It Turns Out Most Cinnamon Isn't 'True' Cinnamon, And I'll Never Unsee It

Cassia cinnamon sticksRecently, I learned that purple garlic is sweeter and milder than its white counterparts. The “hardneck” variety has bigger cloves and is preferred for roasting, apparently. But that’s not the only food chipboard mystery I’ve unravelled. For instance, it turns out that mass-produced paprika is often (but not always) made from bell peppers, while chilli powder is rarely made from 100%, well, chilli. And now, it turns out I can’t even trust cinnamon. Or at least, there’s more to the story than I realised. Most of the cinnamon that reaches customers is not Ceylon cinnamon, or “true” cinnamon; instead, we are far more likely to receive Cassia, which Healthline explains has a different risk profile as well as an alternative flavour. What’s the difference between Ceylon vs Cassia cinnamon?Ceylon cinnamon comes from the Cinnamomum verum (Latin for “true cinnamon”) tree. It’s native to Sri Lanka and has a more delicate flavour and smell than Cassia cinnamon, which is harvested from the Cinnamomum cassia plant.The flavour changes are down in part to the amounts of different oils found in both, Healthline says. Researchers have found that about 50–63% of “true” cinnamon is made from an essential oil called cinnamaldehyde, compared to as much as 95% in Cassia cinnamon.That’s why Cassia, which comprises “Almost all cinnamon found in supermarkets,” has a stronger, harsher flavour.While both Cassia and Ceylon cinnamon seem to have promising potential health benefits, such as possible insulin regulation, “Ceylon has far less potential to cause harm when consumed regularly,” Healthline states. Cassia cinnamon contains as much as 250 times more coumarin, an ingredient that becomes toxic at large amounts, than Ceylon.Some experts recommend staying below 0.1 mg of cassia cinnamon per kg of body weight a day.Anyone who participated in the dangerous cinnamon trend will likely not need reminding that consuming many spoonfuls at once is not good for us.The cinnamon in my kitchenDoes that mean Cassia cinnamon is worse? Not necessarily. It’s just different and does not have worse health effects when eaten in safe amounts. Cassia is cheaper, easier, on average, to find, and stronger than Ceylon cinnamon. Britannica says that Southern Europeans often prefer the stronger, more “pungent” smell and taste of cassia cinnamon, though the subtler flavour of Ceylon varieties is prized by others.In the UK, cinnamon that is not “true” cinnamon has to be labelled as such, The Spruce reports. A peek at the two kinds I own reveals they’re Saigon and Cassia varieties, respectively – camphor laurel (Cinnamon camphora), malabathrum (Cinnamon tamala), and Indonesian cinnamon (Cinnamon burmannii) are other non-Cassia alternatives to “true” cinnamon. I’ll never unsee the previously-ignored explainers, though the flavour is still, to my taste, delicious. Related...I Just Learned Why Some Garlic Is Purple, And Now I'll Check Every TimeI Just Learned What Paprika Is Really Made From, And I Need To Lie DownI Just Learned What Chilli Powder Is Really Made From, And I Had No Clue

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