Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices in recorded history — traded along ancient spice routes, mentioned in Chinese writings dating to 2700 BC, and prized in ancient Egypt for embalming and ritual. Today it remains one of the world’s most consumed spices, used in sweet and savory cooking across nearly every cuisine.
Ceylon vs. Cassia Cinnamon
There are two main types, and they are genuinely different:
Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) — true cinnamon, native to Sri Lanka. The bark is thin and forms multiple soft, paper-like layers when rolled into quills. Flavor is delicate, floral, and subtly sweet with almost no heat. Lower in coumarin (a compound of concern in large quantities). Considered the superior culinary cinnamon by most chefs.
Cassia cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) — the variety sold in most supermarkets, primarily from China, Indonesia, or Vietnam. Thicker, harder quills, darker color, and a more pungent, slightly spicy, assertive flavor. Higher coumarin content. The dominant commercial cinnamon in North America.
Culinary Uses
Baking: Apple pie, cinnamon rolls, rugelach, snickerdoodles, banana bread, carrot cake. Cinnamon’s sweet warmth is baking’s most versatile spice.
Drinks: Chai tea (essential), mulled wine, Mexican hot chocolate, horchata, cider.
Savory cooking: Moroccan tagines, Persian rice dishes (polo), Greek pastitsio, Indian biryani, Mexican mole. Cinnamon in savory dishes adds warmth and complexity without reading as sweet.
Spice blends: Pumpkin pie spice, garam masala, ras el hanout, Chinese five-spice, baharat.
Sticks vs. Ground
Whole cinnamon sticks infuse liquid beautifully — use in hot drinks, rice, stews, and brines, then remove. Ground cinnamon incorporates evenly into baked goods and dry rubs. Buy sticks and grind fresh for maximum flavor in ground applications.