Cinnamon
The cinnamon spice is used in many foods including main dishes and desserts. It comes from a small evergreen tree which is native to Sri Lanka and India. The spice comes from oil which is held within the bark of the tree
Cinnamon has been revered since the beginning of time. It is mentioned in the Bible two times. It was imported from China to Egypt as early as 2000 BC. It was commonly used on funeral pyres in Rome. The Roman Emperor Nero burned a year’s supply of cinnamon at the funeral of his wife, Poppaea Sabina, in 65 AD.
During the middle Ages, Arab traders brought the spice to Egypt. In Egypt is was bought by traders from Italy who held a monopoly on the spice trade in Europe. Portuguese traders discovered Sri Lanka at the end of the fifteenth century. The Portuguese soon took control of the cinnamon trade. The British Empire took control of Sri Lanka in 1796. By this time coffee, tea, sugar and chocolate outranked cinnamon in popularity.
Cinnamon is harvested by growing the tree for two years and then coppicing it. This causes shoots to form from the roots. These shoots are stripped of their bark. Only a thin strip of the inner bark is used for cinnamon. The strips curl up when dried. They are cut into 5 - 10 cm long pieces for sale.
This spice is currently grown in Sri Lanka, India, Java, Sumatra, Brazil, Vietnam, Madagascar and Egypt. Sri Lankan cinnamon is considered to be the best in the world.
The cinnamon spice is used mostly during the winter and holiday seasons. It is a staple in pumpkin pie, apple sauce, and holiday cookies. It tastes especially good in recipes containing apples. It can be added to apple pies, apple cider, and baked apples.
