Cinnamon (True Cinnamon)

We call it ‘True Cinnamon’ to differentiate our Sri Lankan Cinnamon from lower-priced cassia (Chinese cinnamon: Cinnamomum cassia, Lauraceae). It’s one of our favourite spices and here at Rooted Spices, it’s one of our most proud sourcing stories.

Our Cinnamon comes from a Kandyan Forest Garden in Sri Lanka’s Central Highlands. It’s a blend of young cinnamon (known for its sweetness) and a more unusual wild cinnamon (a mature tree, known for its deep spiciness). The farm we work with has a large contingency of local female employment, it’s involved in promoting diversity (through The Forest Healing Foundation) and they freshly-grind the cinnamon for our order, making it super powerful and potent.

In Sri Lanka, cinnamon is often used in a savoury context – think coconut and cinnamon daal. A pinch of cinnamon might also transform a tagine or chilli con carne. In European cuisine cinnamon is predominantly used in sweet bakes like Cinnamon Buns, flapjacks or pancakes. We encourage you to think creatively – a little dash can go a long way in an apple pie filling a banana loaf or over baked figs.

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WHERE
Most Sri Lankan Cinnamon is cultivated in the south – where plantations were established to give European traders easy access. The best climate, however is in central Sri Lanaka. Ours comes from the Central Highlands, which is known for its temperate climate. There the Ellegala Family use a combination of mature, wild cinnamon trees and young, cultivated cinnamon trees to produce and process this beautiful cinnamon.

STORAGE
Ground cinnamon should be stored in a dark, airtight container, to help keep its potent flavour.

HEALTH
In a comparative study among 26 spices, cinnamon showed the highest antioxidant activity.  Using cinnamon can also help you cut down on sugar due to its naturally sweet taste.  For more information, click HERE.

ALSO KNOWN AS: Ceylon cinnamon, true cinnamon