Cinnamon: what is the favorite spice made of, and why is Ceylon cinnamon valued

It turns out that cinnamon can be of different quality, there are substitutes for it, which unscrupulous sellers give out as the original. But the best, as hundreds of years ago, is Ceylon cinnamon, which is obtained by special technology. Today we will talk about what cinnamon is made of, one of the most popular spices in the world.

Cinnamon is a spice obtained from a plant called real cinnamon (botanical name Cinnamomum verum, or Cinnamomum zeylanicum). It is cultivated in many tropical countries, such as Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and some others, but the island of Sri Lanka and the southwestern part of the Hindustan peninsula are considered to be the birthplace of this plant.

Cinnamon was used as a valuable spice in ancient Europe and Ancient Egypt. It was considered a rare and expensive product, and therefore only representatives of the government and noble layers of society could afford it. In the Middle Ages, this spice was delivered to Europe by caravans from the East, and then by sea from Alexandria. Such a long and difficult journey led to the high price of cinnamon, therefore, when the Portuguese sailors discovered the island of Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka), their joy knew no bounds, because it was there that they produced the best cinnamon in the whole world. The Portuguese for many years seized the monopoly on the production and sale of cinnamon and frantically fought for its preservation.

Oddly enough, but over the past centuries little has changed in this regard: the best cinnamon is still produced on the island of Sri Lanka. The aroma and taste of cinnamon are given by the essential oil contained in the bark of the plant Cinnamomum zeylanicum. Spice is obtained from the inner layer of the cortex, which is cut from young shoots not older than 3 years old. Cut bark is laid out to dry in the open in the sun, and already dried bark is crushed or sold in the form of sticks.

But it turns out that there is a double in cinnamon - a plant called cassia, or Chinese cinnamon tree (lat. Cinnamomum aromaticum) As the Latin name implies, this is a relative of real cinnamon, but the spice obtained from this plant has slightly different characteristics and is less valued than real cinnamon. In addition, the manufacturing technology of "Chinese cinnamon", or, as it is often called, "Indonesian cinnamon", is very different from the "Ceylon cinnamon", as the real cinnamon is called. The fact is that Chinese cinnamon is produced from the bark, which is cut from shoots of an older age, 8-9 years. In addition, they take not the inner layer, but the entire bark. The result is a product with a lower aroma and low quality. Most manufacturers honestly indicate the origin of the spice, and if you carefully read where the cinnamon was made, then you can not go wrong in choosing a quality product.

But cinnamon is not only a tasty and aromatic additive to many dishes, but also a very useful spice for the body. It contains many valuable vitamins and minerals, as well as coumarin, which reduces increased blood coagulation. Cinnamon helps lower blood sugar, improves metabolism and has an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effect.