Ceylon cinnamon: traditional uses, forms and cautions

Partager

0

Ceylon cinnamon is the inner bark of a tropical tree, peeled in thin strips and dried into curled quills. It turns up in mulled drinks, rice puddings, spice blends and herbal infusions. This page sets out what the bark is, what herbalists and traditional practice credit it with, how to prepare it at home tonight, and who should leave it alone.

Where true cinnamon comes from

• The tree is an evergreen of humid tropical lowlands, coppiced so it throws up slim young shoots.
• Those shoots are cut, the outer bark scraped away, and the inner bark peeled off in ribbons.
• As the strips dry they curl in on themselves, forming the familiar elongated quills.
• Pale bark from young shoots is the grade prized in the spice trade and by herbalists.
• Quills are sold whole, ground to powder, or steam-distilled for essential oil.

What it is credited with

• Digestive comfort. Herbalists reach for cinnamon bark as a warming carminative, traditionally taken after heavy meals for bloating, wind and sluggish digestion.
• Appetite. Traditional European herbal practice used the bark as a bitter-sweet aromatic to encourage appetite before eating.
• A warming spice. In both Ayurvedic and old European kitchen medicine, cinnamon has a long-standing reputation for “warming from within” and is a classic of cold-weather drinks.
• Winter infusions. Naturopathy credits the bark with a comforting role in the cold season, usually paired with ginger, lemon and honey in a hot drink.
• Tonic reputation. Roman and Greek writers described cinnamon as a tonic, an aphrodisiac and an antiseptic — a reputation it has carried in herbals ever since.
• Ritual and preservation. The bark was used in embalming preparations as early as the 3rd century BC, valued for its aroma and its keeping qualities.

These are traditional and naturopathic attributions, not treatments. Cinnamon is a spice, not a remedy for any diagnosed condition.

How to use it

Start in the kitchen. The bark is easy to prepare and the taste tells you straight away whether you have used enough.

• Decoction (the strongest water preparation). Break half a stick into a mug of cold water, bring to a bare simmer, cover, and let it tick over for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain. Sweet, woody, faintly peppery. Herbalists favour this after a meal.
• Infusion. Drop a whole stick into a cup of just-boiled water, cover and leave 10 minutes. Lighter and more perfumed than a decoction. One stick will do two or three cups before it gives up.
• Powder. A pinch to a quarter teaspoon stirred into porridge, yoghurt, stewed apples, coffee or warm milk. Ceylon powder is pale and fine and dissolves willingly.
• Cold season drink. One stick, a few slices of fresh ginger and a strip of lemon peel simmered together for 10 minutes, then honey off the heat.
• Mulled preparation. A stick, a couple of cloves and a slice of orange warmed gently in juice or wine for 20 minutes without boiling.
• Cooking. A whole stick in with rice, pilaf, lentils, curries or poached pears; fish it out before serving.
• Tincture. Sold ready-made by herbal suppliers; use at the drop rate printed on the bottle, in a little water.

How long: an occasional cup causes nobody any trouble. If you are using it as a daily herbal routine, herbalists generally suggest a few days at a time with a break, rather than an open-ended habit.

The essential oil is a different matter

• Cinnamon bark essential oil is extremely concentrated and strongly irritant to skin and mucous membranes.
• It is never used neat on the skin: it must be heavily diluted in a plant-based carrier oil, and even then it can make skin peel.
• Any oral use of the essential oil belongs with a qualified practitioner who sets the form and the amount.
• It is not for bath water, not for inhalation, and not for diffusers.
• If you simply want the aroma in the house, simmer a stick in water on the hob instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

The one thing to remember: simmer half a stick of true Ceylon bark in a mug of water for 10 to 15 minutes after a meal — and leave the essential oil to a practitioner.

Are there any contraindications in using cinnamon?

Yes. Ceylon cinnamon as a herbal preparation is contraindicated for children under 12, pregnant women, nursing women and people with skin intolerance. The essential oil is banned from bath water, inhalation and diffusers, and must never be used neat on the skin. If you take any regular medication, check with a healthcare professional first.

What is the difference between Ceylon cinnamon and supermarket cinnamon?

Most supermarket cinnamon is cassia, a related species with dark, thick, hard bark and a blunt, hot flavour. Ceylon cinnamon is pale, brittle and made of many fine layers, with a sweeter and more delicate taste. Cassia is much higher in coumarin, so Ceylon is the usual pick for anyone using cinnamon often.

Can I put cinnamon essential oil in my diffuser for the smell?

No. Cinnamon bark essential oil is excluded from diffusers, inhalation and bath water because it irritates skin and airways. If you want the scent through the house, simmer a cinnamon stick in a pan of water on the hob with a slice of orange. Same aroma, none of the risk.

How much cinnamon can I use in a day?

Kitchen amounts — a pinch of powder on porridge, a stick in a pot of rice, a cup of decoction — are ordinary culinary use. For a more deliberate herbal routine, herbalists typically suggest a few days on and then a break rather than taking it indefinitely. Concentrated forms need a practitioner’s guidance.

Which part of the plant do I actually use?

The inner bark of young shoots, dried into curled quills. Everything on this page — sticks, powder, decoction, tincture, essential oil — comes from that same bark. Leaves are distilled separately for a different oil and are not what is meant by cinnamon.

This information is provided for general interest and reflects the traditional use of plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you are on medication, pregnant, or in any doubt, ask a healthcare professional.