Food

Cinnamon: Effect, Ingredients and Differences Between The Varieties

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Whether in hot apple juice, on pancakes or in cookies: cinnamon is not only versatile as a spice, but also has a reputation as a remedy. Depending on the variety, cinnamon should also be consumed with caution. We explain why.

Cinnamon and its origin

Cinnamon is actually the bark of a tropical tree. The trees are mainly found in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and China and can grow up to twelve meters high. However, only shrub-high plantations are planted for the cultivation and sale of cinnamon.

For cinnamon production, the bark is dried and sold either as cinnamon sticks or ground. This works best after the four-month rainy season, when the bark is particularly flexible.

There are two types of cinnamon: Cassia and Ceylon.
The more common variety is Cassia cinnamon. It comes from southern China – the bark of the Cassia cinnamon tree is removed in thick layers. It is coarser, darker and smells more intense than Ceylon cinnamon. Because its quality is slightly lower, cassia cinnamon is cheaper.
Ceylon cinnamon is harvested in very thin layers of bark, which are then pinned together to resemble a cigar in appearance. Ceylon is more aromatic and less pungent compared to cassia. However, its noble quality makes it many times more expensive than cassia cinnamon.

Cinnamon – Healthy or Toxic?

There are repeated warnings against consuming too large amounts of cinnamon. The reason for this is the curamine flavoring substance contained in cinnamon, which is toxic to humans in large quantities.

The cheaper cassia cinnamon contains curamine in comparatively large amounts. Ceylon cinnamon, on the other hand, contains hardly any curamine and is therefore usually harmless.

Regardless, cinnamon has some health benefits:
Cinnamon has a regulating effect on the blood sugar level and can lower it.
Cinnamon promotes appetite and stimulates intestinal activity. This helps prevent bloating and gas.
Cinnamon also has a disinfecting effect due to the essential oil it contains, eugenol.
This is why cinnamon also helps relieve cold symptoms.
A student at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia also found that smelling cinnamon boosts brain power.
Cinnamon also has an effect on cholesterol levels and helps to lower them.
Because of the curamine, however, pregnant women in particular should check with a doctor beforehand whether they are allowed to eat cinnamon.

Ideas with cinnamon

Cinnamon goes well with many dishes and drinks and gives them a special touch:
We especially like to use cinnamon with apples – whether for apple fritters, in hot apple juice, in apple compote or in apple strudel.
Cinnamon can also spice up other juices, whether cold or warm.
Cinnamon gives many jams a Christmassy touch.
Coffee, cocoa, a glass of milk or milk substitute – cinnamon goes with everything.
A light note of cinnamon also goes well with many teas – or, of course, with mulled wine or punch.
Cinnamon can refine many pastries: Whether as cinnamon rolls, cinnamon rolls or classic as cinnamon stars or as a special tip: homemade Franzbrötchen. For this you need a slightly sweetened yeast dough, because you roll it out flat and spread it with a paste made of fine sugar, cinnamon and oil or melted butter. Then you roll the whole thing into a roll and cut the roll so that it has sloping sides. Then you can flatten the individual pieces and get the typical fan-shaped structure of Franzbrötchen.
Thanks to its disinfecting properties, you can also use cinnamon to treat gingivitis – as a diluted oil or as a gargling solution.

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