Highlights
1. There are different forms of cinnamon, including “true cinnamon” or Ceylon cinnamon, and cassia. They are difficult to tell apart, but cinnamon is light brown and papery, while cassia is dark reddish and coarser.
2. Cinnamon is used in both sweet and savory dishes due to its sweet, spicy, and fragrant flavor, while cassia is more pungent and hotter, making it suitable for savory dishes.
3. Cassia contains a high level of coumarin, a blood-thinning phytochemical, which can be harmful if consumed regularly and in excess. Cinnamon has a very low coumarin content.
Introduction
When it comes to cinnamon, there are actually different forms of this spice. One of the main differences is between cinnamon and cassia. While they may look similar when ground, they are easy to tell apart when in their whole form. Cinnamon and cassia both come from the same plant family and genus, making it difficult to distinguish between the two.
What is Cinnamon?
Cinnamon, also known as “true cinnamon” or Ceylon cinnamon, comes from the Cinnamomum zeylanicum plant native to Sri Lanka. The inner bark of these plants is harvested and dried into small quills or sticks. True cinnamon is light brown, papery, and brittle, coiled into a single spiral. It is used as a fragrant spice in sweet and savory dishes and has many health benefits, including aiding with gastrointestinal problems and diabetes regulation. It has a sweet, spicy, and fragrant aroma with citrus, floral, and clove notes.
What is Cassia?
Cassia refers to species of cinnamon grown in countries like Burma, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Central America. Different species, such as Cinnamomum aromaticaum and Cinnamomum burmannii, produce cassia cinnamon. Cassia cinnamon is dark reddish in color and comes in woody strips. It has a strong, intense flavor often perceived as hot. Cassia is often used in savory dishes, particularly in beef or poultry dishes, or in mixed and pickling spice. However, cassia contains a high amount of blood-thinning phytochemical coumarin, which can be harmful if consumed regularly and in excess.
What is the Difference between Cassia and Cinnamon?
– Cassia is grown in Burma, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Central America, while cinnamon originates from Sri Lanka.
– Cassia is produced from Cinnamomum aromaticaum or Cinnamomum burmannii, whereas cinnamon comes from the Cinnamomum zeylanicum plant.
– Cinnamon is light brown, while cassia is dark reddish in color.
– Cinnamon bark is papery and comes in neatly curled up quills, while cassia is coarser and comes in woody strips.
– Cinnamon has a sweet, spicy, and fragrant aroma, allowing it to be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Cassia is hotter and more pungent, typically used in savory dishes.
– Cassia contains a high level of coumarin, while cinnamon has a very low coumarin content.
