and even a little hot. Supermarkets usually sell cassia. IN best case scenario This is a high-grade cassia from China with thin walls.

Malabar cinnamon(Cinnamomum Tamala Nees) is otherwise called cinnamon tree, brown cinnamon, tree cinnamon or cassia vera. This type of cinnamon grows in the southern regions of India and Burma. The structure, taste and aroma are coarser than that of cassia, dirty brown in color. The aroma is not strong, the taste is sharply astringent with bitterness.

Cinnamon(Cinnamomum Culilawan Bl.) or spice cinnamon is grown in Indonesia. When dried, cinnamon is small pieces concave, thin bark beige colour outside and yellow-red inside with a spicy-spicy aroma and spicy-burning taste.

You can find two types of cinnamon on sale - in the form of tubes and powder.. For those who want to be sure of what they are buying, we can recommend buying cinnamon only in tubes, having the opportunity to clearly see the product. It is better to buy cinnamon in opaque packaging produced in Ceylon, China or Laos. For product good quality you can count when buying cinnamon famous brands or countries that were former owners of colonies, for example, England, France, Holland. Cinnamon produced in the USA, Israel and Germany should be avoided - they do not have own production facilities or traditional ties with producing countries.

The main use of cinnamon is in confectionery production for flavoring cookies, chocolate, gingerbread and pies. Cinnamon is included in traditional English puddings, mulled wine, various cocktails, chocolate drinks, jams, sweet pilafs, curd masses, charlottes, fruit salads and cold soups.

Cinnamon is very popular in Indian and Transcaucasian cuisines, where it is used in the preparation of poultry (chicken, turkey). IN Chinese cuisine cinnamon is used when frying pork, which significantly improves the taste of the meat. In Europe, cinnamon is added to some beers. Famous people are unthinkable without cinnamon french cupcakes from Bordeaux. Cinnamon can be included in spice mixtures for marinades. Vegetables, fruits, mushrooms and meat are marinated with cinnamon.

Ceylon (real) cinnamon is used mainly in sweet dishes. Its subtle aroma goes very well with baked goods, chocolate, fruits, vegetables and in cocktails.

Chinese cinnamon is often used in meat dishes, composed of spicy mixtures and marinades.

In Russia, for a long time, cinnamon has been part of the seasoning for cold soups, pancakes, porridges and jellied fish.In Belarus, cinnamon is added to the marinade for lingonberries, and in Ukraine when pickling cucumbers and pickling watermelons. IN Caucasian cuisine cinnamon is one of the essential seasonings for meat and soups, zucchini and eggplant dishes. In Greece, lamb stew cannot be prepared without cinnamon, and in Italy, true connoisseurs cannot drink cappuccino coffee without a pinch of cinnamon.

As a herb, not a spice as many call it, it is the dried inner layer of the bark of the plant Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Ceylon cinnamon) of the Lauraceae (laurel) family. Cinnamon is a tropical evergreen plant native to Ceylon, which is currently the main supplier of high-quality spices.

Also called: cinnamon (in English), thwak, durusita (in Sanskrit), dalchini (in Hindi), kirpha (in Arabic), darachini (in Persian), cassia, kinamon.

Trees growing in different countries, differ in aroma, color and structure. The following four types of cinnamon are the most famous.

Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) is native to Sri Lanka. Synonyms: true cinnamon, Sinegalese cinnamon, noble cinnamon, cinnamon. It is also cultivated in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Guiana (Fr.).

Features of this type of spice:
looks like a tube;
the outer surface is light brown or yellow-brown;
thickness - up to 1 mm, the best varieties have the thickness of writing paper;
very brittle;
It has a delicate aroma and a sweetish-burning taste.

Chinese cinnamon (Cinnamomum Cassia) is native to Southern China. It is cultivated in Indonesia, Cambodia, and Laos. Differs in content large quantity toxic coumarin. The German Federal Institute has determined the maximum daily dose of coumarin. It is 0.1 mg of coumarin per 1 kg of body weight. That is, a person weighing 70 kg should not consume more than 7 mg of coumarin per day. According to this institute, 1 kg of cassia contains 4.4 g of coumarin. If you take a standard 15 g bag of Chinese cinnamon, in which this spice is usually sold in stores, it will contain about 66 mg of coumarin. This means that in order to exceed the permissible daily dose It is enough for an adult to consume about 1/10 of such a sachet per day (about half a teaspoon). For children - 2-3 times less (depending on body weight). However, even the daily dosage should not be used systematically. Synonyms: plain cinnamon, aromatic cinnamon, Indonesian cinnamon, fake cinnamon, cassia, cassia-canel.

Distinctive features of Chinese cinnamon:
looks like fragments of bark;
the outer surface is reddish-brown with grey-brown spots;
thickness - more than 2mm;
a sharper sweetish-burning taste with a tart-astringent component.

Malabar cinnamon (Cinnamomum Tamala Nees) is native to Southwestern India. Synonyms: tree cinnamon, brown cinnamon, cassia vera.

This type of cinnamon is different:
rude appearance;
uneven dark brown color;
thickness more than 3mm;
sharply astringent taste with a hint of bitterness.

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum Culilawan) is native to the Mollucan Islands. Synonym: spicy cinnamon. Cultivated in Indonesia.

Its features:

It looks like pieces of thin bark 1-2 cm long;
outside - whitish-beige color, and inside - yellow-red;
pronounced hot-spicy aroma and spicy-burning taste.

The following main varieties of cinnamon are identified in the world:

ALBA is a luxury variety. Made from the youngest shoots of the cinnamon tree and its thinnest layers of bark. Has the brightest sweetish taste and aroma. Maximally saturated with eugenol (has an analgesic effect, can act as an antiseptic and antioxidant). This variety is presented in our store.

4C-Continental is a standard quality grade. Made from the rougher sections of cinnamon tree bark. It has a good sweetish taste and aroma. Perfect for grinding in any coffee grinder, as well as for crushing with a mortar or by hand.

5C-Continental is the standard grade. Possesses good taste and aroma. By content useful substances is between the 5C-Special and 4C-Continental grades. The diameter of the sticks is smaller than in grade 4C. Suitable for use as a whole in drinks and for grinding in a household coffee grinder. It can also be purchased from Ecotopia.

5M-Mexicana is a standard quality variety. Made from coarser bark than 4C-Continental. It has a good sweetish taste and aroma, as well as a slightly hotter taste than the 4C-Continental variety. It is mainly exported to Mexico due to the specific reddish color of the sticks, spotting and slightly hotter taste.