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{{short description|Spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus Cinnamomum}}
[[File:Cinnamomum verum spices.jpg|thumb|Dried bark strips, bark powder and flowers of the small tree ''Cinnamomum verum'']]
'''Cinnamon''' is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''[[Biology:Cinnamomum|Cinnamomum]]''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, [[Biology:Breakfast cereal|breakfast cereal]]s, snackfoods, tea and traditional foods. The aroma and flavour of cinnamon derive from its [[Chemistry:Essential oil|essential oil]] and principal component, [[Chemistry:Cinnamaldehyde|cinnamaldehyde]], as well as numerous other constituents including [[Chemistry:Eugenol|eugenol]].
[[File:Cinnamomum verum - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-182.jpg|thumb|''Cinnamomum verum'', from Koehler's ''Medicinal-Plants'' (1887)]]
[[File:Baton de cannelle.jpg|thumb|Close-up view of raw cinnamon]]

Cinnamon is the name for several species of trees and the commercial spice products that some of them produce. All are members of the genus ''Cinnamomum'' in the family [[Biology:Lauraceae|Lauraceae]].<ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Cinnamon|volume=6|page=376|short=1}}</ref> Only a few ''Cinnamomum'' species are grown commercially for spice. ''Cinnamomum verum'' is sometimes considered to be "true cinnamon", but most cinnamon in international commerce is derived from the related species ''Cinnamomum cassia'', also referred to as "cassia".<ref name=fao93>{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/x5326e/x5326e07.htm|title=International trade in non-wood forest products: An overview|last=Iqbal|first=Mohammed|year=1993|work=FO: Misc/93/11 – Working Paper|publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations|access-date=12 November 2012}}</ref><ref name=HistoryFood>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QmevzbQ0AsIC|title=A history of food|year=2009|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|isbn=978-1405181198|edition=New expanded|location=Chichester, West Sussex|quote=Cassia, also known as cinnamon or Chinese cinnamon is a tree that has bark similar to that of cinnamon but with a rather pungent odour|last1=Bell|first1=Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat|translator=Anthea<!--surname missing-->}}</ref> In 2018, Indonesia and {{wipe|China}} produced 70% of the world's supply of cinnamon, Indonesia producing nearly 40% and China 30%.<ref>{{cite web |title=CINNAMON MARKET - GROWTH, TRENDS, AND FORECAST (2020 - 2025) |url=https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/cinnamon-market |website=mordorintelligence.com/ |publisher=Mordor Intelligence |access-date=3 December 2020}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The English word "cinnamon", attested in English since the fifteenth century, derives from {{lang|grc|κιννάμωμον}} ('{{lang|grc-Latn|kinnámōmon}}', later '{{lang|grc-Latn|kínnamon}}'), via [[Social:Latin language|Latin]] and medieval French intermediate forms. The Greek was borrowed from a [[Social:Phoenician language|Phoenician]] word, which was similar to the related [[Social:Hebrew language|Hebrew]] word {{lang|he|קינמון}} ('{{lang|he-Latn|qinnāmōn}}').<ref name="oed">{{cite OED2|cinnamon}}</ref><ref>{{Etymonline|cinnamon}}</ref>

The name "cassia", first recorded in late Old English from Latin, ultimately derives from the Hebrew word {{lang|he|q'tsīʿāh}}, a form of the verb {{lang|he|qātsaʿ}}, 'to strip off bark'.<ref>{{cite OED2|cassia}}</ref><ref>{{Etymonline|cassia}}</ref>

Early Modern English also used the names ''canel'' and ''canella'', similar to the current names of cinnamon in several other European languages, which are derived from the Latin word {{lang|la|cannella}}, a diminutive of {{lang|la|canna}}, 'tube', from the way the bark curls up as it dries.<ref>{{cite OED2|canella; canel}}</ref>

== History ==
Cinnamon has been known from remote antiquity. It was imported to Egypt as early as 2000 BC, but those who reported that it had come from China had confused it with ''cinnamon cassia'', a related species.<ref name=HistoryFood/> Cinnamon was so highly prized among ancient nations that it was regarded as a gift fit for monarchs and even for a deity; a fine inscription records the gift of cinnamon and cassia to the temple of Apollo at Miletus.<ref>Toussaint-Samat 2009, p. 437</ref> Its source was kept a trade secret in the Mediterranean world for centuries by those in the spice trade, in order to protect their monopoly as suppliers.

''Cinnamomum verum'', which translates as 'true cinnamon', is native to {{wipe|India}}, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.<ref name="EB">{{cite book|chapter-url=https://global.britannica.com/plant/cinnamon|title=Encyclopaedia Britannica|year=2008|isbn=978-1-59339-292-5|chapter=Cinnamon|quote=(species Cinnamomum zeylanicum), bushy evergreen tree of the laurel family (Lauraceae) native to Malabar Coast of India, Sri Lanka (Ceylon) Bangladesh and Myanmar (Burma).}}<!--better link needed--></ref> ''Cinnamomum cassia'' (cassia) is native to China. Related species, all harvested and sold in the modern era as cinnamon, are native to Vietnam, Indonesia and other southeast Asian countries with warm climates.

In Ancient Egypt, cinnamon was used to embalm mummies.<ref name=HerbCosmetic>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MaAZMbSxNt4C|title=Herbal principles in cosmetics: properties and mechanisms of action|last1=Burlando|first1=B.|last2=Verotta|first2=L.|last3=Cornara|first3=L.|last4=Bottini-Massa|first4=E.|publisher=CRC Press|year=2010|isbn=978-1-4398-1214-3|location=Boca Raton|page=121}}</ref> From the Ptolemaic Kingdom onward, Ancient Egyptian recipes for kyphi, an aromatic used for burning, included cinnamon and cassia. The gifts of Hellenistic rulers to temples sometimes included cassia and cinnamon.

The first Greek reference to {{lang|el|kasia}} is found in a poem by Sappho in the seventh century BC. According to Herodotus, both cinnamon and cassia grew in Arabia, together with incense, [[Chemistry:Myrrh|myrrh]], and [[Chemistry:Labdanum|labdanum]]<!--Do not change to "laudanum"; "labdanum", an aromatic resin) is correct.-->, and were guarded by [[Unsolved:Dragon|winged serpents]].<ref name=Herodotus>Herodotus, Book 3, sections 3.107-113. {{cite book|last1=Wheeler|first1=James Talboys|title=An Analysis and Summary of Herodotus: With a Synchronistical Table of Principal Events; Tables of Weights, Measures, Money, and Distances; an Outline of the History and Geography; and the Dates Completed from Gaisford, Baehr, Etc|date=1852|publisher=H. G. Bohn|url=https://archive.org/details/analysissummaryo00hero|page=110|quote=The incense trees are guarded by winged serpents[...] The cassia trees, which grow by a shallow lake, are guarded by fierce winged animals like bats|access-date=9 January 2019}}</ref> Herodotus, Aristotle and other authors named Arabia as the source of cinnamon; they recounted that giant "cinnamon birds" collected the cinnamon sticks from an unknown land where the cinnamon trees grew and used them to construct their nests.{{r|Herodotus|p=111|q=Cinnamon is produced in an unknown land, and large birds bring those rolls of bark which from the Phœnicians are called cinnamon}}

Pliny the Elder wrote that cinnamon was brought around the Arabian peninsula on "rafts without rudders or sails or oars", taking advantage of the winter trade winds.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Pliny the Elder|last2=Bostock|first2=J.|last3=Riley|first3=H. T.|year=1855|volume=3|title=Natural History of Pliny, book XII, The Natural History of Trees|chapter=42, Cinnamomum. Xylocinnamum|publisher=Henry G. Bohn|location=London|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/naturalhistoryof03plin|pages=137–140}}</ref> He also mentioned cassia as a flavouring agent for wine,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L35fAAAAMAAJ|title=Natural History|author=Pliny the Elder|date=1938|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-99433-1|page=14}}</ref> and that the tales of cinnamon being collected from the nests of cinnamon birds was a traders' fiction made up to charge more. However, the story remained current in Byzantium as late as 1310.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

According to Pliny the Elder, a Roman pound ({{convert|327|g|oz}}) of cassia, cinnamon, or serichatum cost up to 1500 {{lang|la|denarii}}, the wage of fifty months' labour.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Natural History|volume=3|year=1855|url=https://archive.org/details/naturalhistoryof31855plin/|author=Pliny the Elder|publisher=Taylor & Francis|via=Internet Archive|location=London, UK|page=140|quote=The right of regulating the sale of the cinnamon belongs solely to the king of the Gebanitæ, who opens the market for it by public proclamation. The price of it was formerly as much as a thousand {{lang|la|denarii|italic=no}} per pound; which was afterwards increased to half as much again, in consequence, it is said, of the forests having been set on fire by the barbarians, from motives of resentment[...]}}</ref> Diocletian's Edict on Maximum Prices<ref>{{cite book|title=An Economic Survey of Ancient Rome |volume=V: Rome and Italy of the Empire |editor-last=Frank |editor-first=Tenney |last=Graser |first=E. R. |chapter=A text and translation of the Edict of Diocletian |year=1940 |publisher=Johns Hopkins Press |isbn=978-0374928483}}</ref> from 301 AD gives a price of 125 {{lang|la|denarii}} for a pound of cassia, while an agricultural labourer earned 25 {{lang|la|denarii}} per day. Cinnamon was too expensive to be commonly used on funeral pyres in Rome, but the Emperor Nero is said to have burned a year's worth of the city's supply at the funeral for his wife {{lang|la|Poppaea Sabina|italic=no}} in AD 65.<ref>Toussaint-Samat 2009, p. 437f.</ref>

===Middle Ages===
Through the Middle Ages, the source of cinnamon remained a mystery to the Western world. From reading Latin writers who quoted Herodotus, Europeans had learned that cinnamon came up the Red Sea to the trading ports of Egypt, but where it came from was less than clear. When the {{lang|fr|Sieur de Joinville|italic=no}} accompanied his king, Louis IX of France to Egypt on the Seventh Crusade in 1248, he reported – and believed – what he had been told: that cinnamon was fished up in nets at the source of the Nile out at the edge of the world (i.e., Ethiopia). Marco Polo avoided precision on the topic.<ref>Toussaint-Samat 2009, p. 438 discusses cinnamon's hidden origins and Joinville's report.</ref>

The first mention that the spice grew in Sri Lanka was in {{lang|ar-Latn|Zakariya al-Qazwini|italic=no}}'s {{lang|ar-Latn|Athar al-bilad wa-akhbar al-‘ibad}} ("Monument of Places and History of God's Bondsmen") about 1270.<ref>{{cite book|last=Tennent|first=James Emerson|title=Account of the Island of Ceylon|volume=1|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/61724#page/11/mode/1up|access-date=8 November 2014|publisher=Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts|year=1860}}</ref> This was followed shortly thereafter by John of Montecorvino in a letter of about 1292.<ref>{{cite web|last=Yule|first=Henry|title=Cathay and the Way Thither|url=http://dsr.nii.ac.jp/toyobunko/III-2-F-b-2/V-1/page/0487.html.en|access-date=15 July 2008}}</ref>

Indonesian rafts transported cinnamon directly from the Moluccas to East Africa (see also Rhapta), where local traders then carried it north to Alexandria in Egypt.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1310/is_1984_June/ai_3289703|title=The life of spice; cloves, nutmeg, pepper, cinnamon|work=UNESCO Courier|archive-url=https://archive.is/20120709044345/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1310/is_1984_June/ai_3289703|archive-date=9 July 2012|url-status=dead|publisher=Findarticles.com|year=1984|access-date=18 August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Woods|first=Sean|url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=588&art_id=iol1078376795319P146&set_id=1|date=4 March 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050408160407/http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=588&art_id=iol1078376795319P146&set_id=1|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 April 2005|title=Discovery: Sailing the Cinnamon Route|website=Independent Online|access-date=18 August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|jstor=299440|pages=222–224|last1=Gray|first1=E. W.|title=The Spice Trade of the Roman Empire 29 B.C. – A.D. 641|volume=60|journal=The Journal of Roman Studies|year=1970|doi=10.2307/299440|last2=Miller|first2=J. I.}}</ref> Venetian traders from Italy held a [[Finance:Monopoly|monopoly]] on the spice trade in Europe, distributing cinnamon from Alexandria. The disruption of this trade by the rise of other Mediterranean powers, such as the Mamluk sultans and the Ottoman Empire, was one of many factors that led Europeans to search more widely for other routes to Asia.

===Early modern period===
During the 1500s, Ferdinand Magellan was searching for spices on behalf of Spain, and in the {{wipe|Philippines}} found {{lang|la|Cinnamomum mindanaense}}, which was closely related to ''C. zeylanicum'', the cinnamon found in Sri Lanka. This cinnamon eventually competed with Sri Lankan cinnamon, which was controlled by the Portuguese.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Mallari|first=Francisco|date=December 1974|title=The Mindanao Cinnamon|journal=Philippine Quarterly of Culture & Society|volume=2|pages=190–194|jstor=29791158|number=4}}</ref>

In 1638, Dutch traders established a trading post in Sri Lanka, took control of the manufactories by 1640, and expelled the remaining Portuguese by 1658. "The shores of the island are full of it," a Dutch captain reported, "and it is the best in all the Orient. When one is downwind of the island, one can still smell cinnamon eight [[League (unit)|leagues]] out to sea."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Braudel|first1=Fernand|title=The Perspective of the World: Civilization and Capitalism, 15th–18th Century|volume=3|publisher=University of California Press|year=1984|pages=15|isbn=978-0-520-08116-1}}</ref> The Dutch East India Company continued to overhaul the methods of harvesting in the wild and eventually began to cultivate its own trees.

In 1767, Lord Brown of the British East India Company established Anjarakkandy Cinnamon Estate near Anjarakkandy in the Cannanore district of Kerala, India. It later became Asia's largest cinnamon estate. The British took control of Ceylon from the Dutch in 1796.

== Cultivation ==
[[File:CinnamonLeaves.jpg|thumb|Leaves from a wild cinnamon tree]]
[[File:CINNAMON BUDS.jpg|thumb|175px|Cinnamon flowers]]

Cinnamon is an [[Biology:Evergreen|evergreen]] tree characterized by oval-shaped leaves, thick bark, and a berry fruit. When harvesting the spice, the bark and leaves are the primary parts of the plant used.<ref name=HerbCosmetic/> Cinnamon is cultivated by growing the tree for two years, then [[Biology:Coppicing|coppicing]] it, i.e., cutting the stems at ground level. The following year, about a dozen new shoots form from the roots, replacing those that were cut. A number of pests such as ''Colletotrichum gloeosporioides'', ''[[Biology:Diplodia|Diplodia]]'' species, and  ''[[Biology:Phytophthora cinnamomi|Phytophthora cinnamomi]]'' (stripe canker) can affect the growing plants.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.plantvillage.org/en/topics/cinnamon/diseases_and_pests_description_uses_propagation|title=Cinnamon|publisher=Plant Village, Pennsylvania State University|date=2017|access-date=28 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301092652/https://www.plantvillage.org/en/topics/cinnamon/diseases_and_pests_description_uses_propagation|archive-date=1 March 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The stems must be processed immediately after harvesting while the inner bark is still wet. The cut stems are processed by scraping off the outer bark, then beating the branch evenly with a hammer to loosen the inner bark, which is then pried off in long rolls. Only {{convert|0.5|mm|2|abbr=on}} of the inner bark is used;<ref>{{cite book|last1=Heath|first1=Henry B.|title=Source Book of Flavors|series=AVI Sourcebook and Handbook Series|date=September 1981|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=9780870553707|page=233|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HWDg-rPQbqgC&q=0.5%20mm%20of%20the%20inner%20bark%20cinnamon&pg=PA233|access-date=9 January 2019|language=en}}</ref>{{efn|Cassia is thicker than Sri Lankan cinnamon.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}}} the outer, woody portion is discarded, leaving metre-long cinnamon strips that curl into rolls ("quills") on drying. The processed bark dries completely in four to six hours, provided it is in a well-ventilated and relatively warm environment. Once dry, the bark is cut into {{convert|5|to|10|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} lengths for sale.

A less than ideal drying environment encourages the proliferation of pests in the bark, which may then require treatment by [[Biology:Fumigation|fumigation]] with sulphur dioxide. In 2011, the European Union approved the use of sulphur dioxide at a concentration of up to 150&nbsp;mg/kg for the treatment of ''C. verum'' bark harvested in Sri Lanka.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:279:0022:0031:EN:PDF|author=European Commission|date=22 October 2010|title=Commission Directive 2010/69/EU of 22 October 2010|journal=Official Journal of the European Union|series=L (Legislation)|number=279|access-date=13 July 2020}}</ref>

=== Species ===
A number of species are often sold as cinnamon:<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Chen|first1=P.|last2=Sun|first2=J.|last3=Ford|first3=P.|title=Differentiation of the four major species of cinnamons (C. burmannii, C. verum, C. cassia, and C. loureiroi) using a flow injection mass spectrometric (FIMS) fingerprinting method|journal=[[Chemistry:Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry|Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry]]|volume=62|issue=12|pages=2516–2521|date=March 2014|pmid=24628250|pmc=3983393|doi=10.1021/jf405580c}}</ref>
* ''Cinnamomum cassia'' (cassia or Chinese cinnamon, the most common commercial type)
* ''C. burmannii'' (Korintje, Padang cassia, or Indonesian cinnamon)
* ''C. loureiroi'' (Saigon cinnamon, Vietnamese cassia, or Vietnamese cinnamon)
* ''C. verum'' (Sri Lanka cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon or Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
* ''[[Biology:Cinnamomum citriodorum|C. citriodorum]]'' (Malabar cinnamon)

Cassia induces a strong, spicy flavour and is often used in baking, especially associated with cinnamon rolls, as it handles baking conditions well. Among cassia, Chinese cinnamon is generally medium to light reddish brown in colour, hard and woody in texture, and thicker ({{convert|2|-|3|mm|abbr=on}} thick), as all of the layers of bark are used. Ceylon cinnamon, using only the thin inner bark, has a lighter brown colour and a finer, less dense, and more crumbly texture. It is subtle and more aromatic in flavour than cassia and it loses much of its flavour during cooking.

The barks of the species are easily distinguished when whole, both in macroscopic and microscopic characteristics. Ceylon cinnamon sticks (quills) have many thin layers and can easily be made into powder using a coffee or spice grinder, whereas cassia sticks are much harder. Indonesian cinnamon is often sold in neat quills made up of one thick layer, capable of damaging a spice or coffee grinder. Saigon cinnamon (''C. loureiroi'') and Chinese cinnamon (''C. cassia'') are always sold as broken pieces of thick bark, as the bark is not supple enough to be rolled into quills.

The powdered bark is harder to distinguish, but if it is treated with [[Chemistry:Tincture of iodine|tincture of iodine]] (a [[Chemistry:Starch#Chemical tests|test for starch]]), little effect is visible with pure Ceylon cinnamon, but when Chinese cinnamon is present, a deep-blue tint is produced.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/c/cassia31.html|title=A Modern Herbal – Cassia (Cinnamon)|last=Grieve|first=M.|website=botanical.com|access-date=17 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IrXszQ77xhYC&q=iodine+in+cassia&pg=PA390|title=The Elements of materia medica and therapeutics|volume=2|page=390|first1=Jonathan|last1=Pereira|year=1854}}</ref>

===Grading===
The Sri Lankan grading system divides the cinnamon quills into four groups:
* Alba, less than {{convert|6|mm|abbr=on}} in diameter
* Continental, less than {{convert|16|mm|abbr=on}} in diameter
* Mexican, less than {{convert|19|mm|abbr=on}} in diameter
* Hamburg, less than {{convert|32|mm|abbr=on}} in diameter

These groups are further divided into specific grades. For example, Mexican is divided into M00000 special, M000000, and M0000, depending on quill diameter and number of quills per kilogram. Any pieces of bark less than {{convert|106|mm|abbr=on}} long are categorized as quillings. Featherings are the inner bark of twigs and twisted shoots. Chips are trimmings of quills, outer and inner bark that cannot be separated, or the bark of small twigs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ceylon-cinnamon.com/blog/grades-of-cinnamon/|title=Grades of Cinnamon|date=8 December 2016|website=Ceylon Cinnamon|access-date=14 January 2019}}</ref>

==Production==
{| class="wikitable"  style="float:right; clear:left; width:18em;"
| colspan=2|<center>'''Cinnamon production – 2017'''</center>
|-
!  style="background:#ddf; width:75%;"| Country
!  style="background:#ddf; width:25%;"| ([[Tonne|tonne]]s)
|-
|<center>{{INA}}</center> ||<center>87,130</center>
|-
|<center>{{CHN}}</center> ||<center>79,486</center>
|-
|<center>{{VIE}}</center> ||<center>37,126</center>
|-
|<center>{{SRI}}</center> ||<center>17,255</center>
|-
|<center>'''World'''</center> ||<center>'''224,144'''</center>
|-
|colspan=2|<center><small>Source: FAOSTAT of the {{wipe|United Nations}}</small><ref name="faostat17">{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC|title=Global cinnamon production in 2017; Crops/Regions/World Regions/Production Quantity (pick lists)|date=2018|publisher=UN [[Organization:Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database|Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database]] (FAOSTAT)|access-date=20 September 2019}}</ref></center>
|}
In 2017, four countries accounted for 99% of the world total: Indonesia, China, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. Global production has multiplied more than ten-fold since 1970. The largest change by country was for Vietnam, which went from being a minor producer in 1970 to third-largest in 2017.<ref name=faostat17/>

== Food uses ==
[[File:Uncooked cinnamon roll buns, March 2010.jpg|thumb|left|Uncooked cinnamon rolls]]

Cinnamon bark is used as a spice. It is principally employed in cookery as a condiment and flavouring material. It is used in the preparation of chocolate, especially in Mexico. Cinnamon is often used in savoury dishes of chicken and lamb. In the United States and Europe, cinnamon and sugar are often used to flavour [[Biology:Breakfast cereal|cereals]], bread-based dishes, such as toast, and fruits, especially [[Biology:Apple|apple]]s; a cinnamon and sugar mixture ([[Chemistry:Cinnamon sugar|cinnamon sugar]]) is sold separately for such purposes. It is also used in Portuguese and Turkish cuisine for both sweet and savoury dishes. Cinnamon can also be used in pickling and Christmas drinks such as eggnog. Cinnamon powder has long been an important spice in enhancing the flavour of Persian cuisine, used in a variety of thick soups, drinks, and sweets.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/spicesglobalhist0000czar|pages=10–12|url-access=registration|title=Spices: A Global History|last=Czarra|first=Fred|date=1 May 2009|publisher=Reaktion Books|isbn=9781861896827|language=en}}</ref>

==Nutrient composition==
{{nutritionalvalue
| name=Cinnamon, spice, ground
| water=10.6{{nbsp}}g
| kJ=1035
| protein=4{{nbsp}}g
| fat=1.2{{nbsp}}g
| carbs=80.6{{nbsp}}g
| fiber=53.1{{nbsp}}g
| sugars=2.2{{nbsp}}g
| calcium_mg=1002
| iron_mg=8.3
| magnesium_mg=60
| phosphorus_mg=64
| potassium_mg=431
| sodium_mg=10
| zinc_mg=1.8
| vitC_mg=3.8
| thiamin_mg=0.02
| riboflavin_mg=0.04
| niacin_mg=1.33
| vitB6_mg=0.16
| folate_ug=6
| vitA_ug=15
| vitE_mg=2.3
| vitK_ug=31.2
| source_usda = 1
| note=Source: USDA Database<ref name=USDAdata>{{cite web|url=https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171320/nutrients|date=1 April 2019|title=Spices, cinnamon, ground|website=FoodData Central|publisher=[[Organization:Agricultural Research Service|Agricultural Research Service]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200905232856/https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html%23/food-details/171320/nutrients#/food-details/171320/nutrients|archive-date=5 September 2020|access-date=6 September 2020}}</ref>
}}
Ground cinnamon is composed of around 11% water, 81% carbohydrates (including 53% dietary fiber), 4% [[Biology:Protein|protein]], and 1% [[Chemistry:Fat|fat]].<ref name=USDAdata/> In a 100 gram reference amount, ground cinnamon is a rich source of [[Chemistry:Calcium|calcium]] (100% of the Daily Value (DV){{Thinspace}}), [[Chemistry:Iron|iron]] (64% DV), and [[Chemistry:Vitamin K|vitamin K]] (30% DV).

==Flavour, aroma, and taste==
The flavour of cinnamon is due to an aromatic essential oil that makes up 0.5 to 1% of its composition. This essential oil can be prepared by roughly pounding the bark, macerating it in sea water, and then quickly distilling the whole. It is of a golden-yellow colour, with the characteristic odour of cinnamon and a very hot aromatic taste. The pungent taste and scent come from [[Chemistry:Cinnamaldehyde|cinnamaldehyde]] (about 90% of the essential oil from the bark) and, by reaction with [[Chemistry:Oxygen|oxygen]] as it ages, it darkens in colour and forms resinous compounds.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Yokomi|first1=Naoka|last2=Ito|first2=Michiho|date=1 July 2009|title=Influence of composition upon the variety of tastes in Cinnamomi cortex|journal=Journal of Natural Medicines|volume=63|issue=3|pages=261–266|doi=10.1007/s11418-009-0326-8|issn=1861-0293|pmid=19291358|s2cid=9792599}}</ref>

Cinnamon constituents include some 80 aromatic compounds,<ref>{{cite journal|pmid=21929331|year=2011|last1=Jayaprakasha|first1=G. K.|title=Chemistry, biogenesis, and biological activities of Cinnamomum zeylanicum|journal=Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition|volume=51|issue=6|pages=547–62|last2=Rao|first2=L. J.|doi=10.1080/10408391003699550|s2cid=34530542}}</ref> including eugenol found in the oil from leaves or bark of cinnamon trees.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/r?dbs+hsdb:@term+@rn+@rel+8007-80-5|title=Oil of cinnamon|publisher=Toxicology Data Network (TOXNET)|date=6 August 2002|access-date=29 November 2016}}</ref>

===Alcohol flavourant===
Cinnamon is used as a flavouring in cinnamon liqueur,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailymeal.com/11-cinnamon-flavored-liquors-holidays/121613|title=11 Cinnamon-Flavored Liquors for the Holidays|last=Willard|first=Haley|date=16 Dec 2013|website=The Daily Meal|access-date=17 April 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119120045/https://www.thedailymeal.com/11-cinnamon-flavored-liquors-holidays/121613|archive-date=2018-01-19}}</ref> such as cinnamon-flavoured whiskey in the United States, and rakomelo, a cinnamon brandy popular in parts of Greece.

==Health-related research==
Cinnamon has a long history of use in [[Medicine:Traditional medicine|traditional medicine]] as a digestive aide, however contemporary studies are unable to find evidence of any significant medicinal or therapeutic effect.<ref name="nccih">{{cite web|url=https://nccih.nih.gov/health/cinnamon|title=Cinnamon|website=[[Organization:National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health|National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health]]|publisher=[[Organization:National Institutes of Health|National Institutes of Health]]|date=2016|access-date=28 February 2017}}</ref>

Reviews of clinical trials reported lowering of fasting plasma glucose and inconsistent effects on hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c, an indicator of chronically elevated plasma glucose).<ref name=Costello2016>{{cite journal|first1=Rebecca B.|last1=Costello|first2=Johanna T.|last2=Dwyer|first3=Leila|last3=Saldanha|first4=Regan L.|last4=Bailey|first5=Joyce|last5=Merkel|first6=Edwina|last6=Wambogo|title=Do Cinnamon Supplements Have a Role in Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes? A Narrative Review|journal=Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics|volume=116|issue=11|pages=1794–1802|date=2016|pmid=27618575|pmc=5085873|doi=10.1016/j.jand.2016.07.015}}</ref><ref name=Allen2013>{{cite journal|first1=Robert W.|last1=Allen|first2=Emmanuelle|last2=Schwartzman|first3=William L.|last3=Baker|first4=Craig I.|last4=Coleman|first5=Olivia J.|last5=Phung|title=Cinnamon use in type 2 diabetes: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis|journal=The Annals of Family Medicine|volume=11|issue=5|pages=452–459|date=2013|pmid=24019277|pmc=3767714|doi=10.1370/afm.1517}}</ref><ref name=Akilen2012>{{cite journal|last1=Akilen|first1=Rajadurai|last2=Tsiami|first2=Amalia|last3=Devendra|first3=Devasenan|last4=Robinson|first4=Nicola|title=Cinnamon in glycaemic control: Systematic review and meta analysis|journal=Clinical Nutrition|volume=31|issue=5|pages=609–615|date=20 April 2012|pmid=22579946|doi=10.1016/j.clnu.2012.04.003}}</ref><ref name=Leach2012>{{cite journal|last1=Leach|first1=Matthew J.|last2=Kumar|first2=Saravana|title=Cinnamon for diabetes mellitus|journal=Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews|issue=9|date=12 September 2012|pages=CD007170|pmid=22972104|doi=10.1002/14651858.CD007170.pub2|pmc=6486047}}</ref><ref name=Namazi2019>{{cite journal|last1=Namazi|first1=Nazli|last2=Khodamoradi|first2=Kajal|last3=Khamechi|first3=Seyed Peyman|last4=Heshmati|first4=Javad|last5=Ayati|first5=Mohammad Hossein|last6=Larijani|first6=Bagher|title=The impact of cinnamon on anthropometric indices and glycemic status in patients with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials|journal=Complementary Therapies in Medicine|volume=43|pages=92–101|date=April 2019|pmid=30935562|doi=10.1016/j.ctim.2019.01.002}}</ref> Four of the reviews reported a decrease in fasting plasma glucose,<ref name=Costello2016/><ref name=Allen2013/><ref name=Akilen2012/><ref name=Namazi2019/> only two reported lower HbA1c,<ref name=Costello2016/><ref name=Akilen2012/> and one reported no change to either measure.<ref name=Leach2012/> The [[Organization:Cochrane (organisation)|Cochrane]] review noted that trial durations were limited to 4 to 16 weeks, and that no trials reported on changes to [[Philosophy:Quality of life|quality of life]], morbidity or [[Mortality rate|mortality rate]]. The Cochrane authors' conclusion was: "There is insufficient evidence to support the use of cinnamon for type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus."<ref name=Leach2012/> Citing the Cochrane review, the U.S. [[Organization:National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health|National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health]] stated: "Studies done in people don't support using cinnamon for any health condition."<ref name=nccih/>

A meta-analysis of cinnamon supplementation trials with lipid measurements reported lower total cholesterol and triglycerides, but no significant changes in LDL-cholesterol or HDL-cholesterol.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Maierean SM, Serban MC, Sahebkar A, Ursoniu S, Serban A, Penson P, Banach M |title=The effects of cinnamon supplementation on blood lipid concentrations: A systematic review and meta-analysis |journal=J Clin Lipidol |volume=11 |issue=6 |pages=1393–1406 |date=2017 |pmid=28887086 |doi=10.1016/j.jacl.2017.08.004 |url=http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/6931/1/cinnamon.pdf}}</ref> Another reported no change to body weight or insulin resistance.<ref name=Namazi2019/>

==Toxicity==
{{further|Chemistry:Coumarin}}
A systematic review of adverse events as a result of cinnamon use reported gastrointestinal disorders and allergic reactions as the most frequently reported side effects.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Hajimonfarednejad|first1=M.|last2=Ostovar|first2=M.|last3=Raee|first3=M. J.|last4=Hashempur|first4=M. H.|last5=Mayer|first5=J. G.|last6=Heydari|first6=M.|title=Cinnamon: A systematic review of adverse events|journal=Clinical Nutrition|volume=38|issue=2|pages=594–602|date=1 April 2019|pmid=29661513|doi=10.1016/j.clnu.2018.03.013}}</ref>

In 2008, the European Food Safety Authority considered the toxicity of coumarin, a component of cinnamon, and confirmed a maximum recommended [[Chemistry:Tolerable daily intake|tolerable daily intake]] (TDI) of 0.1&nbsp;mg of coumarin per kg of body weight. Coumarin is known to cause liver and kidney damage in high concentrations and metabolic effect in humans with [[Biology:CYP2A6|CYP2A6]] [[Biology:Polymorphism|polymorphism]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Harris|first=Emily|title=German Christmas Cookies Pose Health Danger|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6672644|access-date=1 May 2007|publisher=National Public Radio}}</ref><ref name=efsa>{{Cite journal|doi=10.2903/j.efsa.2008.793|title=Coumarin in flavourings and other food ingredients with flavouring properties - Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids and Materials in Contact with Food (AFC)|journal=EFSA Journal|volume=6|issue=10|page=793|date=7 October 2008|doi-access=free}}</ref> Based on this assessment, the [[Organization:European Union|European Union]] set a guideline for maximum coumarin content in foodstuffs of 50&nbsp;mg per kg of dough in seasonal foods, and 15&nbsp;mg per kg in everyday baked foods.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/20/cinnamon-intake-food-argument-denmark|title=Cinnamon sparks spicy debate between Danish bakers and food authorities|last=Russell|first=Helen|date=20 December 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|access-date=26 November 2016}}</ref> The maximum recommended TDI of 0.1&nbsp;mg of coumarin per kg of body weight equates to 5&nbsp;mg of coumarin for a body weight of 50&nbsp;kg:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!  !! ''C. cassia'' !! ''C. verum''
|-
| mg coumarin/g cinnamon || 0.10–12.18 || 0.005–0.090
|-
| TDI cinnamon at 50&nbsp;kg body weight || 0.4–50&nbsp;g || more than 50&nbsp;g
|}

Due to the variable amount of coumarin in ''C. cassia'', usually well over 1.0&nbsp;mg of coumarin per g of cinnamon and sometimes up to 12 times that, ''C. cassia'' has a low safe intake level upper limit to adhere to the above TDI.<ref name=dan>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.foodcont.2013.10.014|title=Coumarin content in cinnamon containing food products on the Danish market|url=http://www.foedevarestyrelsen.dk/SiteCollectionDocuments/Laboratorie/Food%20Control%20-%20Coumarin%20in%20Danish%20Food%20Products.pdf|journal=Food Control|volume=38|pages=198–203|year=2014|last1=Ballin|first1=Nicolai Z.|last2=Sørensen|first2=Ann T.}}</ref> In contrast, ''C. verum'' has only trace amounts of coumarin.<ref name=Wang2013>{{cite journal|last1=Wang|first1=Yan-Hong|last2=Avula|first2=Bharathi|last3=Nanayakkara|first3=N. P. Dhammika|last4=Zhao|first4=Jianping|last5=Khan|first5=Ikhlas A.|title=Cassia cinnamon as a source of coumarin in cinnamon-flavored food and food supplements in the United States|journal=[[Chemistry:Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry|Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry]]|volume=61|issue=18|year=2013|pages=4470–4476|doi=10.1021/jf4005862|url=https://cinnamonvogue.com/DOWNLOADS/Cinnamon_and_coumarin.pdf|pmid=23627682|access-date=13 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505233039/http://www.cinnamonvogue.com/DOWNLOADS/Cinnamon_and_coumarin.pdf|archive-date=5 May 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery class="center" caption="" widths="170px" heights="150px">
File:Cinnamomum Verum vs Cinnamomum Burmannii.jpg|Quills of Ceylon cinnamon (''Cinnamomum verum'', left) and Indonesian cinnamon (''C. burmannii'', right)
File:“Spiced” Tea – Flavoured by Cinnamon and Cardamom, Comilla, Bangladesh, 26 April 2014.jpg|Cinnamon-flavoured tea is a hot beverage.
File:Mmm... cinnamon toast (4197664913).jpg|Cinnamon toast can be made with cinnamon baked in, or just sprinkled on top.
File:Ferrara-Pan-Red-Hots-Candy.jpg|Ferrara Pan Red Hots, a cinnamon-based candy
</gallery>

== See also ==
* ''[[Biology:Canella|Canella]]'', a plant known as "wild cinnamon" or "white cinnamon"
* ''Cinnamomea'', a New Latin adjective meaning 'cinnamon-coloured'
* Cinnamon challenge
* [[Biology:List of culinary herbs and spices|List of culinary herbs and spices]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Wijesekera R. O. B., Ponnuchamy S., Jayewardene A. L., "Cinnamon" (1975) monograph published by CISIR, Colombo, Sri Lanka

== External links ==
{{Commons|Cinnamomum verum}}
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/07/south_asia_sri_lanka0s_spice_of_life/html/1.stm "In pictures: Sri Lanka's spice of life"]. BBC News.

{{Transient receptor potential channel modulators}}

[[Category:Antifungals]]

{{Sourceattribution|Cinnamon}}