A small evergreen tree (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) growing to 6 m/20 ft, native to SE Asia; leaves ovoid to oblong; flowers greenish; berries black. The spice is obtained from the bark of young trees. (Family: Lauraceae).
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Cinnamon foliage and flowers |
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Cinnamomum verum J.Presl |
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum, synonym C.
The name cinnamon comes from Greek kinnámōmon, from Phoenician and akin to Hebrew qinnâmôn, itself ultimately from a Malaysian language, cf.
Cultivation
Cinnamon is harvested by growing the tree for two years and then coppicing it.
The best cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka, but the tree is also grown commercially at Tellicherry in southern India, Java, Sumatra, the West Indies, Brazil, Vietnam, Madagascar, Zanzibar, and Egypt. Sri Lanka cinnamon of fine quality is a very thin smooth bark, with a light-yellowish brown colour, a highly fragrant odour, and a peculiarly sweet, warm and pleasing aromatic taste.
Cinnamon and cassia
The name cinnamon is correctly used to refer to Ceylon Cinnamon, also known as "true cinnamon" (from the botanical name C. However, the related species Cassia (Cinnamomum aromaticum) is sometimes sold labeled as cinnamon, distinguished from true cinnamon as "Indonesian cinnamon" or "Bastard cinnamon". Ceylon cinnamon, using only the thin inner bark, has a finer, less dense and more crumbly texture, and is considered to be less strong than cassia. Cinnamon sticks (or quills) have many thin layers and can easily be made into powder using a coffee or spice grinder whereas cassia sticks are much harder, made up of one thick layer, capable of damaging a spice or coffee grinder. When powdered bark is treated with tincture of iodine (a test for starch), little effect is visible in the case of pure cinnamon of good quality, but when cassia is present a deep-blue tint is produced, the intensity of the coloration depending on the proportion of cassia.
Cinnamon is also sometimes confused with Malabathrum (Cinnamomum tamala) and Saigon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum loureiroi).
Uses
Cinnamon bark is widely used as a spice.
Cinnamon is high in antioxidant activity (PMID 16190627, PMID 10077878).
In the media, "cinnamon" has been reported to have remarkable pharmacological effects in the treatment of type II diabetes.
Cinnamon is also used as an insect repellent.
About a half a teaspoon a day of cinnamon protects against the onset of cardiovasular disease and lowers blood sugar.
History
Cinnamon has been known from remote antiquity, and it was so highly prized among ancient nations that it was regarded as a gift fit for monarchs and other great potentates. It was imported to Egypt from China as early as 2000 BC, and is mentioned in the Bible in Exodus 30:23, where Moses is commanded to use both sweet cinnamon (Hebrew קִנָּמוֹן, qinnāmôn) and cassia, and in Proverbs 7:17-18, where the lover's bed is perfumed with myrrh, aloe and cinnamon.
In the Middle Ages, the source of cinnamon was a mystery to the western world.
Portuguese traders finally discovered Ceylon (Sri Lanka) at the end of the fifteenth century, and restructured the traditional production of cinnamon by the salagama caste. However, the importance of the monopoly of Ceylon was already declining, as cultivation of the cinnamon tree spread to other areas, the more common cassia bark became more acceptable to consumers, and coffee, tea, sugar and chocolate began to outstrip the popularity of traditional spices.
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