CINNAMON is a small evergreen tree that grows 10-15 metres tall, belonging to the family Lauraceae, native to Sri Lanka and Southern India. The bark is widely used as a spice. The leaves are ovate-oblong in shape, seven to eight centimetre long. The flowers, which are arranged in panicles, have a greenish colour and a rather disagreeable odour.
The best cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka. However, it is also grown commercially in Tellicerry in Java, Sumatra, the West Indies, Brazil, Vietnam, Madagascar, and Egypt. Sri Lanka cinnamon is of fine quality and has a very thin smooth bark, with a light-yellowish brown colour. It has highly fragrant odour, and a peculiarly sweet, warm and pleasing aromatic taste.
Cinnamon bark is widely used as a spice. It is principally used in cooking as a condiment and flavouring material. It is used a lot in the preparation of some kinds of desserts, chocolate, spicy candies and liqueurs. In the Middle East, it is often used in savoury dishes of chicken and lamb. However, in America, cinnamon and sugar are often used to flavour cereals and fruits, especially apples and apple flavoured cereal. It can also be used in pickling. In medicine, it acts like other volatile oils and once had a reputation as a cure for colds. It has also been used to treat diarrhoea and other problems of the digestive system.
