For a long time, I was not particularly discerning about my much used spice, cinnamon. In fact, I've been pretty clueless until recently. So get on the spice train with me and explore this beautiful and special spice.
Cinnamon Type | Variation | Characteristics | Uses | Additional |
Cassia | Saigon or Vietnamese | Fragrant, flavorful, sweet & slightly spicy | Desserts, cinnamon rolls | From Vietnam. Very high essential oil content |
Cassia | Royal | Intense sweetness and spiciness. Will transform your dish. | Desserts, pastries, baked goods | Heirloom variety of Saigon |
Cassia | Korintje or Indonesian | Bitter | Most common, good for beverages | From Sumatra |
Ceylon | Ceylon, Verum, or Mexican | Extremely mild flavor, delicate, with slight floral notes & citrusy aroma | Savory dishes, tomato sauces, curries | Often referred to a the 'real' cinnamon & scientific name in Latin means true. |
Your local supermarket stocks most of the variations, however, for quality, companies like Burlap and Barrel, The Spice House, and Penzeys Spices are excellent. Like certain oils (see my Oils blog article), cinnamon has a short shelf life of a few months for the Ceylon, Saigon, and Royal variations and should be purchased in small amounts.
Comments