Cinnamon

Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of evergreen trees in the genus Cinnamomum, most notably Cinnamomum verum (true cinnamon).

You’ll find it sold as whole rolled barks called quills, as a fine ground powder, and as essential oils extracted from bark and leaves by steam distillation for culinary and commercial uses.

Cinnamon brings an intense warm, naturally sweet character and a fragrant, aromatic scent from cinnamaldehyde. When fried in hot fat or simmered in liquids it releases a mellow, sweet woody aroma without harsh bitterness.

Whole cinnamon sticks are a regular in garam masala and are fried with cloves and green cardamom for biryani and pulao. Add a quill to hot ghee or oil during tadka to gently infuse the fat, or simmer a stick through the cooking for a deep, woody sweetness.

For drinks, boil ground cinnamon or whole pieces into water or milk for masala chai or kadha. For sweets like kheer and halwa, use ground cinnamon toward the end of cooking to keep the delicate aromatics.

True cinnamon is native to the central hills of Sri Lanka and neighbouring regions of South Asia. In India it is grown commercially in parts of the Western Ghats; Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are noted producing states.

Per 100 g, ground cinnamon contains roughly 53 g dietary fiber and over 1,000 mg calcium, while being naturally low in fat.