Cinnamon Spice

Fragrant, cinnamon spice is one of the highly prized spices that has been in use since biblical times for its medicinal and culinary properties. This delightfully exotic, sweet-flavored spice stick is traditionally obtained from the outer brown bark of cinnamomum trees, which when dried, rolls into a tubular-form, known commercially as "quill.".

The cinnamon plant is a small, evergreen bushy tree belonging to the family of lauraceae or laurel within the genus; cinnamomum. This novel spice is native to sri lankan island but also grow in many other countries such as myanmar, bangladesh, india, china, and indonesia.

Different cultivars ofacinnamons exist; however, sri lankan variety is regarded as "true cinnamon" and scientifically named as cinnamonum verum. Traditionally, its inner bark is bruised using a brass rod, which is then peeled off from the tree. In the processing units, this bark is sliced into long stripes, which are then rolled into quills by hand and allowed to dry under the sunlight.

Again from this bark, an aromatic essential oil (makes up 0.5% to 1% of its composition) is extracted. In general, the oil is processed by roughly pounding the bark, macerating it in seawater, and then quickly distilling the whole. The oil features golden-yellow color, with the characteristic odor of cinnamon and very pungent, aromatic taste.

The pungent taste and scent in cinnamon spice is because of the chemical compounds, cinnamic aldehyde and cinnamaldehyde. Cassia, also known as chinese cinnamon, is a different member of lauraceae family, and named as cinnamomum cassia. Cassia is coarser, more spicy, and pungent but less fragrant than cinnamon. It is usually substituted for the cinnamon in savory dishes.

Most people have cinnamon around the house, but usually itas been there for a few years! cinnamon has the highest antioxidant value of any spice. It has been shown to reduce inflammation and lower blood sugar and blood triglyceride levels. Cinnamon has also been used to alleviate nausea and to increase sensitivity to insulin and aid in fat burning. It provides manganese, iron and calcium. Itas antimicrobial properties can help extend the life of foods.

While cinnamon is an incredibly healthy and nutritious spice, it is often hard to branch out from the most common uses of cinnamon: cookies, muffins and desserts. Other places in the world cinnamon is used in savory and sweet dishes, everything from breakfast to dessert. Iave even had it in chili before! our most common uses are a tablespoon added to almond pancake batter, on apples baked for dessert or in homemade granola bars. It is a great addition to savory foods and in curry powders.

Can lower blood sugar, triglycerides, ldl, and total cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes. Aim for one-fourth to one-half teaspoon of cinnamon twice a day.

Dip berries or bananas in low-fat sour cream, then in a mix of 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 cup brown sugar.

The active principles in the cinnamon spice are known to have anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-septic, local anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, rubefacient (warming and soothing), carminative and anti-flatulent properties.

Cinnamon spice has the highest anti-oxidant strength of all the food sources in nature. The totala measured orac (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) value for this novel spice is 2,67,536 trolex equivalents (te), which is many hundred times more than in chokeberry, apples, etc.

The spice contains health benefiting essential oils such as eugenol, a phenylpropanoids class of chemical compound, which gives pleasant, sweet aromatic fragrance to it. Eugenol has got local anesthetic and antiseptic properties, hence; employed in the dental and gum treatment procedures.

Other important essential oils in cinnamon include ethyl cinnamate, linalool, cinnamaldehyde, beta-caryophyllene, and methyl chavicol.

Cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon-sticks has been found to have anti-clotting action, prevents platelet clogging inside the blood vessels, and thereby helps prevent stroke, peripheral arterial and coronary artery diseases.

The active principles in this spice may increase the motility of the intestinal tract as well as help aid in the digestion by increasing gastro-intestinal enzyme secretions.

This spicy bark is an excellent source of minerals like potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, zinc, and magnesium. Iron is required for cellular metabolism as a co-factor and in rbc's production. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese and copper are chiefly used by the body as co-factors for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.

It also contains very good amounts of vitamin a, niacin, pantothenic acid, and pyridoxine.

Further, it is also a very good source of flavonoid phenolic anti-oxidants such as carotenes, zea-xanthin, lutein and cryptoxanthin.

The essential oil, eugenol, has been in therapeutic use in dentistry as a local-anesthetic and antiseptic for teeth and gum.

Eugenol also has been found to reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics, but further detailed studies required to establish its benefits.

The extraction from the sticks (decoction) is sometimes used in treating flatulence, and indigestion in traditional medicine.

The spice is used in traditional medicines to stave off common cold and oxidant stress conditions.

It is also used as a natural food preservative.

In order to keep the fragrance and flavor intact, cinnamon spice is generally powdered just before preparing dishes and added at the last moment in the cooking recipes, since prolonged cooking results in evaporation of its essential oils.

Around the world, cinnamon spice is widely used as a spice. It is principally employed in cookery as a condiment and flavoring base. It is used in the preparation of chocolate and in some kinds of desserts, such as cinnamon-apple pie and cinnamon buns as well as pastries, bagels, sweet rolls, spicy candies, tea, hot cocoa, and liqueurs.

Cinnamon spice has been in use in the preparation of many popular dishes in asian and chinese cuisine since ancient times. Along with other spicy items (masala powder), it is being used in marinating chicken, fish and meats.

Some indian vegetarian and chicken curries and rice dishes (biriyani) contain small amounts of ground powder. In the middle east, it is used in meat and rice dishes.

It has also been used in the preparation of soups, barbecue sauces, pickling and as one of the ingredients in variety of curry powders.