SPOTLIGHT on Spices! Cinnamon

Cinnamon

Cinnamon was one of the first spices sought in the explorations of the 15^th and 16^th centuries. True cinnamon is indigenous of Sri Lanka and was eventually exported to India, Java and the Seychelles Islands, as well as Brazil, Indonesia and the West Indies. The largest producers of cinnamon today are Sri Lanka, which produces the finest cinnamon, and the Seychelles Islands.

Cinnamon is the bark of an evergreen tree of the Laurel family. It is harvested during the rainy season; the first harvest yields thick inferior bark, the quality improves with successive cropping and the finest bark comes from the thin shoots at the center of the plant. Quills are assembled then dried in the shade as direct sunlight warps them.

Cinnamon is mildly sweet and woody, with a well defined taste and warm fragrance; it is suited for sweet and savory dishes as well as a variety of drinks.  It is also widely used to make incense, pomanders and pot-pourris.