The Daily Ingredient: Cinnamon

photo by: Luc Viatour

The grand spice of cinnamon gives our lives so much flavor. Be it the spice to our sweet, or the zing to our savory, many of our favorite dishes just can’t be done without cinnamon. Cinnamon has a long and rich history as a spice in many different foods and cultures.

History of Cinnamon
In the beginning there was Moses, using Cinnamon in holy rituals. Then crusaders brought back stories of cinnamon being fished up in nets at the source of the Nile at the end of the world. It was one of those type of things that was really hard to get, and its origin known only by a few, who kept the secret to protect their businesses.

When cinnamon was first brought into Europe through the spice trade, wild stories where invented on how the merchants actually got the cinnamon. They would create these elaborate far off dangerous lands that required a lot of work and bravery to traverse. Or of cinnamon birds who built nests out of cinnamon sticks. Arabian men would have to climb up tall trees and fight with these birds just to get a few pieces of the precious spice.

In reality cinnamon was growing in plentiful amounts in Sri Lanka, and today that is still where most of the world’s cinnamon is grown.

Cinnamon Today
Cinnamon is a spice used around the world today, in nearly every society. It is harvested from trees up to 35 feet tall using a method that has been used for centuries. The roots are cropped, and during the next growing season shoots sprout up from these roots. The shoots are cut, the bark removed, and what is left is dried out and ready to be used.

Mexico is the world’s top importer of cinnamon, and it shows in their food. Almost any Mexican dish that uses chocolate will include hefty dusting with cinnamon as do most of their desserts. It is used in the United State for many different types of dishes, including the patriotic apple pie.

It is utilized in the health sector for its antioxidant content and its reputation for reducing stress.Studies have shown that taking cinnamon can help with type 2 diabetes (read more here) and high cholesterol.

Cooking with Cinnamon
Cinnamon can be used in a wide variety of dishes from sweet to savory.

Savory Cooking: Cinnamon is used in venison (like in this Spice Venison Casserole), beef (like in this Cinnamon Beef) , and chicken  (like in this Greek Chicken) dishes, as well as many middle eastern and Indian curries (like in this Indian Pilaf).

Sweet Cooking: From crispy treats (like these Cinnamon Sugar Crisps) to soft chewy cinnamon rolls (like Alton Brown makes) cinnamon is a great way to add complex spice to your sweets. Snicker doodles are a variation of the sugar cookie that includes cinnamon and is geared toward pleasing the adult palet with more flavor layers than the sugar cookie.

Substitutions: Cassia is often sold labeled as cinnamon but has a sweeter taste and comes from a completely different plant. It is usually lighter in color than real cinnamon. Nutmeg, cloves, ginger, allspice, and cardamom can sometimes be used to make up for the spice, but none of those are quite cinnamon. In most recipes, if you need cinnamon, its a good idea to find some.

Storage: Cinnamon goes stale quickly so your best bet is to buy small amounts. It’s the type of spice that a little goes a long way, and the fresher your cinnamon, the better the taste. Sticks can be stored in a air tight container someplace cool and away from sunlight.

Cinnamon gives us a spice to life that you really just can’t find anywhere else. Now get cooking!