Ceylon Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of the Cinnamomum verum tree native to Sri Lanka. It has a sweeter, milder, more delicate flavor than the more common Cassia cinnamon from China, and a much more storied history. The earliest records of the use of Ceylon cinnamon date back almost 5,000 years in writings from ancient China and then continue throughout the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Rome. Due in part to its high oil content, Cinnamon is an incredibly versatile and very valuable spice, used in food, fragrance & incense as well as medicine. Pliny the Elder, one of Rome’s most revered thinkers, even declared cinnamon more valuable than silver!
Cinnamon contains a pungent phytochemical called cinnamaldehyde which is responsible for its rich flavor and aroma, as well as many of its health supporting benefits. In many herbal and healing traditions, cinnamon is considered a warming, drying and cleansing herb for both body and mind. It has been used as incense for sacred ceremony, medicinally for supporting respiratory conditions and minor digestive discomfort, as well as to help support healthy blood sugar levels. Our fair trade organic Cinnamon Chips can be ground for use in cooking and baking, or decocted for a lovely, warming tea. Cinnamon tea is wonderful by itself or paired with other warming spices like cardamom, nutmeg and clove.