Cinnamon

Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum
that is used in both sweet and savoury foods. While Cinnamomum verum is sometimes considered
to be “true cinnamon”, most cinnamon in international commerce is derived from related species,
which are also referred to as “cassia” to distinguish them from “true cinnamon”.Cinnamon is the
name for perhaps a dozen species of trees and the commercial spice products that some of them
produce. All are members of the genus Cinnamomum in the family Lauraceae. Only a few of them are
grown commercially for spice.The flavour of cinnamon is due to an aromatic essential oil that makes
up 0.5 to 1% of its composition. This essential oil is prepared by roughly pounding the bark, macerating
it in sea water, and then quickly distilling the whole. It is of a golden-yellow colour, with the
characteristic odour of cinnamon and a very hot aromatic taste.Cinnamon bark is widely used as a spice.
It is principally employed in cookery as a condiment and flavouring material. It is used in the
preparation of chocolate, especially in Mexico, which is the main importer of cinnamon.It is also used
in many dessert recipes, such as apple pie, doughnuts, and cinnamon buns as well as spicy candies,
coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and liqueurs. In the Middle East, cinnamon is often used in savoury dishes of
chicken and lamb.