Cinnamon

Description

The term cinnamon denotes an exotic spice consisting of the bark, of characteristic reddish-brown colour, of two plant species, both belonging to the genus Cinnamomum. Cinnamomum zeylanicum is an evergreen tree that grows wild in Ceylon and is cultivated throughout tropical Asia. Cinnamon is the bark of branches about three years old, which rolls up as it dries. It is very thin, highly fragile, smooth on the surface and darker on the inside. Cinnamomum cassia is an imposing tree native to China and South-East Asia; the cinnamon obtained from the bark of its young branches has a rough surface, is more than a millimetre thick, greyish on the outside and less strongly aromatic than Ceylon cinnamon

Leaves

The leaves of C. zeylanicum are leathery, opposite, ovate, on average about a dozen centimetres long; those of Chinese cinnamon are distinctly pointed.

Flowers

The flowers of Ceylon cinnamon are small, white, gathered in panicles.

Exposure

Yarrow loves the sun, but also tolerates a position in half shade, provided the soil is well drained.

Propagation

These plants are propagated by seed, by cuttings or by division.

Growth

The ideal substrate for cinnamon is sand, which should not be mixed with anything else; cinnamon plants should be kept sheltered from the wind, as they are sensitive to changes in temperature.

Harvesting

The inner part of the bark of young branches is used, after the cork has been removed and it has been dried.

Storage

Cinnamon sticks keep for a long time provided they are kept in airtight jars away from moisture, light and heat.

Properties

IN THE KITCHEN: Thanks to its strong, pleasant aroma, cinnamon, after being ground to a powder, is used in cooking to flavour stewed fruit, puddings, tea and mulled wine.

Beauty

Cinnamon has a stimulating effect on digestion; for this purpose a piece of cinnamon weighing about ten grams and the same amount of cloves are boiled for three minutes in about a third of a litre of strong, preferably aged wine, then everything is strained and two or three tablespoons of sugar are added to the strained liquid.

Health

Ceylon cinnamon, the more prized, is a medicinal plant, whereas cassia, or Chinese cinnamon, is not. Ceylon cinnamon acts as a stimulant of the nervous system, so it speeds up the heartbeat and breathing; uncontrolled consumption can bring on a convulsive state. It also has an antiseptic and carminative function, that is, it promotes the elimination and absorption of intestinal gases.

Curiosity

Cinnamon seems to be one of the spices used since the most remote times: the Chinese maintain that in their country it was already in use in 2700 BC; it is mentioned in the Old Testament, specifically in the Song of Songs.