When you stand in front of the spice shelf and want to buy cinnamon, you often have a choice between several brands, but not between several varieties. However, there are two different types of cinnamon: cassia cinnamon and Ceylon cinnamon. And it's interesting to know the difference between them!

What is cinnamon?

Before we delve deeper, let's start with the basics. So, what exactly is cinnamon? It is a spice made from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum tree. Tree scrapers peel the bark from these trees, after which they let it dry in strips. This can be ground into powder. Alternatively, it remains in sticks: cinnamon sticks. Usually, these are curled to form the cinnamon sticks as we know them. This is not necessarily the case, by the way. Our cinnamon sticks come from old trees and are therefore not flexible enough to curl. So you can see much better what it essentially is: pieces of tree bark. But pieces of tree bark with a lot of flavor and aroma! The taste and aroma of cinnamon come from the essential oils it contains. Cinnamaldehyde has the biggest influence on this.

The cinnamon tree grows in tropical regions and is a member of the laurel family.

The difference between Ceylon and Cassia

Sri Lanka used to be called Ceylon. So, three guesses where this cinnamon usually comes from ;-). Ceylon cinnamon is sometimes also called 'true' cinnamon. The color, structure, taste, and shape of both types of cinnamon differ. Cassia tastes somewhat sharper and more bitter, while Ceylon, on the other hand, is subtle, warm, and pleasant. This is because cassia contains a higher coumarin content. Ceylon is light brown in color, while the color of cassia could rather be called deep red.

Cassia grows in China, among other places, and is therefore also known as Chinese cinnamon. This type is usually found in the supermarket when you buy a jar of cinnamon there. The substance coumarin (found in cassia cinnamon) can be toxic, but that is mainly the case in very large quantities. But even just for the taste and the conditions in which the cinnamon is grown and processed, we prefer the Ceylon variety. We have good connections with the farmers who grow our cinnamon and therefore know for sure that this is done in good conditions.

Would you like to read more about our cinnamon and the farmer we work with? More information can be found here.