Cinnamon: Encyclopedia II - Cinnamon - Uses

Cinnamon - Uses

Cinnamon bark is widely used as a spice. It is principally employed in cookery as a condiment and flavouring material, being largely used in the preparation of some kinds of desserts, chocolate and spicy candies and liqueurs. In the Middle East, it is often used in savory dishes of chicken and lamb. In America, cinnamon and sugar are often used to flavor cereals and fruits, especially apples. It can also be used in pickling. In medicine it acts like other volatile oils and once had a reputation as a "cure" for colds. It has also been used to treat diarrhea and other problems of the digestive system [1].

Cinnamon is high in antioxidant activity [2] [3]. The essential oil of cinnamon also has antimicrobial properties [4]. This property may allow cinnamon to extend the shelf life of foods.

In the media, "cinnamon" has been reported to have remarkable pharmacological effects in the treatment of type II diabetes. However, the plant material used in the study [5] was actually Cassia, as opposed to true cinnamon. The confusion in nomenclature is described below. Please refer to Cassia's health issues for more information about its health benefits.

Cinnamon - Cinnamon and cassia

The name cinnamon is correctly used to refer to Ceylon Cinnamon, also known as "true cinnamon" (from the botanical name C. verum). However, the related species Cassia (Cinnamomum aromaticum) is sometimes sold labeled as cinnamon, distinguished from true cinnamon as "Indonesian cinnamon" or "Bastard cinnamon". Ceylon cinnamon, using only the thin inner bark, has a finer, less dense and more crumbly texture, and is considered to be a stronger and more pungent spice. Cassia is generally a medium to dark reddish brown, and as the whole bark is used, is thicker (2-3 mm thick) and hard and woody in texture. Most of the cinnamon sold in supermarkets in the United States is actually cassia.

The two barks when whole are easily distinguished, and their microscopic characteristics are also quite distinct. When powdered bark is treated with tincture of iodine (a test for starch), little effect is visible in the case of pure cinnamon of good quality, but when cassia is present a deep-blue tint is produced, the intensity of the coloration depending on the proportion of cassia.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Uses", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki