Cinnamon

One of the oldest spices in the world is cinnamon. It was used in Ancient Egypt for embalming, in various religious ceremonies, and is now used in cuisines all over the globe, from Sweden (cinnamon rolls or ‘kanelbulle’) through the Middle East to India, and even Mexico (cinnamon hot chocolate and churros anyone?).

‘True’ cinnamon, from the tree Cinnamomum verum is also called Ceylon cinnamon and originates from Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon) and Myanmar. It is also widely cultivated in South America and the West Indies. There are other relatives of cinnamon, such as Cinnamomum cassia or cassia cinnamon, which is sold in powdered form as Dutch cinnamon… but there are differences in flavour that connoisseurs can pick. Cassia cinnamon originated in China and is more widely grown and easier to harvest, so is much cheaper and considered to be lesser quality.

The cinnamon spice comes from the bark of the tree. Branches or shoots are cut at ground level (called coppicing) and then the outer bark is removed as discarded and the inner bark is laboriously peeled off and then dried and curled to form ‘quills’. The high labour requirement, in both harvesting and growing the trees, is what makes good cinnamon so expensive. The finer the bark can be peeled, the better quality the cinnamon quill.

Even if you have no intentions of harvesting your own cinnamon, they are beautiful trees and well worth growing. They will grow in a large pot, or in the ground in warm climates. They can reach up to 15m in their natural environment but respond well to pruning and can easily be kept at 2-3m in a backyard. The leaves are a glossy dark green with distinct veins, and the new growth is a vibrant red and highly ornamental.