I believe that everyone has heard of or tasted cinnamon buns. They look like puffy snail shells and have sugar and cinnamon mixture rolled up inside. But do you know where does cinnamon come from?
There are two main categories of cinnamon: Ceylon cinnamon also known as Sri Lankan and cassia cinnamon; they both are harvested in the same way. The cinnamon strips are obtained from the inner bark of tree species called Cinnamomum. Once they been cut, the strips are left to dry off until they curl up into the beautiful cinnamon sticks. Then the sticks can be grounded into a powder or they can be used to make an extract.
Ceylon VS Cassia
The Ceylon also called as ‘true’ cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka and southern parts of India. It has tan brown colour look and contains layers formed out of many delicate tight and thin sticks. These features make Ceylon cinnamon less common than the other types and it is also known as highest quality cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon is more expensive than its cousin cassia and it is trickier to find. Its flavour is extremely mild and subtle can be used in cooking and baking.
Cassia’s origins come from Southern China and it has dark brown-red colour look. The texture of the bark is much thicker and rougher than the Ceylon’s. Cassia cinnamon is considered as lower quality, but because of the strong texture the sticks will not fall apart and can be used as a décor in the drinks or even engraving messages and used in gifting.
Cinnamon Health benefits
Besides the fact that cinnamon is great ingredient for cooking, many studies been done to back up the facts that it is beneficial for our health.
Cinnamon contains large number of antioxidants, we need them in our body to stop dangerous molecules which cause of serious medical conditions, such as: heart disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia. Also, some studies found out that cinnamon has antibacterial properties. These studies have shown that cinnamon can slow down the growth of bacteria and treat fungi.
Cinnamon extract helps to improve blood vessel elasticity. If you drink Ceylon cinnamon tea three times a day constantly, it will reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol within a month.
So, if you want to improve your dishes and your health, start including the cinnamon in your diet. As I already mentioned above, the best quality cinnamon type is Ceylon, which we also have in our product range. We can offer sticks and powder too. For more information contact us: [email protected]
More about cinnamon and health: https://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-eating/a33379508/cinnamon-health-benefits/
Ideas for recipes:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/cinnamon_porridge_with_53154