Cinnamon products are prepared from the inner bark of Cinnamomum trees belong to the family Lauraceae. There are more than 250 of spices and sub spices. Four types of cinnamon spices are commercially available in the market.
Ceylon cinnamon and cassia are the two major types of cinnamon available. Three types of cinnamon varieties are exist under the Cassia category.
Sri Lanka is the only source for Ceylon cinnamon. Cassia cinnamon is come from different sources.
- Ceylon cinnamon – Cinnamomum verum
- Cassia cinnamon
- Cassia – Cinnamomum cassia
- Korintje cinnamon – Cinnamomum burmannii
- Saigon Cinnamon – Cinnamomum cassia/C. loureirii
| General Name | Other Name(s) | Scientific Name(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Ceylon cinnamon | Sri Lankan cinnamon True Cinnamon Pure cinnamon Mexican cinnamon Canela (Spanish for cinnamon) | Cinnamomum verum Cinnamomum zeylanicum |
| Cassia | Chinese cassia Chinese cinnamon Cinnamon Tung Hing | Cinnamomum cassia |
| Korintje cinnamon | Indonesian cassia Indonesian cinnamon Korintje cassia Padang cassia Batavia cassia | Cinnamomum burmannii |
| Saigon Cinnamon | Vietnamese cassia Vietnamese cinnamon | Cinnamomum loureiroi |
Ceylon cinnamon – Cinnamomum verum
This is the rare, expensive and safe cinnamon variety in the market. Also known as true cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon has high demand due to its low coumarin content.
Monopoly of Ceylon cinnamon supply holds by Sri Lanka. The country was known as Ceylon until the commonwealth in 1972. Accordingly, cinnamon comes from Ceylon became popular as Ceylon cinnamon.
Preparation of Ceylon cinnamon is a traditional handcrafted process do by experienced peelers in Sri Lanka. It is transferring from generation to generation. The final product is ranked as the fourth most valuable spice in the world.
Sri Lanka produces the the best quality of cinnamon bark, mainly as quills. Ceylon cinnamon was introduced to other South Asian countries during the colonial rule in Sri Lanka. This variety grows South India Seychelles, Madagascar and Myanmar as little quantities apart from Sri Lanka,
Low coumarin content is the important advantage of Ceylon cinnamon. It has sweet taste and nice aroma. Ceylon cinnamon contains only traceable quantity of coumarin (0.017 g/kg; University of Mississippi, 2013). It does not exceed the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) level established by German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). Due to ultra-low coumarin, Ceylon cinnamon is considered as the safe cinnamon in the world.
If you are taking cinnamon for health purposes and it is a long run, you should consider to use Ceylon cinnamon.
Cassia cinnamon
Ceylon cinnamon and cassia cinnamon are closely related but different spices. Cassia cinnamon covers (Cassia, Korintje and Saigon) almost of the world cinnamon supply. The contribution was more than 90% in the year 2014 according to the FAOSTAT data.
Accordingly, there is more than 90% of possibility to obtain cassia cinnamon in the general market. Cassia is always cheaper than rarely available Ceylon cinnamon. In many countries including USA, most of the cinnamon packages are not mentioning the variety of the product. Just called as cinnamon, most probably it will be a cassia cinnamon.
Three cassia varieties are available in the commercial market as Cassia, Korintje and Saigon. Those are very similar to each other, but slightly different in taste, colour, aroma and appearance due to geographical factors in cultivated countries. The different type of harvesting techniques and processing methods also affected.
Cassia does not contain thin layers likes Ceylon cinnamon. It is hard to break and dark in colour. All cassia varieties contain higher coumarin content than Ceylon cinnamon. Coumarin rich foods may generate health risks including liver injuries in longer use.
| Type of Cinnamon | % of Coumarin* |
|---|---|
| Ceylon cinnamon | 0.017g/Kg |
| Chinese cassia (Cassia) | 0.31g/Kg |
| Indonesian cassia (Korintje cinnamon) | 2.15g/Kg |
| Vietnam cassia (Saigon Cinnamon) | 6.97g/Kg |
Chinese cassia (Cassia) – Cinnamomum cassia
This is the cinnamon variety generally referred as Cassia, which is mainly originates from China. Inner barks from young shoots as well as bark from older trees are used as the spice, which is peeled or scraped and dried.
Chinese cassia grows in China, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar (Burma). But it is commercially cultivated in China and small quantity in Vietnam. Kwangsi and Kwangtung provinces in South China cover majority of the commercial demand.
Indonesian cassia (Korintje cinnamon) – C. burmannii
Indonesia is the major contributor of the world cinnamon (Cassia) market. It covers 43% of world cinnamon usage in 2015. This is the cinnamon variety most commonly sells in the USA that labeled as Cinnamon.
Indonesian cassia has high oil content. It has two sub types depending on the area they grow. Padang (or Batavia) cassia and Korintgi cassia are named according to Padang in West Sumatera and Korintgi mountain area.
Vietnam cassia (Saigon Cinnamon) – C. cassia/C. loureirii
Vietnam cassia or the Saigon cassia used to be referred to as C.loureirii Nees assuming it as a different variety of cassia cinnamon comes from Vietnam. According to the new findings, Vietnam cassia is almost similar to c.cassia.
The Vietnam product is collected from trees almost 15 years older, and the bark is much thicker which has a more pungent taste and stronger flavor.
Indian cassia – C. tamala
Also known as Indian bay leaf, this spice is the dries leaf of the Cinnamomum tamala tree, which is native to India. This does not consider as cinnamon spice.
| Type of Cinnamon | Origin | % of World production* | Taste |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceylon cinnamon | Sri Lanka | 8% | Slightly sweet |
| Cassia/ Cinnamon | China | 32% | Spicy but bitter |
| Korintje cinnamon | Indonesia | 43% | Spicy |
| Saigon Cinnamon | Vietnam | 15% | Spicy & sweet |