Description
Cinnamon is the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka: it is harvested and left to dry, and as it dries it curls up into the sticks we know. For centuries it was one of the most precious spices in the trade with the East, passing through the warehouses of Venice too.
In Italy we associate it with desserts, apples and Christmas, but in many cuisines it is a savoury spice: it perfumes rice, lentil soups, stews and dhal. A small piece of stick in a pumpkin soup, removed before blending, adds a warm and surprising note.
Ceylon cinnamon is milder and sweeter; cassia, more common, is more intense.
In Italy we associate it with desserts, apples and Christmas, but in many cuisines it is a savoury spice: it perfumes rice, lentil soups, stews and dhal. A small piece of stick in a pumpkin soup, removed before blending, adds a warm and surprising note.
Ceylon cinnamon is milder and sweeter; cassia, more common, is more intense.
