Cinnamon

Cinnamon, also known as cassia, cinnamon, or cinnamomum, is the fragrant bark of the branches of certain tropical plants in the laurel family. It is used as a spice in dried form and is cultivated in India, China, and Indonesia.

The cinnamon tree native to India, called Malabar cinnamon, has less aromatic bark. Malabar cinnamon has a cloying, astringent flavor with a hint of bitterness. Cinnamon grown in Indonesia is called Ceylon cinnamon (syn. spicy cinnamon, cinnamomum). This bark of annual shoots appears as small pieces, whitish-beige on the outside and yellow-red on the inside. Ceylon cinnamon has a delicate, spicy-hot aroma and a less pungent taste. The dried tubes are very thin, brittle, light yellow, highly aromatic, and have a sweetish, spicy-hot, warming taste. The bark of Chinese cinnamon (syn. aromatic cinnamon, cassia), cut from the trunks and branches of the tree, is dark in color, rough, and flat, has a sharp, spicy, musky scent, and a sweet, slightly pungent taste.

Various types of cinnamon are used in poultry, meat dishes, salads, desserts, baked goods, porridges, puddings, sweet dishes, and in the production of jams, preserves, and marmalades. Cinnamon is an ingredient in dry spice mixes for fruit, mushroom, and meat marinades. Along with other ingredients such as star aniseGinger, cloves, anise, and cardamom create the aromatic bouquet of masala chai. It's added to cocoa, coffee drinks and cocktails, latte macchiato, cappuccino, and chicory. It's also used to make mulled wine, soft drinks, compotes, and kissels.

Cinnamon sticks are boiled in milk to impart their flavor and are used in making creams, sauces, and syrups. Ground cinnamon is used in baking pastries and confectionery products such as croissants, muffins, biscuits, cakes, charlottes, cakes, cookies, muffins, Easter cakes, gingerbread, crackers, pancakes, fritters, and sweet pies and strudels with fruit fillings such as quince, pear, apple, and orange. Cinnamon rolls are especially delicious. Cinnamon is added to rice and used in making mousses, jellies, puddings, curd spreads, and sour milk.

A powder made from unripe, dried cinnamon berries is used as a cinnamon substitute. It has a pungent aroma and a harsher flavor. Cinnamon pairs well with orange, grapefruit, cardamom, ginger, thyme, coriander, and rosemary.