Cinnamon Varieties: Cassia, Ceylon, and Others

[nduran]

When I was in high school, I'd use natural cinnamon oil to make cinnamon toothpicks which were all the rage back then.

I was going to say that sounded bizarre, but then I remembered that when I was in junior high the "cool" thing to do was to suck on pieces of rock salt for no apparent reason. The object of this practice seemed to be to see who could develop the most disgusting looking white coating on their tongue in the course of the day, but I never actually participated so I can't say for certain.

Also back to the point, be careful when buying cinnamon oils, as there are those which are meant for eating and those which are meant for aromatherapy related products. I confused the two once and it was not an experience I care to relive.

Edited March 19, 2007 by nduran (log)

[finnfann]

Just found this thread as I was thinking about my baking this past weekend. I have made the Cook's Illustrated Crumb Cake probably half a dozen times since the issue arrived at home 2 1/2 months ago. I picked up some Ceylon Cinnamon at a spice shop near my office and tried using that in it. Here's the thing. I didn't like it as much. I felt that the flavor of the supermarket cinnamon was a lot bolder, but not too bold. It contrasted with the sweetness of the crumb better.

Has anyone else done any experimenting? Do you prefer one over the other in certain applications?

Incidentally, the CI crumb cake recipe is really good.

[astanko]

I recently made the cinnamon stacks in Grewling's book and everyone loved them. However, I am curious as to the types of cinnamon that are available and how they will differ in taste. I have not been very successful in finding anything other than the typical supermarket cinnamon. Does anyone know of a good place to shop in Seattle for different cinnamons?

Thanks in advance

[dystopiandreamgirl]

I recently made the cinnamon stacks in Grewling's book and everyone loved them. However, I am curious as to the types of cinnamon that are available and how they will differ in taste. I have not been very successful in finding anything other than the typical supermarket cinnamon. Does anyone know of a good place to shop in Seattle for different cinnamons?

Thanks in advance

←

right here

[Dakki]

So I recently started baking and realized I go through quite a bit of cinnamon, enough that those little 6-stick packs from the grocery just didn't seem like enough. Long story short, I went to the local restaurant supply place and scored a whole kilo of the stuff for ~12 USD. It was imported from Sri Lanka, comes individually wrapped in ~4" sticks inside the larger package and examined side by side with a stick of the Mexican (or Mexican brand?) stuff seems to be lighter colored and has a different aroma. I think I remember "cinnamon" actually refers to the bark of a number of different trees, each of which has distinct qualities.

So here are my questions:

What's the best cinnamon? Are different cinnamons better for different purposes?

How do I identify the top-quality sticks? What can I expect to pay for them?

How do I keep the stuff?

Sorry if this has been covered in another thread, I did a search but couldn't find anything.

[Lisa Shock]

HERE is a link with a brief explanation of the types of cinnamon.

[egale]

Thanks for posting that link, Lisa. I've been vaguely unhappy with the cinnamon sticks I've been using. Now I know why. After reading the link you provided and doing a little research, I ordered a pound of whole Vietnamese cinnamon.

[andiesenji]

I've been ordering the Mexican canela - whole sticks - from one importer who gets the product from Chiapas.

It is soft and crumbly and is the best "cinnamon" for use in fresh drinks or other dishes that are not cooked or baked for longer periods.

I like the Vietnamese for baking but occasionally order some of the Ceylon cinnamon.

The sticks I got from this vendor were superior to others I have tried.

http://www.druera.com/shopping/product_info.php?cPath=62_72&products_id=69

[j45rpm]

Personally, I love the Vietnamese cinnamon from Penzy's. It smells and tastes amazing.

[LindaK]

I've also been happy with the cinnamons I've bought from Penzey's. Recently they began offering a blend of their four different styles: China, Vietnamese, Korintje, and Ceylon. I've been meaning to give it a try but haven't yet.

[Dakki]

Made two batches of carrot cupcakes to test the "Mexican" (I suspect Cassia) vs Sri Lanka (presumably Ceylon, given that Sri Lanka = Ceylon) cinnamons. There's a definite difference - the Sri Lanka batch seem to have a more complex aroma - but maybe I wouldn't notice if they weren't side to side.

I'm going to feed this to my lab rats, I mean dear dear friends later and report on my findings.

[Gail CDM]

This was INCREDIBLE. Thanks so much for the post. I use cinnamon quite a bit to keep my "customers" warm in the winter. I have a sinful budget and will explore this new information.

Is there also a difference in nutmeg? I already grate from the nut...but now wondering if "all nuts are not alike?"

A poser for this Sunday morning..

[egale]

Penzeys doesn't seem to sell whole Vietnamese cinnamon, just ground. I need the whole pieces for many Indian and Asian dishes I make. I looked around and www.myspicesage.com sells whole pieces of Vietnamese cinnamon for less than I found other places. I ordered from them but haven't received it yet.

In general I prefer to buy spices whole and grind them myself when needed. They stay a lot fresher that way. I invested in a commercial Waring spice grinder for this reason -- it's great and makes the grinding pretty easy. But I use a lot of spices.

There is indeed a difference in nutmegs in my experience. It might be due to the freshness of the nutmegs though.

[andiesenji]

Mexican cinnamon is canela or Cinnamomum verum and is not cassia.

It is the "true" cinnamon from Ceylon or Sri Lanka.

Our very own Rancho Gordo sells it.

http://www.ranchogordo.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=RG&Product_Code=CANH01

Notes about it here: http://www.zarela.com/?tag=canela-mexican-cinnamon

I rarely buy ground cinnamon because there is really no way to be sure of the type you are getting unless you can see and feel the whole product.

There is no way you can confuse the two types because they look and feel different.

The true cinnamon is in smaller "quills" and can easily be broken with your fingers and smushed in a mortar.

You need a grinder for cassia.

Also the true cinnamon easily infuses flavor into warm liquids, such as milk. Good luck trying this with cassia - it needs alcohol or boiling.

Edited February 21, 2010 by andiesenji (log)

[Bonnie Deahl]

The new Penzey cinnamon blend is excellent. If you use a lot of it you can buy it in bulk bags. They also sell cinnamon sticks too.

you can order online also. If you have a location near where you live, check it out. On a small aside....a few years ago I went through my entire spice cabinet and threw away anything that had no smell. I then started over, choosing whole spices where possible and buying smaller amounts of ground spices since they lose their potency with time. The whole spices will last much longer. However..if you use a lot of one type of ground spice, buy it in small quantities and replenish it often. Cooking would be a fun without the world of spices!

[Bonnie Deahl]

and bought most items from Penzeys!

[LizD518]

I use both ground cinnamon (I like the Vietnamese too) and stick cinnamon from Penzeys. Penzeys sells both hard stick and softstick cinnamon. The softstick package says Ceylon Cinnamon and crumbles very easily. I used it to infuse some cream for cinnamon ice cream and it really flavored it beautifully. The hardstick cinnamon barely imparted any flavor at all after several hours of infusing (overnight in the fridge).

[mr drinkie]

I have seen whole Vietnamese cinnamon at Penzey's, but it was as a decoration in their display window. I don't know why they don't sell it...maybe it is too thick of a bark and most people don't know how to deal with it. Just a thought.

I also like Vietnamese cinnamon, but I have all the types in my spice rack. The one people buy at the supermarkt is usually Indonesian.

Vietnamese cinnamon has the highest oil content of the cinnamons, which gives it a more powerful aroma and flavor. Ceylon cinnamon is lower in oil content and, therefore, has a more subtle, delicate aroma and flavor. Both are good depending upon your taste and what you use it in. I love Ceylon cinnamon on rice pudding but use Vietnamese when I want more flavor in a dish.

One good source for Ceylon White Alba cinnamon sticks is from Soloway Selections. It is run by Dan Soloway who was purchasing director for Thomas Keller's restaurant, per se. He now sources limited but high quality spices through his business Kitchen Options. You can even order mace/nutmeg whole and still in the shell. How is that for fresh spice? Soloway sells his products through gigachef.com.

k.

[egale]

I just bought some ground Vietnamese cinnamon at Costco. It was an impulse buy. I haven't opened the container yet. Anyone know what I should expect?

[budrichard]

Penzy's, there simply is no better source for spices and particularly the various forms and types of cinnamon.-Dick

[abooja]

I buy ground Vietnamese cinnamon by the pound from Penzey's, and keep the bulk of it in my freezer. It doesn't seem to lose any of its potency, which is plentiful. I probably go through a pound in 1-1/2 years. Vacuum sealing it would make it last even longer.

Edited February 25, 2010 by abooja (log)

[Chris Amirault]

I've also been happy with the cinnamons I've bought from Penzey's. Recently they began offering a blend of their four different styles: China, Vietnamese, Korintje, and Ceylon. I've been meaning to give it a try but haven't yet.

We got a sample in our last order, and it's great. I'm sure that "single malt" cinnamon fiends don't like these blends, but for those of us who want a potent, everyday cinnamon that can be used for a variety of applications, this stuff is great.

PS: Welcome, Mr. Dinkie!

[nochefschoice]

Hello, So there's this chart that showed that 44% of Sri Lanka's cinnamon exports were to Mexico. That's so interesting, but I was wondering, why from Sri Lanka? Is there a local monopoly in the market or something or maybe country-to-country level trade agreements between Mexico and Sri Lanka?

 

The 44% was for 2023 - https://www.seylany.com/en/cinnamon-export-stats/sri-lanka/mexico/2023/

Edited October 20 by nochefschoice (log)

[liuzhou]

Cinnamon (also known as Ceylon cinnamon) is indigenous to Sri Lanka*. Most true cinnamon comes from there. Most of the "cinnamon" in the USA and other countries is actually cassia, which is more plentiful and therefore cheaper. In some other countries (including the UK) cassia cannot legally be sold as cinnamon. I'm guessing Mexico is another with such a law. 

 

Why Mexico has such a large appetite for cinnamon, I don't know. But it certainly seems they want the real thing.

 

* The Seychelles also cultivates a small amount.

 

 

[nochefschoice]

"...some other countries (including the UK) cassia cannot legally be sold as cinnamon..." - I think it's mad though to call one cinnamon the true cinnamon, and call the other "not true" cinnamon?

 

"..Ceylon cinnamon tradition from Spain.." - Inherited from Spain..! Super interesting...