Cinnamon Trees
Cinnamon, one of the world's most popular spices, is created from the bark of the Cinnamomum tree.
BRIT Collections
Botanical Research Institute of Texas | Fort Worth Botanic Garden
Plant specimen (2007-12-27) by PeripitusBRIT Collections
The Cinnamomum genus contains numerous species, two of which are the main varieties for cinnamon production, Ceylon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum or Cinnamomum verum), and Cassia (Cinnamomum aromaticum or Cinnamomum cassia).
Ceylon is also known as "true cinnamon", and Cassia is also known as "Chinese cinnamon". There are several more subspecies of Cinnamomum such as Cinnamomum camphora.
"The term Cinnamomum is derived from the Greek root kinnamon or kinnamomon meaning sweet wood, " (Ravindran P.N., Babu K.N., & Shylaja, M., 2005).
Plant specimen (2016-05-30) by Krzysztof Ziarnek, KenraizBRIT Collections
Cinnamomum glanduliferum
Cinnamon is enjoyed and used throughout the world, but four countries are responsible for 99% of its production. Though it is native to Sri Lanka, Burma, and India, the top four top countries of production are Indonesia (43%), China, (33%), Vietnam (15%), and Sri Lanka (8%).
Plant specimen (2011-03-13) by Charles Allen, Patricia Lewis, and David LewisBRIT Collections
Cinnamomum camphora specimen
As of 2017, Indonesia produces over 90,000 tonnes (worth $85 million) of cinnamon annually. Almost all of the cinnamon produced in Indonesia comes from Mount Kerinci in Sumatra.
Plant specimen (1977-09-21) by R. Dale Thomas, David Moreland, Kirk Cormier, and Andrew ScurriaBRIT Collections
China produces over 70,000 tonnes of Cassia cinnamon annually, mainly in the Guangdong, Guanxi, Yunnan, and Fujian provinces.
Plant specimen (1992-05-22) by A. Rinehart, H. Manner, and B. BorelliBRIT Collections
Cinnamomum carolinense specimen
Vietnam produces over 30,000 tonnes of mainly Saigon cinnamon, which is closely related to Cassia cinnamon. Lastly, Sri Lanka produces over 15,000 tonnes of cinnamon annually, which is boasted to be some of the best quality cinnamon in the world.
Plant specimen (2016-10-29) by Afifa AfrinBRIT Collections
Cinnamomum zeylanicum
Cinnamomum species are small evergreen trees that are part of Lauraceae, the laurel family. The bark of the tree is dark brown/burgundy in color and is pleasantly aromatic. In contrast, the tree's star-shaped flowers are cream-yellow in color and have an unpleasant aroma.
Cinnamomum verum (2003-10-30) by Scott ZonaBRIT Collections
The leaves of Cinnamomum are oblong in shape and over 6 inches long, with some leaves growing up to lengths of 10 inches. The leaves each have three distinct, yellow veins. Although the leaves are typically green in color, young Cinnamomum leaves can have a reddish tint.
Plant specimen (2015-04-14) by Simon A. EugsterBRIT Collections
Cinnamomum trees are left to grow for roughly 2 years before they are ready to be harvested. Harvesting occurs by coppicing, meaning cutting off shoots of the tree without the need to harvest the tree in its entirety.
After the outer bark of the shoots is stripped, the inner layer of bark is carefully removed. Strips of the Cinnamomum tree's inner bark are dried into sticks or quills. During the drying process, the cinnamon sticks curl.
Other forms of cinnamon include cinnamon chips, cinnamon extract, and cinnamon powder, which is created by milling cinnamon sticks.
Plant specimen (2016-10-29) by Afifa AfrinBRIT Collections
Cinnamomum zeylanicum
Cinnamon contains the compound cinnamaldehyde which gives it its signature flavor and aroma. Cinnamon is an internationally beloved spice and is featured throughout many regional dishes.
Plant specimen (1967-09-15) by Derral HerbstBRIT Collections
Cinnamomum cassia
Cinnamon has historically been prized for its health properties and utilized for various medicinal purposes. In addition to the aforementioned uses, the delicate and spicy aroma of cinnamon is present in many candle and soap products.
Cinnamomum Genus
Story created by Philecology Herbarium, Botanical Research Institute of Texas and Fort Worth Botanic Garden.
References:
Food Crumbles, (2020, January 5). Where cinnamon comes from (cinnamon science). Food Crumbles. https://foodcrumbles.com/where-cinnamon-comes-from/
Leech, J., (2016, July 15). Ceylon vs. cassia — Not all cinnamon is created equal. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ceylon-vs-cassia-cinnamon
Misachi, J., (2017, September 18). World's top cinnamon producing countries. World Atlas. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/world-s-top-cinnamon-producing-countries.html
N.C. Cooperative Extension, (n.d.). Cinnamomum verum. NC State University and N.C. A&T State University. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cinnamomum-verum/
Ravindran P.N., Babu K.N., and Shylaja, M., (2005). Cinnamon and cassia. CRC Press. https://books.google.com/books?id=KZa8aPxR_-wC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
Interested in Natural history?
Get updates with your personalized Culture Weekly
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.