Spice of the Month – Cinnamon

Cinnamon Cinnamomum verum

My first memory of really loving this spice is when my dad bought me and my sister a packet of cinnamon tic-tacs back from his holiday in Egypt. They were amazing and if I were to find them again, I would buy out the shop! As you may have realised, I love cinnamon, it is my favourite spice. There isn’t a day when I don’t have it. I have so much of it that I tend not to notice it in smaller amounts anymore, though cinnamon lightly added to many dishes or bakes makes the recipe and brings out a little sweetness.

In the Kitchen

Cinnamon will enhance most recipes. It’s a warming, comforting, fragrant sweet spice that tastes lovely with honey and yoghurt, sprinkled over fresh chopped fruit (especially bananas), cooked with apples or pears - think of those lightly spices warm apple turnovers, or warming crumbles. It also works well with dried fruit such as figs, dates, raisins and sultanas, most nuts too, especially walnuts and pecans. A sprinkling over the top of porridge will enhance your breakfast or add it to overnight oat mixes. It is amazing in most bakes, cakes, scones, biscuits, especially good with chocolate. Cinnamon is used in garam masala mixes, mixed spice and chai spice blends. I always add a pinch (well, more than a pinch) to curries, beef stews or anything with mince. Add a teaspoon to your enchilada or fajita mix and always with a chilli con carne.

Cinnamon added to a hot chocolate or coffee is a warming winter drink. A mixture of cinnamon, turmeric and ginger makes an amazing combination which is just as good in warm milk, all perfect on a cold winter day. Just thinking about it makes me want one (in fact, I am standing here drinking my coffee with this holy trinity of spices in whilst writing this!).

It is a spice everyone thinks of at Christmas, but your use of cinnamon should extend to every month. There really isn’t much cinnamon doesn’t go with!

Origins

Cinnamon comes from the bark of a tree, a member of the Lauraceae (Laurel) family. The cinnamon family contains many members, and Cinnamomum verum is considered to be the true cinnamon. The spice cassia Cinnamomum cassia comes from the bark of a tree from another species within the same family. In America, much of the spices sold as ‘cinnamon’ are in fact cassia.

Both are ancient spices and were important part of the spice trade and highly prized. Cinnamomum verum (true cinnamon), is native to Sri Lanka and also cultivated in other tropical regions such as the Seychelles. Cinnamomum cassia, and its subspecies, are native to China, Indonesia and north-eastern India. Related species sold as cinnamon are native in many Asian countries, including Vietnam and Indonesia.

How to Use

True cinnamon can be bought ground or as sticks/quills (the bark), whereas cassia is usually bought pre-ground as the bark is harder to grind. Ground cinnamon is the bark that has been ground to powder.

Both cassia and cinnamon are used in a variety of sweet and savoury recipes. Cassia has a strong and spicy flavour and is most commonly used in baking recipes, but cinnamon has a more delicate, sweet and warming flavour and aroma. Some recipes may require both spices.

Whole quills/sticks of cinnamon can be used to flavour poaching liquid (especially for fruit) or to flavour milk and are traditionally used in mulled wine recipes. Cinnamon sticks can be used to flavour rice or added whole to curries and stews, though just remember to remove the stick before serving! Ground cinnamon can also be used in the same recipes. I often substitute bark for ground cinnamon as I always have ground in the house. They offer a similar result, though bark gives a more subtle flavour.

Fresher is obviously better so, if you don’t use a lot of it, buy small amounts at a time. We (meaning I…) get through so much that we buy 1kg bags, which doesn’t have much of a chance to deteriorate! Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.

Health Benefits

Cinnamon has some amazing health benefits (although don’t use this as an excuse to eat lots of cinnamon spiced biscuits!) and has been used in traditional medicine is Asia, India and Egypt. It is an astringent, stimulant, antiseptic and an antioxidant and good for relieving colds. It can also help ease nausea – try drinking some warm water with a cinnamon stick swirled in it. Cinnamon is known to reduce blood pressure and better control blood sugar management and has traditionally been used to soothe and improve digestion. There is also some evidence to suggest that eating one teaspoon of ground cinnamon every day can also help with cholesterol – I don’t need an excuse!

So go and try my mixed spice or chai spice recipes, both of which contain cinnamon, to add to your cakes and bakes this month, or make yourself a warming cinnamon spiced coffee. Whatever you do, make sure to use this spice throughout the year as it will enhance your recipes (and your life – I think!).