Did You Know That Cinnamon Has Some Incredible Benefits?

Cassia vs Ceylon

The cinnamon most Americans have in their shakers is Cassia cinnamon grown in China because it is the most inexpensive. Before that Saigon cinnamon was popular, but certain embargos ended that situation. Sometimes however, even cheaper fillers like ground Beech Nut Hulls or other nuts are flavored with cinnamaldehyde and mixed in and it is still marketed as cinnamon.

A lot of articles will tell you there are only 2 types of cinnamon, Cassia and Ceylon. That is because colloquially all non Ceylon cinnamon is referred to collectively as Cassia for ease of comparison with the true cinnamon. Or like with palm trees there is confusion on what is what and things get erroneously included under the wrong name. Also the word Cassia derives from kasia a Greek word which came from Hebrew gatsa that means to cut off or strip off bark. All of the cinnamons are harvested this way. Cinnamon is the inner bark of the tree and sometimes the root when it is large enough.

In the past it was about the taste and softness. Cassia is hard and pungent and can even have a bitter taste and it is comparatively heavy. Ceylon is refined and delicate with a more complex taste with citrus and floral overtones and is sweeter. The things we call cinnamon sticks, the curled dried inner bark of cinnamon trees, are called quills. Ceylon quills break easily into a powder. Not good for Christmas decorations or fancy holiday straws like the Cassia, but great for cooking and baking fine foods and desserts.