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Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks
Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks, Cinnamomum verum, are also called Ceylon cinnamon, canela cinnamon sticks, or canela sticks.Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks have an essential oil of .5% - 2.0%.
There are approximately four (4), 3” sticks per ounce.
What Are Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks
Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks have a soft and flaky bark that is lighter in color than Cassia Cinnamon, which is more familiar to a majority of Americans. Ceylon Cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), and Ceylon is the preferred cinnamon in England and Mexico. Also known as canela, true or real cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon is usually sold in quill form.The original botanical name for this tree, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, is derived from Sri Lanka's former name, Ceylon.
History of Ceylon Cinnamon
Ceylon Cinnamon originated in the central highland rain forests of Ceylon (modern day Sri Lanka) where several other varieties of cinnamon also grow in much smaller quantities. Sri Lanka is located just southeast of India. Cinnamon was one of the first known spices dating back to remote antiquity. It was imported to Egypt as early as 2000 BC but that cinnamon may have been cassia cinnamon from China. From the Ptolemaic Kingdom (305 BC - 30 BC) onward, Ancient Egyptian recipes for kyphi, an aromatic used for burning, included cinnamon and cassia.During Medieval times (500 AD - 1500 AD), practitioners of medicine would use cinnamon to treat coughs, hoarseness, and sore throats. During this time period, cinnamon was also one of the spices used to preserve meat, alongside black pepper.
The Persian physician, astronomer, geographer and writer of Arab ancestry, Zakariya al-Qazwini wrote the first mention of Ceylon Cinnamon in his book Monument of Places and History of God's Bondsmen written around 1270. Because of its popularity, cinnamon crops were heavily guarded and kept secret by Arab traders who knew much more about it than the average person. They spread stories about giant, violent birds making their nests from cinnamon sticks and how many a great man had lost his life in the hunt for cinnamon. The story was that the only way you could get to the cinnamon sticks was to lure the birds away from their nests with giant hunks of meat, which the birds would take back to their nest and if you were lucky, chunks of the nest would fall from its tree and you might be able to gather up a few quills. These tall tales largely kept people away from searching for the location of cinnamon trees and helped the Arab spice merchants keep their monopoly on the spice trade in general until around the 1500s.
In the early part of the 1500s, Queen Isabella of Spain commissioned several explorers to find sea routes to bring spices back to Spain. Some of these explorers were Christopher Columbus and Gonzalo Pizzaro, both of whom were unable to find cinnamon, as they managed to travel in the wrong direction and landed in the New World in the west instead of finding India in the east.
It was in the 1510s that Portuguese traders found Ceylon Cinnamon for themselves. They ended up making a deal with the Kingdom of Kotte to import Ceylon Cinnamon to allow the Portuguese to control the Ceylon Cinnamon supply. By 1659, the Portuguese had been expelled from the coastal regions of Ceylon, after they were challenged by a huge competitor in the spice market, the Dutch East India Company, securing for it the monopoly over cinnamon. Quickly cinnamon became the most profitable spice for this company. One Dutch captain is said to have stated that you could smell cinnamon eight leagues away from the island of Ceylon. The British eventually took over the trade from the Dutch in the 1700s, but by the 1800s, cassia cinnamon was becoming more popular as it was less costly, so the heated demand for Ceylon Cinnamon eventually crumbled.
Ceylon Cinnamon Cultivation
The majority of the Ceylon Cinnamon commercial cultivation is done along the farthest southwestern coastal belt of Sri Lanka. Under natural conditions, the tree reaches a height of 30-50 feet with a girth of 20-30 inches. The tree produces flowers that are small, and creamy colored, maturing into dark purple berries, about .6 - 1.0" long. The tree can grow in a variety of different soil types from semi-dry to wet zone conditions and does best with annual rainfall of 75-150 inches. It is considered a forest tree and thrives in areas 1000 - 1150 feet above sea level.The bulk of the country's cinnamon plantations are between 70 - 80 years old. New trees will attain maturity in about 2 to 2 ½ years of age and other shoots emerged after harvesting will reach maturity in 18 months time. On a well-managed plantation, harvesting can be done twice in a year.
Harvesters are highly skilled workers, as peeling cinnamon bark requires a great understanding of the tree and the bark itself. Harvesting incorrectly can damage the tree or make it unable to produce more bark, essentially killing the crop. At harvesting the tops and branches are removed and the remaining sticks are moved to the peeling shed. First outer corky tissues are scraped, and then peelers rub a brass rod for bark to be loosened from the hard wood. The Peeling is done with a special small round knife. The resulting quills are air dried for 4 – 7 days.
90% of Ceylon Cinnamon is grown in Sri Lanka, but it is also cultivated in Mexico, South America, Madagascar, India, and on an island east of Africa and the north of Madagascar called Seychelles.
Where Is Our Ceylon Cinnamon From
Sri LankaWhat Does Ceylon Cinnamon Taste Like
Deeply complex, subtly sweet flavor reminiscent of citrus and cloves, with a nice warmth.What Is the Difference between Cinnamon and Ceylon Cinnamon
Cinnamon falls into one of two primary categories: Ceylon Cinnamon and Cassia Cinnamon. There are numerous similarities betwee the two. Both are harvested from the bark of a tree into a form that curls, known as sticks or quills. Both are used in cooking either ground or as whole quills.Ceylon Cinnamon, also called true cinnamon or canela, is the more expensive and a harder to find type of cinnamon. Ceylon has a lighter, sweeter flavor than Cassia and is the preferred type of cinnamon in Europe and Mexico.
Cassia Cinnamon is what most Americans have in their spice cabinets and what is found in most grocery stores across the country. There are three primary types of cassia cinnamon — Indonesian, Vietnamese (sometimes referred to as Saigon), and Chinese — all with different levels of flavor, price points and availability. Indonesian cassia is the sweetest and most mild of the cassia cinnamons, and is the most common in America. Vietnamese cassia, is the most flavorful and is the preferred choice for cassia cinnamon afficanados. Chinese cassia has a strong, bitter flavor, very little demand, and a very limited supply.
The “best” type of cinnamon depends on the flavor profile you are trying to obtain. Ceylon is the choice if you want cinnamon that’s delicate, with a citrusy-floral aspect to lighten the woodsy notes or if you're making a traditional Mexican dish. Ceylon cinnamon is also the easiest to grind, if you want to do that at home. Chinese Cassia cinnamon has straightforward, up-front cinnamon flavor. Vietnamese cinnamon is bold and more aggressive and is often preferred if you are making cider, or baking cookies. Indonesian cinnamon is the sweetest and most approachable of the Cassia varieties and would be used if you will be making a savory Thai curry.
How Do You Use Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks
Ceylon Cinnamon is used frequently in English, Central American, Mexican, South American, and South Asian cooking. Throughout Europe and Mexico, Ceylon Cinnamon is the preferred cinnamon while in the United States, we tend to prefer cassia. In English cooking, Ceylon is found in sweeter dishes like fruitcakes, pastries, and stewed fruits. In Sri Lanka, it is a key spice for fiery hot dishes and in biryani. In Latin America, it's found in chocolate beverages and in Mexico it can be found in a variety of moles.Cinnamon has been one of the most popular baking spices in many cultures for hundreds of years. Ceylon Cinnamon has a delicate, yet intense flavor that is ideally suited for breads, cookies, cakes, ice cream, pastries, cottage cheese and we also enjoy it in our morning oatmeal. Cinnamon Sticks are a terrific complement to hot drinks like cider, chai, tea, coffee and cocoa.
This cinnamon works best in recipes where there are not a lot of competing flavors, as it is a more delicate, nuanced, and complex flavor. It's favored for ice cream, custard, and pudding recipes. Try it with fruits like pears, apples, blueberries, cherries, and oranges.
It goes well with vegetables like carrots, onions, spinach, butternut squash, or parsnips.
Ceylon Cinnamon pairs well with allspice, black pepper, cardamom, cloves, ginger and nutmeg.
What Is a Substitute for Ceylon Cinnamon
You can substitute Ceylon Cinnamon for Cassia Cinnamon at a 1:1 ratio for any recipe, but beware that they do not share the same flavor profile so you may be in for a surprise! Cassia cinnamon is a little more intense than Ceylon and is often described as being the spicier of the two.One 3" stick = 1/2 teaspoon ground Ceylon Cinnamon.
| Ingredients | Ceylon cinnamon |
| Also Called | Ceylon cinnamon, canela cinnamon sticks, or canela sticks |
| Recommended Uses | Use in biryani, breads, cakes, cookies, curries, fruitcakes, ice cream, moles, oatmeal, pastries, puddings, and stewed fruits |
| Flavor Profile | Deeply complex, subtly sweet flavor reminiscent of citrus and cloves, with a nice warmth |
| Oil Content | .5% - 2.0% |
| Botanical Name | Cinnamomum verum |
| Cuisine | English, Central American, Mexican, South American, and South Asian |
| How To Store | Airtight container in a cool, dark place |
| Shelf Life | 1-2 years |
| Country of Origin | Sri Lanka |
| Dietary Preferences | Gluten Free, Kosher, Non-GMO |
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