Cinnamon

A spice that comes from the inner bark of two related evergreen trees from the laurel family. True, or Ceylon, cinnamon is taken from a white-flowered shrub, Cinnamomum zeylanicum. The paler cinnamon is the better quality, since pale bark comes from the young shoots, and the strips of bark, or "quills", should be thin and delicate. The second of the two trees, which has a bark that is more strongly scented, is called cassia. Today, most of the "cinnamon" sold in the United States is actually cassia imported from Vietnam. The two are most easily distinguished by color: true cinnamon is tan, while cassia is a darker, reddish brown. The trees are native to Asia, and cinnamon was among the first commodities regularly traded from the East to the Mediterranean, at first along arduous routes and then by barge.

There is evidence that cinnamon was used in Egypt about 3000 BC, and it's often mentioned in the Old Testament. In Exodus, for example, God has Moses consecrate the temple with a mixture of myrrh, cinnamon, cassia and olive oil. Cassia was found in China in 2500 BC; was known in Egypt by 1600 BC; and gradually headed for Europe. During the Middle Ages, cinnamon was second in popularity only to black pepper. In the Far East, cinnamon is the traditional emblem of good luck, and in Indonesia, a drink flavored with cassia buds is always given to newlyweds.

Ground cinnamon soon goes stale, so it should be bought in small quantities. Cinnamon also contains a chemical compound called eugenol, the same one that gives cloves their distinctive aroma.

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