Herb. No. 094 · Lauraceae
True cinnamon is Sri Lankan; related cassias grow across South and Southeast Asia.
Native · South Asia
Native Also grown
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Cinnamon
Cinnamomum verum
The inner bark that built a trade — blood-sugar folklore, a kitchen spice, and a tropical tree.
True cinnamon is a Sri Lankan laurel. Cassia is Chinese and harsher, with more coumarin (a liver-and-bleeding caution in grams-a-day experiments). Culinary shakes are food. Medicinal teaspoons of cassia daily are a different decision. This plate prefers C. verum.
Flavor
True cinnamon is sweet, floral, and delicate. Cassia is hotter, woodier, and louder.
Parts used
Inner bark
Helpful
- A true kitchen medicine
- True cinnamon is gentle as spice
Cautions
- Cassia coumarin at high daily dose
- A tropical tree — not a Tennessee field crop