Botanical name - Cinnamomum zeylanicum
Country of Origin - Indonesia
Cinnamon is one of the world's most popular spices for baking. It is commonly found in cinnamon buns, cinnamon cookies, apple, and pumpkin pie. One of the most popular recipes is cinnamon raisin bread. Cinnamon is a must for baking, but it can also be used in other dishes as well. Adding cinnamon to sweet potatoes or acorn squash can really give it a zing. At breakfast, oatmeal generally benefits from a dash of cinnamon. Today the spice is found in recipes for many sauces and stews.
There are two choices for the spice in the kitchen, cinnamon sticks or powdered cinnamon. Sticks (or quills as they are called) from the Cassia plant will be difficult to grind. The flavour is usually extracted by boiling or some other means. However, true sweet cinnamon from the original Zeylanicum trees (see above) found in Sri Lanka will grind up more easily when purchased in quill form.
Storing cinnamon in the kitchen is easy. Sticks will remain useable for a very long time, several years in fact. Ground cinnamon, however, will lose it’s flavour over time (2-3 years if stored well). Store it in a tight container and put it in a cool, dry place. Make sure it is away from light, heat, and humidity.