Cinnamon
BOTANICALLY SPEAKING
Cinnamon is the dried bark of tropical evergreen trees of the genus Cinnamomum. A thin layer of bark is stripped from the tree and dried in the sun, which makes it curl into the familiar quill shape of stick cinnamon. Cinnamon is characteristically woody, musty, and earthy in flavor and aroma. It is available as whole sticks, ground and as extract.
YUM FACTOR
One bite of hot buttered toast with cinnamon and sugar explains this spice’s enduring popularity. It is a fixture in North American and European baking, flavoring sticky buns, raisin bread, custards and creams, cookies and candy. In Spain and Mexico, it is often paired with chocolate. But cinnamon has the personality for savory dishes as well. Chili is often sparked by its warmth, as are Middle Eastern and North African dishes like lamb tagine and chicken stew. To go Indian style, try adding a pinch to rice pilaf with chopped dried apricots and green onions.
GLOBETROTTER’S GUIDE
Today’s cinnamon is sourced from four countries. Cinnamomum burmannii, the most common form used in the U.S., hails from Indonesia. Saigon cinnamon, Cinnamomun loureirii, from Vietnam is considered the finest because of its high volatile oil content. Chinese cinnamon, Cinnamomum cassia, is the base of Chinese Five Spice blends. And Cinnamomum zeylanicum, from Sri Lanka, has a mild flavor and distinctive citrus note that make it popular in Mexican and Central American cooking.
BELIEVE IT…OR NOT
Once considered a prized gift for royalty, cinnamon has a long and colorful history. Ancient Egyptians used it for cosmetics and embalming, sending buying expeditions to present-day Somalia in hopes of obtaining it by sea through spice-trading routes from Southeast Asia. The word cinnamon means “sweet wood” in Malay. The Romans belived cinnamon to be sacred and burned it at funerals. Cinnamon was one of the first spices sought in the 15th century European explorations, and some say it indirectly led to the discovery of America. Biblical references focused on its sensual fragrance; Solomon, in a song about his beloved, reveled in her cinnamon-scented clothing.
RECIPES
Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread
Southwestern Cinnamon Steak Rub