CINNAMON (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)

Cinnamon comes from a small, laurel-like evergreen. The spice itself is the bark, which is harvested during the rainy season, dried, and rolled into long scroll-shaped sticks called "quills." Cinnamon "sticks" are made by cutting the quills into shorter lengths. Broken pieces of quills are called "chips" and are sold to be ground. There are actually two varieties of the spice, both sold here as "cinnamon." Ceylon cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka and India and is a pale tan color with a very mild but pleasant aroma and flavor. Cassia cinnamon comes from India, Indonesia, China, Taiwan and Vietnam. It is graded according to its essential oil content and the higher grades are intensely fragrant, sweet and complex. Cinnamon oil is obtained by distilling shoots and low-grade bark.

The history of cinnamon goes back thousands of years. Sanskrit and Chinese herbals dating almost 3,000 BC include its mention, and the Egyptians imported the spice from the East almost a thousand years later. It came to be used in savory dishes, particularly meats, and was one of the essential spices used to mask spoilage. Many tropical and subtropical countries relied on cinnamon, as well as other spices-a tradition that the advent of modern refrigeration has done nothing to change. Cinnamon was first brought into Europe by Arab and Phoenician traders, via the "Silk Road", as well as by sea. The ancient Greeks and Romans treasured it despite its cost and the Romans believed its scent was sacred. To please the gods, Nero reportedly burned a year's supply of cinnamon during his wife's funeral. Cinnamon was largely lost to Europe between the collapse of the Roman Empire and the time of the Crusades, when a limited quantity returned with the Crusaders. It was one of the key spices sought by the oceanic explorers of the 15th and 16th centuries and, after they discovered the Spice Islands, cinnamon again became one of most widely-used spices in Europe. Cinnamon is still popular throughout the world today. It is the most important "sweet" spice used in both baking and in savory dishes from the Near and Middle East to Mexico. Consumption in the U.S. alone has risen 6.5 million pounds in a single decade.

Cinnamon is used by some as a remedy for appetite loss, bronchitis, colds, coughs, fever, indigestion, sore throat, infection, and to increase circulation, lower blood pressure, or as a sedative. Cinnamon oil is used mostly as a flavoring in medicines, but may be used also as an astringent or to relieve excess gas in the stomach or intestines. Cinnamon is a powerful antiseptic that kills many disease-causing bacteria. Recent research has demonstrated that certain spices-namely, cinnamon, nutmeg and turmeric-help the body use insulin more efficiently. Caution: Do not use cinnamon for medicinal purposes while pregnant, as it stimulates the uterus.
Ground cinnamon starts to lose its flavor when the essential oils begin to dissipate after grinding. Color and flavor can also fade when exposed to light. Store it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place and use it within the year.

A pinch of ground cinnamon will enhance most meat stews, especially those made with lamb. It's also good in stuffings for duck or goose, or in any stuffing made with dried fruit such as apricots or prunes, and is delicious on buttered acorn squash or sweet potatoes. Cinnamon sticks are useful for flavoring hot drinks, such as mulled wine, chocolate, and coffee. "Cinnamon men" may be made by mixing equal parts of cinnamon and applesauce, resulting in a stiff batter. Roll out the batter, cut out the figures (including holes in the heads from which to hang them), decorate, and let them dry four days.

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