Spicy, tart and somewhat sweet – the unique aroma of cinnamon accompanies us especially during the Christmas season. Cinnamon is not only one of the oldest spices, but was already used in ancient times for its healing properties and for embalming. Today, cinnamon is appreciated, among other things, for its effect on the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, it is said to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and thus be able to protect the heart. But cinnamon can also be harmful to health. We have compiled for you both the health benefits and the disadvantages of cinnamon.
Cinnamon – an exotic spice.
Cinnamon stars and speculoos, mulled wine and punch: the unmistakable taste and scent of cinnamon accompany us especially through the winter. Something warming clings to him, a touch of exoticism, even a pinch of adventure. While it used to be a sign of exclusivity and power if you could afford this spice, today cinnamon is affordable for the ordinary wallet.
We now know that it neither grows at the bottom of lakes (as Herodotus still believed in 450 BC), nor – as was propagated in Arabia – is it collected by cinnamon birds in their nests, which have to be shot down by brave hunters with bows and arrows. Even the medieval fantasy that cinnamon washed directly from paradise into the floods of the Nile and captured there by industrious fishermen has been replaced today by the knowledge of which type of cinnamon thrives in which country. Nevertheless: the beguiling fragrance and incomparable taste still have something magical, awakening a sense of wealth and foreign worlds.
The cinnamon plant
That with which we spice our gingerbread is nothing other than tree bark. Admittedly, this must be obtained in a special way. There are two types of cinnamon trees:
- The Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), which is also called Caneel and comes mainly from Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), and.
- The Cassia cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia), which is originally grown in China, now also in Vietnam, Indonesia and Sumatra.
Ceylon cinnamon is more fragrant and sweet, Cassia cinnamon has more of a strong, spicy character. While the Ceylon cinnamon is attributed various positive effects on health, the more favorable Cassia cinnamon can sometimes even have a negative impact on health.
Extraction of cinnamon
The extraction of Ceylon cinnamon requires some work: since the bark is only peeled off the tender root shoots, the trees are kept short by constant cutting and the rootstocks are stimulated to keep sprouting new offshoots.
The cassia cinnamon tree, on the other hand, is allowed to grow out and is harvested for the first time after four years. To get to the tender inner bark, which is only millimeters thick, the bark and middle bark are removed; the inner bark is peeled, rolls up by itself and is dried.
Things to know about cinnamon
This is cinnamon from a botanical point of view:
- Species: Cinnamomum verum, Cinnamomum cassia (+ other 350).
- Genus: Cinnamomum
- Family: Laurel family (Lauraceae)
- Order: laurel family (Laurales)
- Subclass: Magnolia-like (Magnoliidae).
- Class: monocotyledonous pollen dicotyledons (Magnoliopsida).
- Division: angiosperms (Magnoliophyta).
Incidentally, the camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora), known for its essential oil in cold balms, also belongs to the genus of cinnamon plants.
What is in cinnamon, what makes it so healthy and why it can also harm health, you will learn below.
