Cinnamon @museum.de

The term „Cinnamon“ refers to the spice, not to the tree. Cinnamon is obtained from two tree species, Canehl (also known as Ceylon) and Cassia. Cassia is cultivated in Vietnam, Indonesia and Japan, whereas Canehl grows in Sri Lanka - being named Ceylon until 1972 - and Madagaskar. Cassia and Canehl are the inner barks of the bushes/trees which is peeled off every six years. Despite the peeling, the tree stays alive and grows back, similar to cork.

Cinnamon is very healthy and registered as an official remedy in Germany, as it is used as natural remedy for type 2 diabetes. Additionally, cinnamon has a strengthening and calming impact on the stomach. Cinnamon has a mood boosting effect and promotes the blood circulation.

Some people associate cinnamon with Christmas, which is correct to some extent, as it is used extensively for baking of cookies. Yet if we think about rice pudding, cinnamon ice cream, muesli, porridge, pancakes and crêpes, we find that we love its sweet and at the same time astringent taste all over the year.

Cassia flowers are also called cinnamon cloves as they resemble cloves in both taste and looks.

As the name implies, Cassia Flowers grow on Cassia/Cinnamon trees. Their taste is diverse. Although a biologically single spice, cassia tastes like a mixture of cinnamon, clove, pepper and orange blossoms. Its scent resembles incense, tobacco and vanilla.

Freshly ground cassia Flowers smell sweet and astringent at the same time. Thus, they are an interesting component for the fine cuisine. They complement desserts as well as almost all meat dishes and go well in oriental rice dishes with many vegetables.

If you want to reduce sugar, try the following: replace your cinnamon sugar by ground cassia flowers, e. g. in rice pudding, porridge, muesli, on pancakes etc. They fit fresh fruits like apple slices very well. That way, you save lots of calories, and the appetite for something sweet is satisfied.

A tip for the spice mill: A mixture of different kinds of pepper with some cassia flower results in a refined spice for exotic fruit salads.