The genus Cinnamomum

13 End Uses of Cinnamon and Cassia
Introduction
Cinnamon and cassia have been used as spices and medicines since ancient times
and have long been held in high esteem as aromatics as well as ingredients of oils and
perfumes. Chinese cassia, along with clove, was used by the ancient Egyptians for
embalming. Sponges soaked in extracts of cinnamon were used for bathing by the privileged
classes of the ancient and medieval world to protect the body from diseases.
Cinnamon was also sometimes used as barter money for payment of loans, in place of
precious metals. Cinnamon was mentioned in many books by the end of the middle
ages as an ingredient of throat and cough medicines. Most western countries do not
differentiate much between cinnamon and cassia. In the US, cassia cinnamon is more
popular and has almost wholly replaced Ceylon cinnamon in the market. A brief
discussion on the end uses of cinnamon and cassia is presented below.
Cinnamon
B. Krishnamoorthy and J. Rema
Cinnamon as a spice
Commercially, cinnamon bark is marketed as quills, which are produced from the dried,
inner bark extracted from shoots of C. verum. The bark has an aromatic and sweet taste
with a spicy fragrance, due to the presence of essential oils. The major use of cinnamon
bark is for flavouring processed food, the aromatic ingredient of the bark improving the
overall flavour of the food item. A wide range of curry powders are used in Indian and
other oriental cusines; the main components in most curry powders are: turmeric for
colour; chillies for pungency; and coriander, cumin, fenugreek, ginger, celery and black
pepper for flavour. Flavour enhancement is achieved through the addition of cinnamon,
nutmeg, cloves, caraway or other spices. Cinnamon forms an ingredient of curry powder
used in the preparation of meat, fish and vegetable dishes. Some typical curry powder
formulations and the Federal Specifications for curry powder are given in Tables 13.1
and 13.2.
In the food industry, ground spice is essential for flavouring baked products, such as
cakes, buns, biscuits, cookies, steamed puddings, pies, candies, chewing gum and
desserts. Cinnamon is also added to marinades, beverages and ice creams. In Spain and
Mexico, powdered cinnamon is a constituent of chocolate preparations. It is also used,
along with other spices, in pickles, sauces, soups, confectionaries and canned fruits,
such as Dutch pears or stewed rhubarb.
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