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Cinnamon stick

Bark and pods

Cinnamon stick

Cinnamomum verum / C. cassia

Rolled quill of dried cinnamon bark, infused whole in hot fat, rice, curries and drinks, then removed.

Also called: cinnamon quill, cassia bark, whole cinnamon

  • Warm & sweet
  • No heat
Buying & storing29 recipes

Photo: Simon A. Eugster, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

Flavour and aroma

sweet, warm, woody.

Heat
No heat
Forms
whole, ground

How to use it

  • bloom in fat · Tadka (tempering) technique

    Fry a 2–5 cm piece in hot ghee or oil for 20–30 seconds, until it unfurls slightly and smells sweet, before adding onions or rice.

  • dry roast · Spice roasting (dry-roasting) technique

    Break into pieces and roast with other whole spices over low heat for 1–2 minutes before grinding garam masala.

  • Fried with cloves and cardamom in ghee for pulao and biryani
  • Simmered in curries, tagines and stews
  • Chai, mulled wine and syrups
  • Poaching fruit and rice pudding

Identifying good quality

True cinnamon: thin, papery, tan, many layers rolled into a fragile quill that crumbles. Cassia: a single thick, hard, reddish-brown curl with a stronger, more pungent flavour.

  • Not to be confused with Bay leaves: Indian bay leaf (tej patta) comes from a related tree and smells faintly of cinnamon.

Origin and history

Origin: True cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) is native to Sri Lanka; cassia (C. cassia) to southern China.. Grown and used: Sri Lanka grows most true cinnamon; cassia comes from China, Indonesia and Vietnam. Much 'dalchini' sold in India is cassia..

Sri Lankan cinnamon was traded for centuries and its trade was controlled in turn by the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British. In South Asia the bark is a base of garam masala and is fried whole in ghee for pulao, biryani and meat curries.

Well documented

In masalas, pastes and sauces

Recipes with cinnamon stick