What Is Cinnamon?
Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of trees of the genus Cinnamomum in the laurel family (Lauraceae), and two distinct types share the trade name: true Ceylon cinnamon, Cinnamomum verum (or C. zeylanicum) from Sri Lanka, and cassia, which covers Chinese cassia Cinnamomum cassia, Indonesian C. burmannii and Vietnamese (Saigon) C. loureiroi. The part used is the bark, scraped of its outer layer and dried so that it curls into sticks. It is qirfa in Egypt, the Gulf and the Levant, darseen in Iraq and parts of the Gulf and Syria, and Ceylon cinnamon or sweet cinnamon for the true type. The pharaohs recorded it in embalming recipes, and it was among the costliest goods of the Arab merchants who monopolised its route for centuries. Today it is the spice of both sweet and savoury in our kitchens: kabsa, stuffed vegetables, kunafa, sahlab and the beloved winter drink of cinnamon with milk.
Types, Varieties and Origins
Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks Authentic Grade 1
From the south-western districts of Sri Lanka, hand-peeled into paper-thin layers rolled inside one another to form multi-layered quills of a light golden brown. The Sri Lankan grading system classifies them as Alba (the finest, 6 mm diameter), Continental C5 and C4, Mexican M5 and M4, and Hamburg H1 and H2. The flavour is delicate, sweet and floral with hints of citrus and clove, the heat mild and the coumarin very low, making it the first choice for sweets, drinks and daily consumption.
Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks Grade 2
Slightly thicker quills or quillings (broken pieces) from the same tree, with the same flavour at a better price for cooking and grinding.
Chinese Cassia
From Guangxi and Guangdong provinces: thick, hard bark curling from both sides, dark reddish brown, with a strong, hot-sweet, direct flavour and oil rich in cinnamaldehyde. This is the common cinnamon of Arab markets, spice blends and kabsa.
Indonesian Cassia (Korintje)
From Sumatra (the Kerinci region): relatively smooth sticks of reddish brown with a balanced, sweet, warm flavour less sharp than Chinese and higher in coumarin; the most widely used cinnamon in American baking and the food industry, graded KA, KB and KC.
Vietnamese (Saigon) Cassia
From the central highlands of Vietnam, the highest in volatile oil (4 to 6 %) and cinnamaldehyde of all types, with an intensely concentrated hot-sweet flavour and also the highest coumarin. It is used in smaller amounts and gives the strongest taste in desserts and hot drinks.
| Variety | Origin | Character | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| True Ceylon | Sri Lanka | Thin brittle layers, delicate sweet floral, very low coumarin | Sweets, drinks, daily use |
| Chinese cassia | Guangxi, China | Thick hard, strong hot-sweet | Kabsa, spice blends, meats |
| Indonesian cassia | Sumatra, Indonesia | Balanced sweet warm | Baking, food manufacturing |
| Vietnamese cassia | Central Vietnam | Highest oil and flavour, concentrated hot-sweet | Desserts and hot drinks in small amounts |
Quality Standards and Grades
The international standard ISO 6539 covers Ceylon cinnamon and Chinese, Indonesian and Vietnamese cassia (whole and ground) and sets moisture, volatile oil and ash limits. The Sri Lanka Export Development Board applies the Alba, C5, C4, M5 and H1 grading by quill diameter, layer count and colour, and ASTA, ESA and the Egyptian Standard apply too. The most important modern regulatory issue is coumarin: the European Union limits it under Regulation 1334/2008 to 50 mg/kg in traditional seasonal baked goods and 15 mg/kg in ordinary baked goods, and the European Food Safety Authority set a tolerable daily intake of 0.1 mg per kg of body weight. The figures below reflect trade practice and some are typical rather than mandatory.
| Parameter | Ceylon | Cassia |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture | ≤ 12 % | ≤ 12 % (ISO 6539) |
| Volatile oil | ≥ 1.0 ml/100 g (typically 1 to 2 %) | ≥ 1.5 ml/100 g Chinese; Vietnamese 4 to 6 % |
| Cinnamaldehyde in oil | 50 to 75 % | 75 to 90 % |
| Eugenol in oil | 2 to 10 % (gives the clove note) | Trace |
| Coumarin | ≤ 0.02 % (typically 8 to 50 mg/kg) | 0.1 to 1 % (typically 1,000 to 10,000 mg/kg) |
| Total ash | ≤ 5 % | ≤ 7 % |
| Quill diameter (grades) | Alba 6 mm, C5 10 mm, C4 13 mm, M5 16 mm, H1 thicker | By bark thickness |
| Extraneous matter | ≤ 1 % | ≤ 1 % |
Sensory assessment. A Ceylon quill is thin, made of many papery layers that crumble easily between the fingers, uniformly light brown, with a delicate sweet scent. A cassia stick is thick and hard, cannot be broken by hand, curls from both sides, is dark red and smells sharp and strong. Ground: Ceylon is light golden brown with a gentle aroma, cassia dark reddish brown and pungent. A simple test: sprinkle a little ground cinnamon on water; genuine cinnamon floats and spreads slowly, while cinnamon cut with flour or sawdust sinks or clumps.
Whole Sticks versus Ground, and Processing
Whole sticks keep their oil for 2 to 3 years, ground for 6 to 12 months. In Sri Lanka the bark is hand-peeled within hours of cutting the young shoots, dried in shade and then sun, and rolled into quills traditionally 42 inches long before cutting. Cassia bark is thick, scraped and dried without fine rolling. Whole sticks go into broths, rice and drinks and are removed before serving; ground cinnamon goes into sweets, doughs and blends. Light toasting of sticks deepens the flavour in kabsa and biryani spice. Industrially the bark is milled with cooling to preserve cinnamaldehyde and steam sterilised.
Culinary Uses
- Egypt: in rice pudding, sahlab, kunafa, basbousa and zalabya, the winter drinks of cinnamon with milk and cinnamon with ginger, and in mahshi and fatta spice, meat broth and whole sticks with kawareh.
- Iraq: darseen in biryani, timman, Mosul kibbeh, dolma, kleicha, geymar with date syrup and hot cinnamon milk.
- Levant: in kibbeh and shish barak spice, moghrabieh, ma'amoul, Eid ka'ak, meghli, sahlab and the Levantine cinnamon drink.
- Gulf: in kabsa, machboos, mandi, harees, aseeda, luqaimat, Arabic coffee (with cardamom) and karak tea.
Dosage: one whole stick (about 5 g) per kilogram of rice or meat, or half to one teaspoon of ground (1 to 2.5 g); halve the amount with Vietnamese. It pairs with cardamom, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, dates, honey, apples, milk and red meat.
Storage and Shelf Life
Keep sticks in a sealed container away from light and humidity and they last 2 to 3 years. Ground cinnamon loses its aroma within 6 to 12 months, so buy it in small quantities. Thin Ceylon quills are more sensitive to humidity and crumble easily, so keep them in a rigid container. Do not store cinnamon near strong spices such as cumin, since the bark absorbs odours.
Traditional and Health Uses
In traditional Arab medicine cinnamon is used to warm the body, stimulate circulation, ease menstrual pain, colds and digestion, and is drunk boiled with milk or ginger. Modern studies have examined cinnamon for blood sugar control and antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, with promising but inconclusive results. Note that cassia is rich in coumarin, which can strain the liver with prolonged daily excess, so Ceylon is preferable for those who consume cinnamon daily in large amounts, and caution is advised in pregnancy and with diabetes and blood-thinning medication.
The Sheikh Al-Attareen Range
- Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks Authentic Grade 1
- Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks Grade 2
- Ceylon Cinnamon Ground Fine
- Cassia Cinnamon Sticks Chinese
- Cassia Cinnamon Sticks Indonesian
- Cassia Cinnamon Sticks Vietnamese
- Cassia Cinnamon Ground
- Certified Organic Cinnamon
- Organic Cinnamon 100 g
We import Ceylon cinnamon from Sri Lanka in its certified grades and cassia from China, Indonesia and Vietnam with certificates of analysis covering volatile oil and coumarin, and test every lot in our Mansoura laboratory for moisture, thickness and colour, aroma strength, freedom from mould and impurities, and microbiological safety, then grind in small batches and pack in sealed containers, clearly labelling Ceylon and cassia on every pack. The products are available in our branches in Egypt, Iraq (Baghdad and Erbil) and Syria (Homs), and through our online store.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I tell Ceylon cinnamon from cassia?
Ceylon quills are thin, multi-layered and papery, crumble by hand, are light brown and smell delicately sweet; cassia sticks are thick and hard, curl from both sides, are dark red and smell sharp and strong. In the laboratory coumarin settles it: very low in Ceylon, high in cassia.
Is cassia harmful?
Not in the amounts normally used in cooking, but it is rich in coumarin, so spoonfuls every day over long periods are not advisable. For anyone who takes cinnamon daily as a drink or supplement, Ceylon is the better choice.
Which is better for kabsa and savoury cooking?
Chinese or Indonesian cassia gives the strength and warmth needed in kabsa, biryani and meats, while Ceylon is gentler and preferred for sweets, drinks and delicate dishes.
Why does ground cinnamon float on water?
Its bark is light and rich in oils that repel water, so it stays on the surface and spreads slowly. This is a rough home test for adulteration with flour or starch, which sink or clump, but it does not replace laboratory analysis.