How and where cinnamon grows, useful properties of spices. How to tell real cinnamon from fake

Cinnamon is familiar to many as a popular exotic (in the form of fragrant sticks, powder and essential oil). But few plant lovers have seen cinnamon live, are familiar with its features and various uses.

Having learned about the sale of a cutting of a cinnamon tree, I wanted to get to know this plant better and try to grow it in my house. I read a lot of interesting things on the Internet about cinnamon - how useful cinnamon is in various areas of human life.

I will share with the readers of the site the site the knowledge gained about cinnamon and the experience of growing cinnamon in the house.

Cinnamon and Ceylon cinnamon

cinnamon(Cinnamomum) - an evergreen tree of the humid tropics, preferring to grow in places with a high average annual temperature (25-27 degrees) and a significant amount of precipitation. Most types of cinnamon have fragrant wood, bark, leaves and fruits.
The leaves of the cinnamon are leathery, smooth, oblong, 14-15 cm long. Like the spicy bark, its leaves are sweet in taste, but they do not smell like cinnamon, but ... cloves! Old shiny cinnamon leaves are usually green, but young leaves are red or crimson (see title photo). Such a bright color is not uncommon in plants in hot climates, which helps the delicate fragile leaves protect themselves from the hot equatorial sun.
Cinnamon blooms throughout the year. Its flowers are small, yellowish-white, collected in panicles.

Cinnamon is widely grown in many countries: in India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Guyana, Martinique, Reunion, Java, Madagascar, Ceylon. However, it is believed that only cinnamon from Ceylon and China give the most “perfect spice”.

By the way, only Ceylon cinnamon is called “cinnamon tree” or “cinnamon”. This emphasizes the right of this plant to a privileged place among other types of cinnamon.
Ceylon cinnamon, or Ceylon cinnamon(Cinnamomum ceylanicum), like other cinnamon (for example, Japanese, Himalayan, Kokhinkhinsky), belongs to the very spicy Laurel family (Lauraceae), which includes and.

How cultivated cinnamon is grown and the bark is harvested

The cinnamon tree in natural conditions reaches ten meters. And in a cultivated form, cinnamon grows in the form of a bush, which usually does not exceed two meters in height.

2-3 years after planting, a young cinnamon tree is cut down almost to the root, and side shoots grow from the remaining short stump. The quality of the bark depends on the age of the shoot: the most fragrant bark is in shoots aged 17-18 months. It is during this period that the regrown shoots-whips are cut off from the plant, reaching approximately 3 meters in length. This is usually done during the rainy season, when the fragrant bark is most easily separated from the wood.

On cinnamon shoots peeled from leaves and twigs, even circular cuts are made - exactly at a distance of 46 cm from one another! Then the bark is cut on both sides along the length of the shoot, removed from the whip and wrapped in coconut mats, where it is aged overnight.
Then the outer bitter layer (epidermis) is scraped off the bark. Peeled pieces of bark are tied into bundles and dried - first in the shade, and then in the sun. As a result, the dry bark acquires a brown or yellow-brown color.
Ready for sale, the bark is collected in bales, placed in jute bags and sent to all countries of the world.

Cinnamon: use from antiquity to the present day

The cinnamon tree has a very rich history, because people have widely used its gifts for various purposes since ancient times.

In biblical times, cinnamon was used as a spice, medicinal agent, raw material for making perfumes.

In China, cinnamon has long been used in medicine (for the treatment of the gastrointestinal tract), as an incense for temple incense burners.
The Greeks also valued cinnamon for its stomachic and antiseptic effects. Along with and, cinnamon was attributed to the sacred plants of the Greek god Dionysus. An ancient myth says that the Phoenix Bird, reborn from the ashes, collected branches of cinnamon, myrrh and nard for its magic fire.
The Egyptians used cinnamon in the treatment of the feet, in the removal of excess bile, in embalming. The Egyptian queen Cleopatra used cinnamon to create oils and incense intended for seduction, as well as to make a love potion.
The Jews performed religious rituals with cinnamon.
The Romans included cinnamon in their famous Sasinum perfume.

The peculiarity of cinnamon is that the bark of this tree can roll into tubes in several layers, forming fragrant sticks.
In the Middle Ages, the Arabs equipped caravans to transport cinnamon and other spices from Asia to Egypt. With their characteristic oriental cunning, they composed a story about a mythical bird - Cinnamologus, which builds a nest from cinnamon sticks. As if she brings them from Arabia, but where exactly is not known. It is difficult to get cinnamon from the nests of these birds, because they place them on sheer cliffs. Therefore, people who get cinnamon from the cliffs face a double danger: high altitude, as well as sharp claws and beaks of birds that fiercely defend their nests.
This oriental tale was intended to hide the true source of cinnamon mining in order to explain its high cost. In fact, everything was much more prosaic and simpler: a popular spice was made from the bark, taken from the cinnamon. However, the merchants' story about the great value of cinnamon had an effect.
At the beginning of the Middle Ages, in the notes of Pliny the Elder, there is a mention that the cost of 350 g of cinnamon is comparable to 5 kg of silver. It is not surprising that in those distant times cinnamon was available only to rich, noble and powerful people.

The story goes that the Roman Emperor Nero burned a year's worth of cinnamon at his wife's funeral, perhaps out of remorse for causing her death.

In Europe, cinnamon oil appeared around the 9th century, it was used as an ingredient in the preparation of love drinks and mulled wine, and was also given to women in childbirth as a sedative. For medicinal purposes, cinnamon was also used as a remedy for coughs, sore throats, colds and flu - diseases that the famous 12th century German herbalist Hildegard von Bingen called "internal decay of mucus."

Cinnamon in modern medicine and cooking

Research scientists have confirmed the healing properties of cinnamon and proved its effectiveness in many ailments.

Medicinal properties of cinnamon:
- soothes pain and normalizes digestion (helps the gastrointestinal tract, stops diarrhea, relieves nausea and vomiting, fights flatulence and worms);
- antioxidant, antidepressant, aphrodisiac;
- refreshes the mind and body, helps to remove warts;
- has antiviral and antibacterial action (kills microbes, viruses and fungi, is used to treat various infections);
- prevents blood diseases and improves its circulation, stimulates blood vessels, which gives a relaxing effect and helps relieve pain in rheumatism and arthritis, relieves menstrual pain;
- strengthens the gums and hair follicles, tones the muscles and tightens the skin, preventing the symptoms of aging;
- helps with diabetes by regulating blood glucose levels and lowering excess sugar;
- enhances memory and stimulates brain activity, reducing nervous tension and stress.

Care should be taken when using cinnamon essential oil, which is a powerful aromatherapy agent. Its high dosage is dangerous for humans (possible convulsions). It is better not to use cinnamon essential oil during pregnancy in order to avoid miscarriage.
Cinnamon leaf essential oil is more preferred, since the oil from the bark and buds can cause an acute skin reaction.

Cinnamon neutralizes unpleasant odors and is an insecticide. The essential oil is used to freshen the indoor air and as a repellant: mosquitoes cannot tolerate cinnamon.

Cinnamon is often used in cooking: it is added to baking, used in the preparation of meat, fish, poultry, drinks. With the help of cinnamon, perishable foods last longer.

The virtues of the cinnamon tree, the fascinating legends and stories associated with it, the centuries-old varied use of cinnamon by man - all this makes me admire cinnamon!

Growing a cinnamon tree at home

Of course, I had doubts about the success of keeping cinnamon indoors. First of all, they are associated with a lack of lighting. But there is also a great desire to grow this amazing plant, despite any difficulties.

Now the precious stalk of the famous cinnamon lives in my house.
In the summer, he felt good, grew quite quickly. The plant was in partial shade, because in the hot sun its leaves lost their elasticity.

In a cinnamon tree, you can form a crown by pinching the tops of the shoots. But this should be done with caution, because young sprigs of cinnamon are tender and brittle.

Now, in anticipation of the coming winter (2013-2014), my cinnamon has stopped growing. At the ends of several leaves, the color has changed, they began to dry out. Obviously, the dryness of the air in the apartment and the lack of lighting affect the plant. In the evenings I put the cinnamon tree under the lamp.

I hope that the cinnamon and other new ones will successfully survive, and in the spring they will be pleased with new growth.

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Inhaling the aroma of fresh baked goods with cinnamon, we do not at all think about what passions boiled around tropical trees with fragrant bark several centuries ago, when they were worth their weight in gold, and entire expeditions set off on a long, unknown journey for them.

The raw material for the extraction of cinnamon are several plant species from the genus Cinnamon (Cinnnamomum), belonging to the laurel family.

True Ceylon cinnamon is obtained from the bark of an evergreen tree called Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnnamomum zeylanica), which grows on the island (Ceylon). This tree in its natural habitat reaches 10 m, has leathery leaves and small nondescript flowers. Its bark, rusty-brown in color, has a strong specific aroma. The name of the plant, translated from Greek, means "perfect spice", which is associated with the diverse use of cinnamon and its delicate, peculiar aroma. The aroma of cinnamon is provided by an essential oil (2-3.5%), which includes cinnamal, an aldehyde of cinnamic acid.

Ceylon cinnamon was harvested from rare wild trees, so it has always been highly valued. The process of making the spice was labor-intensive, which also affected the spread of cinnamon on the world market. The first plantations were established in Sri Lanka only in the second half of the 18th century by one of the Dutch settlers. Over time, the plantations grew and began to meet the demand in the world market. For a long time, the main importers of cinnamon were the Dutch. To keep the price of cinnamon high, from time to time they destroyed stocks of ready-made spice right in warehouses. In the summer of 1760, 8 million pounds of spices were burned in Amsterdam, among which there was a lot of cinnamon.

On plantations, the cinnamon tree looks like a bush, as branches are constantly cut from it, and new shoots constantly grow from the base of the bush, which reach up to two meters in two years.

Cinnamon is harvested twice a year during the rainy season. At this time, the bark is easier to separate from the branches. The inner tender part of the bark, the bast, smells most strongly.

The bark is removed from the cut shoots, it is cleaned of the upper layer (phloem and primary bark), and everything else is dried. When dried, a thin layer of peeled bark is twisted into a tube. Then I fold these dried tubes of bark into 10 pieces and cut them into pieces of the same length. The resulting sticks are sold as a spice. Often, cinnamon is also sold in powder form. Bark scraps are used to make cinnamon oil.

Recently, this cinnamon has also been grown in southern India, in the Seychelles, Madagascar, Jamaica, and Guiana. There are large plantations of the Ceylon cinnamon tree in Brazil. The source of Indonesian or "fake" cinnamon is Chinese cinnamon or cassia (C.aromaticum - C.cassia).

Unlike Ceylon, Chinese cinnamon is much cheaper. Her homeland is the southern regions of China. In China, cinnamon was used as a spice and as a medicinal plant as early as 5000 BC.

Cinnamon is obtained by cutting the bark from seven-year-old branches. The aroma of this cinnamon is coarser and not as strong as Ceylon cinnamon, but the taste is sharper and not as spicy as real cinnamon.

The industry often uses substitutes for cinnamon. This is bay cinnamon, Burmese cinnamon. The bark of these species is much thicker, coarser, but has a pleasant aroma. The bark of the so-called white cinnamon sometimes comes from the Antilles, the source of which is the white canela (from the canel family).

Today, the world production of cinnamon is about 8000-10000 tons per year, with 80-90% produced by Sri Lanka.

The world production of cassia is several times higher - 20,000-25,000 tons per year, two-thirds of which is grown in Indonesia.

Application of cinnamon

Cinnamon is widely used in cooking. Interestingly, in the East it is more often used as a seasoning for meat, while Europeans traditionally use this spice to flavor pastries and sweet dishes.

Cinnamon leaves are often added in for flavor.

Cinnamon is also famous for its. Preparations from it promote digestion, improve blood circulation. The essential oil of cinnamon is used in. It is believed that the aroma of cinnamon stimulates the brain.

Cinnamon and cassia are used in the production of liqueurs, perfumes and for cooking. However, as part of cheap Chinese cinnamon (cassia), scientists have found levels of coumarin dangerous to health. While Ceylon cinnamon contains only 0.02 g/kg, fake cinnamon has 2 g/kg.

How to grow a cinnamon tree in a room?

The cinnamon tree is not difficult to grow indoors. It is propagated by seeds or semi-lignified cuttings, which are rooted in wet sand at a temperature of 20 C. Seeds for sowing should be taken freshly harvested, since they easily lose their germination capacity during storage. They are sown in a soil mixture prepared from the same parts of soddy, deciduous soil and sand.

After the appearance of the second leaf, the seedlings dive one by one into pots with a diameter of 7 cm in a soil mixture of the same composition. Rooted cuttings are planted in the same earth mixture. Plants need good lighting to grow.

For the summer, plants can be taken out to the balcony or dug together with a pot in partial shade in the garden. Watering is plentiful in summer, moderate in winter. In summer, plants are fed with a solution of organic or mineral fertilizers.

The cinnamon tree tolerates shearing well and lends itself easily to crown formation. Plants are brought into the room before the onset of autumn frosts and placed in a well-lit place.

I am sure that cinnamon is familiar to everyone and we use it exclusively as a fragrant spice. Did you know that it not only adds aroma and taste to the dish. The beneficial properties of cinnamon and contraindications have been known since ancient times, using it for health and beauty.

Everyone knows the Greek goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite, before the spell of which neither a mortal nor a celestial could resist.

One of the legends describes that Aphrodite wore a belt, and it was in it that the power of her love lay. A magical aroma came from the belt, so many charms were concentrated in it that even the Great Hera borrowed it more than once to captivate Zeus even more. In this belt, Aphrodite sewed a fragrant spice - cinnamon, and she herself descended to Earth for it.

Cinnamon - useful properties and contraindications

Cinnamon is still considered the No. 1 spice for a romantic dinner today, being the most powerful stimulant of female charms. In order to attract attention and win over the chosen one, cinnamon was added to a drink or food at all times. Apparently not just in the Victorian era, in the language of flowers, cinnamon meant - "My fate is in your hands."

Cinnamon was such a valuable spice that the dispute over the possession of the territory where it grew more than once spilled over into hostilities.

But I do not think that wars would be arranged only because of the romantic features of this spice. In ancient times, poems were dedicated to her and she was available only to rulers and their entourage.

Why is fragrant cinnamon so valued and valued to this day. This is what we will be talking about today.

Before we start talking about the beneficial properties of cinnamon and its possible contraindications, let's first understand what kind of spice it is and what kind of plant cinnamon is.

Cinnamon - how it grows, how it is harvested

Cinnamon is a plant, or to be more precise, a shrub from the laurel family. Most often found in southern India and Sri Lanka. It has oblong-oval leaves about 18 cm long. The bunches of flowers make up the inflorescences and have a greenish tint.

One would assume that such a fragrant spice is made from flowers. But no, just the flowers of this plant have an unpleasant aroma. For the preparation of spices, the bark of this shrub is collected. But it's not that simple.

First, it is grown for 2 years, then cut off at the root, new shoots grow, and the bark is taken from these shoots. But for the preparation of spices, the bark is not used entirely, but only the inner, thin layer, which is cut off and, when dried, it is twisted into tubes.

The most popular are 4 types of plants and, accordingly, spices:

• Ceylon - fragrant, slightly burning with a sweetish taste, another name - kinamon or noble cinnamon - the best and most valuable;
• Malabar - has a pronounced bitter taste;
• cinnamon - with a spicy taste and pungent odor;
• Chinese - not very fragrant, burning and sharp, another name for cassia or Indian.

Benefits of cinnamon for human health

Its valuable composition speaks about the beneficial properties of cinnamon for human health, and you will now see for yourself, read on.

Enough high-calorie spice - 247 kcal per 100 gr. product. The composition includes a large amount of carbohydrates, exceeding the content of fats and proteins.

Cinnamon is very rich in the presence of useful substances in it:

• Vitamins - A, group of vitamins B, C, E, K, PP.
• The mineral composition is iron, potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, selenium.
• Also, cinnamon contains a lot of fiber, tannins, gum, resin, pectin, coumarin, from 2 to 3.5% of essential oil, consisting of cinnamaldehyde and eugenol.

Impressive, right? So let's find out what effect cinnamon has on human health and what are its benefits.

Helps people with diabetes to lower blood sugar levels, activates the production of insulin. See the video for more details.

Cinnamon for hypertension

Cinnamon helps prevent cardiovascular disease, it is indicated for the prevention of strokes, heart attacks and other circulatory disorders. It is a vasodilator, prevents the appearance of blood clots. Reduces the level of bad cholesterol in the blood.

For health, it is enough for hypertensive patients to take an incomplete teaspoon of spice per day, but not in its pure form, but as an ingredient in healthy drinks and dishes. As a quick measure to normalize pressure in hypertension, it is advised to drink this drink:

mix a pinch of cinnamon with a spoonful of honey, dilute in a small amount of warm water.

Such a drink will exclude the development of a stroke, soothe a headache.

Useful properties of cinnamon for women

In addition to the above beneficial effects on the body, there is something that applies specifically to women:

• cinnamon helps during PMS and the menstrual cycle by reducing pain, normalizing the hormonal background; improving mood.
• in the first 2 weeks after the birth of a child, cinnamon promotes uterine contractions.

But it is precisely this property of cinnamon that makes it a product that should not be consumed by pregnant women, as it can provoke a miscarriage.

• nursing mothers tea with cinnamon, milk can improve lactation.

The benefits of cinnamon for men

Cinnamon also has its beneficial effect on the male body:

• regular use of spices is not only the prevention of prostatitis, but also facilitates the treatment process.
• spice helps to accelerate glucose metabolism, which increases the production of testosterone, which is so necessary for normal erectile function.
• with age, male blood gradually thickens, and cinnamon is able to thin the blood, which reduces the risk of heart attacks and congestion in the pelvis.
• Cinnamon is a natural and strong aphrodisiac that can tone and invigorate a man, increase his libido and sexual performance.

The benefits of cinnamon for weight loss

Cinnamon is also known as a tool that helps with weight loss:

• this spice speeds up metabolism, including the metabolism of carbohydrates, preventing them from being converted into fat;
• cinnamon slows down the digestive processes in the stomach - this is an important property for those who want to lose weight - with the support of spices, it is easier to endure until the next meal without additional snacks;
• the inclusion of cinnamon in the diet reduces the glycemic index of food by 18 - 29%, and this is also important for weight loss;
• cinnamon can increase metabolism;
• nutritionists claim that cinnamon reduces cravings for sweets and that losing weight with cinnamon is much easier.

Cinnamon is also in demand in cosmetology due to its healing effect on the skin of the face, body, hair, it has an anti-inflammatory effect, accelerates metabolic processes in skin cells, all this is due to the presence of antioxidants and tannins in cinnamon.

So the scope of cinnamon is quite extensive - cooking, traditional medicine, cosmetology, aromatherapy.

Cinnamon will be appropriate in fruit salads, cereals, hot drinks, good in baking, it can be used for home preservation due to its antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.

In aromatherapy, cinnamon is used to increase efficiency, improve memory.

In cosmetology for softening, lightening hair, improving skin condition.

In folk medicine in the treatment of colds, to enhance immunity, in the treatment of inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract and many other diseases.

A separate story is the benefits of honey and cinnamon - scientists from different countries, studying these two products, came to the conclusion that this combination - honey and cinnamon - has a beneficial effect on the entire body, strengthening it, slows down the aging process of the body, improves the quality of life and increases duration.

It would be nice to move on to recipes here, but there were so many of them that I decided to separate them into a separate article, so stay tuned for blog news.

But the topic is not over yet, because we have not yet talked about the dangers of cinnamon and whether it is.

Harm of cinnamon to human health

Despite such a number of pluses, there are also minuses, though they are much less. And despite the beneficial properties, cinnamon can also cause harm to human health, so you shouldn’t eat cinnamon with spoons, it’s still a spice and it serves only as an additive to our diet.

• Earlier I said that it helps with stressful situations, depression, but if you overdo it with spice, then the opposite effect can occur, apathy and depression can only intensify.
• A healthy person can use cinnamon without fear for their well-being, but as I said, within reasonable limits. There are no clear recommendations - how much - apparently it is assumed that it is rather difficult to overdo it with spice. But some sources have information - no more than 1 teaspoon and not at one time.
• Doctors recommend careful and infrequent use of cinnamon for people with high blood pressure and people with a sick heart, but you should not refuse it at all, because it lowers cholesterol and reduces the formation of blood clots.
• Pregnant women should not use this spice, as it can cause uterine contractions and thereby cause miscarriage or premature birth.
• It is better not to give cinnamon to children under 3 years old, so it is forbidden for nursing mothers. Children under 12 should use cinnamon with caution.
• It is recommended to exclude cinnamon from the diet for people with low blood clotting, as well as people with individual intolerance.

In any case, if you have some kind of chronic disease and have doubts whether you can use cinnamon or not, it is better to consult your doctor.

There is one more minus, but it does not apply to real Ceylon Cinnamon (Ceylon Cinnamon). This minus applies to cassia (Cassia Cinnamon). No, cassia also has beneficial properties.

What then is the matter? And the matter is only in one substance - in coumarin, which is part of cinnamon. Coumarin is a useful substance, and thanks to this substance, cinnamon reduces blood clotting and, accordingly, reduces the risk of blood clots. But excessive use of coumarin is very unfavorable for the condition of the liver and kidneys.

For comparison, Ceylon cinnamon contains 0.004% coumarin, which is enough to make cinnamon a healthy product. In cassia, coumarin contains much more - 5%.

The conclusion suggests itself - we buy Ceylon cinnamon, but ... is it in our supermarkets - a big question. It is said that most of the cinnamon sold is cassia, as it is much cheaper and more readily available.

If you do not often use cinnamon, then cassia did not harm you, but if it is constant in your diet and if you want to use cinnamon for treatment, then the choice of this spice should be taken more carefully.

How to tell real cinnamon from cassia

Cinnamon sticks are somewhat easier - Ceylon cinnamon sticks tend to be tightly twisted, as a thin inner layer of bark is used. The cassia stick has very few curls and is thicker in appearance. A stick of Ceylon cinnamon is easy to break with your hands and grind into a powder. Doing this with cassia is quite problematic.

But with ground cinnamon it is much more difficult, and in fact it is mostly ground cinnamon that we sell. Then we look at the packaging - pay attention to the Latin name - “Cinnamomum zeylonicum” is Ceylon cinnamon, “Cinnamomum aromaticum” is how cassia is labeled. You also need to pay attention to the country of origin - if Ceylon, Sri Lanka, then this is what we need, but if China, Indonesia, Vietnam - then this is cassia. It is also not recommended to buy cinnamon from Germany, the USA, Israel, it does not grow with them, but whether they will sell expensive Ceylon cinnamon is a question ...

Already bought cinnamon can be checked with iodine - you need to drop a few drops of iodine on cinnamon and if it turns dark blue, then this is cassia, Ceylon cinnamon practically does not stain.

Another thing that can differ one cinnamon from another is the price, Ceylon will be many times more expensive.

How to store cinnamon

Store cinnamon in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid away from light and moisture. Ground cinnamon retains its beneficial properties for six months, in sticks - a year. If you want to keep longer, then you need to keep in the refrigerator.

Elena Kasatova. See you by the fireplace.

Cinnamon

The bark of several species of cinnamon trees in the laurel family, used as a dried spice.

The following four species are best known.
Ceylon cinnamon(Cinnamomum ceylanicum Bg.). Synonyms: cinnamon, noble cinnamon, real cinnamon.
Homeland - Ceylon. Cultivated in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Guiana. Plantations of Ceylon cinnamon are shrubs, with annual - three-year-old shoots of which the bark is removed twice a year; after a period of rains, when the bark is removed more easily and becomes more fragrant.
The bark is removed in strips 30 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, and, having scraped off the upper skin from it, it is dried in the shade, as a result of which the cinnamon acquires a yellow-brown or light brown color of the outer surface and a darker color of the inner surface and rolls up into tubules. The thickness of Ceylon cinnamon after drying barely reaches 1 millimeter. The best grades are almost indistinguishable in thickness from writing paper. This cinnamon is extremely brittle. Its aroma is very gentle. The taste is sweetish, slightly burning, warming.
Chinese cinnamon(Cinnamoum Cassia Bl). Synonyms: fragrant cinnamon, Indian cinnamon, simple cinnamon, cassia, cassia canel.
Homeland - South China. Cultivated in China, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia. The bark is cut from the trunks and branches of trees once every 8-10 years in strips of different lengths (up to 10-15 centimeters), 1-2 centimeters wide and dried in the shade. Ready-made cinnamon is a rough, slightly concave bark fragment with a rough, reddish-brown outer surface with gray-brown spots and a smoother, even brown inner surface.
On a break - red-brown. The thickness of Chinese cinnamon is from 2 millimeters or more. The taste is pronounced aromatic, much sharper than that of Ceylon cinnamon, sweetish, tart-astringent, slightly burning.
Malabar cinnamon(Cinnamoum Tamala Nees). Synonyms: cinnamon tree, brown cinnamon, wood cinnamon, cassia-vera.
Homeland - Southwest India. Grows in India and Burma. In appearance, it is even coarser than the bark of Chinese cinnamon, of an uneven (dirty) dark brown hue, much less fragrant in smell than the previous varieties. Its thickness is up to 3 millimeters or more, the taste is sharply astringent, with a hint of bitterness.
Cinnamon, or spicy cinnamon(Cinnamomum Culilawan Bl.).
Homeland - Moluccas. Cultivated in Indonesia. Bark of young (annual) shoots of cinnamon bush. In dry form, it is small pieces (1-2 centimeters) of thin bark, whitish-beige on the outside and yellow-red inside. The aroma is sharp and spicy, the taste is spicy and burning.
In modern European trade, cinnamon most often enters in recent years only in ground form, in bags. Before the Second World War, on the contrary, cinnamon entered the trade, especially in the USSR, only in its natural form, that is, in pieces or tubes of bark. This was mainly due to the desire to protect the consumer from counterfeiting, from product falsification. Currently, both direct falsification and the use of low-quality, sometimes simply spoiled, odorless raw materials for ground cinnamon are extremely common. So, for example, out of 18 bags of ground cinnamon from various companies tested by the author in 1992-1996, none of them turned out to be of good quality. In view of this, firstly, one should try to acquire natural cinnamon bark, preferably Chinese, Laotian (available in trade in Siberia and the CIS countries bordering China), and secondly, one should definitely avoid purchasing cinnamon from countries that are not its producers. , that is, the USA, Israel, Germany, etc., and who were not previously owners of colonies, like England, Holland, France, where falsification is extremely rare.

Different types of cinnamon are used mainly in confectionery (cookies, muffins, Easter cakes, gingerbread, sweet pies with fruit filling), and in cooking - in the preparation of sweet dishes (puddings, sweet pilafs, compotes, jams, mousses, jelly, jelly, curd pastes).
In modern Western European cuisine, cinnamon is widely used in various types of fruit salads and in some vegetables (spinach, red cabbage, milky-waxy maize, carrots), as well as in cold fruit soups made from fresh and dried fruits. Cinnamon goes especially well with those dishes that include apples, quinces, pears.
In oriental cuisine, including Transcaucasian and Central Asian, cinnamon is used in the preparation of cold and hot dishes from poultry (turkey, chicken) and second courses of lamb (fried, stewed), and in China and Korea - in the preparation of fried pork . Cinnamon improves, ennobles the taste of fatty meat.
Finally, cinnamon is an indispensable component of various dry spice mixtures and mixtures for fruit, mushroom and meat marinades.
Cinnamon is consumed either as a whole (liquid dishes), or more often in ground form (especially in dough, main courses). The bookmark is made 7-10 minutes before the dish is ready (soups, compotes, hot dishes) or immediately before serving (salads, curd pastes, curdled milk).
Cinnamon bookmark rates vary greatly. They are especially high in Eastern, Indian and Chinese cuisine; on average - from 0.5 to 1 teaspoon per 1 kilogram of rice, cottage cheese, meat, dough or 1 liter of liquid.
As substitutes for cinnamon, of course, of the worst quality, immature dried fruits are used - seeds of cinnamon trees (balls the size of peas, gray-brown in color with a sharper smell than cinnamon and a harsh, unpleasant taste), as well as an artificial substitute - cinnamon extract.

. V.V. Pokhlebkin. 2005 .

See what "Cinnamon" is in other dictionaries:

General view of the plant. Botanical Garden in Karlsruhe ... Wikipedia

Cinnamon is called the bark of shoots of a tropical cinnamon tree, peeled from the top layer. This bark is dried and used in the form of pieces or powder to flavor some sauces, marinades, as well as for some Caucasian dishes ... ... Culinary Dictionary

Cinnamon is the inner bast of young branches of certain trees of the Laurus family. Ceylon cinnamon, also known as fine cinnamon, is usually a bunch of pale-colored bast strips twisted together. Chinese cinnamon (also known as... ... Official terminology

The bark of young branches of an evergreen tree growing in the West Indies. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. CINNAMON dried skin of young branches of one tree growing in Ceylon, Jamaica and ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

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 get only cinnamon? Most likely, almost no one knows that there are two identical spices - cassia and cinnamon. How to distinguish them, you need to understand. After all, it is cassia that is most common on sale - a low-quality and often harmful substitute for this spice.

The 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 a good mood and improves memory. It contains a lot of manganese, calcium, iron and fiber. And the special substance eugenol helps to accelerate tissue regeneration and wound healing.

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

How to use cinnamon correctly

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

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 a little, add a spoonful of honey and drink with flu or colds;
• if you mix a spoonful of honey with half a spoonful of cinnamon, this mixture helps with nasal congestion and cough;
• infusion of cinnamon with honey, consumed on an empty stomach, helps to reduce weight;
• a glass of yogurt with a teaspoon of cinnamon in the morning helps to improve digestion and normalize blood pressure.

You can use cinnamon and in cosmetology. When the powder is mixed with honey, it brightens the skin and makes it more tender. When added to hair masks, it accelerates hair growth.

Types of cinnamon

This spice is highly valued and widely used. But the process of obtaining real cinnamon is very laborious, and the trees whose bark is taken for its production grow in only a few places. Therefore, both cassia and cinnamon are most often found on sale. How to distinguish them from each other, few people know. Usually people do not realize that there are 4 types of cinnamon, of which only one is really valuable:

• Ceylon cinnamon, or kinamon, is a real expensive spice;
• Indonesian, or Chinese cassia;
• Malabar brown, or woody cinnamon, also called "cassia-vera";
• cinnamon, or spicy cinnamon.

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

Ceylon cinnamon

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

For its production, young trees aged 1-2 years are used. A thin layer of the 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 spice is presented on the shelves of our stores in 90% of cases, few people know this name. What is cassia, they know mainly culinary specialists and those who are seriously engaged in their health. This condiment is made from trees related to cinnamon, but with slight differences. They grow in Vietnam, Indonesia and China. For the production of cassia, whole pieces of bark are taken from trees that are at least 7 years old. Therefore, the sticks of this seasoning are so hard and rough, and its smell is sharp and bitter.

What is dangerous cassia

You could not try to find out if you bought real cinnamon, because the aroma of a fake is still pleasant. But in fact, the constant use of cassia in food is dangerous to health. It contains a very large amount of tannins, and most importantly - coumarin. Its content exceeds the permissible by 1200 times. In cassia, it is present in an amount of more than 2 g/kg.

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

The main differences between cinnamon and cassia

At first glance, these spices do not differ, which is why such confusion has turned out. Most people don't realize that both cassia and cinnamon are on sale. What is the difference between them, you can understand by studying their features in detail. Since most often people buy powder, you need to know how they differ. Real cinnamon is lighter in color, has a subtle pleasant aroma, slightly sweet. Cassia is dark, even with a reddish tint, smells more sharply, 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 buy this spice in sealed bags, so it is not possible to determine the color, let alone smell it. In this case, you first need to look at the name and country of origin. Real Ceylon cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka. China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and even more so other countries are engaged in the production of cassia. A 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. Indeed, after a year of storage, cinnamon loses its properties and aroma.

How to check the quality of cinnamon at home

And what about those who just found out that cinnamon and cassia exist? How to distinguish a fake at home of an already purchased product? You can look at the color so that it is not very dark, smell it. But the most informative way is to take some powder and drop a drop of iodine into it. True cinnamon will hardly change color, and cassia will turn dark blue. It can also be determined by taste. Cinnamon is sweetish-spicy, has a mild taste and delicate aroma. Cassia smells more strongly, bitter and burning. And if you pour a little powder with boiling water, the sediment from cinnamon will become jelly-like, red-brown.

Now you know that cassia and cinnamon are very similar. How to distinguish them? If you have sticks in front of you, then you need to try to break them. Ceylon cinnamon is brittle and breaks easily, while cassia is dense and coarse. A fake will be a strip of thick bark, slightly twisted, often only on one side.

Now you know that both cassia and cinnamon are on sale. How to tell them apart is pretty easy to remember. Therefore, you can take advantage of all the beneficial properties of real noble cinnamon.