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I’m feeling a little snookered. What I’ve always thought was cinnamon is something called cassia.
On the right is cassia, what I’ve always known and loved as cinnamon sticks.
On the left is cinnamon. Thin and brittle, unlike the thick, woody cassia on the right.
Most ground cinnamon is actually cassia, too. Kroger Co., for example, reports that all of its cinnamon sold is cassia.
What’s the difference, besides the fact that they come from two different plants? The taste is somewhat different, with true cinnamon having a milder and less bitter taste than its imitator.
What got me investigating is that cinnamon has been getting a lot of buzz because of its medicinal qualities.
If I was going to try and increase the cinnamon in my diet, I wanted to be using the right stuff.
While it’s tough to separate the science from folklore sometimes, here are some of the things cinnamon is purported to be good for:
- lowering bad cholesterol
- weight loss
- assisting in blood sugar control in Type 2 diabetes
- reducing arthritis pain
- strengthening the immune system
- relieving indigestion
The cinnamon is often combined with honey which also has many followers for its health benefits.
Of all the things out there supposed to be good for you, this has got to be one of the most delicious.
I don’t suppose they had cinnamon honey buns in mind when they recommended it for lowering cholesterol?
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
So, if the cinnamon and the cassia have similar properties, are they inter-changeable as far as the list of health benefits? Did you have to go find a new product and ditch the old “faux-cinnamon” in favor of the real stuff?
LisaPie–While cassia does have some health benefits, the ones cited here, blood sugar, weight control, etc., are specific to ceylon cinnamon as far as I can tell. So don’t ditch your cassia, but if you were going to try extra cinnamon for health benefits, you might get a jar of ceylon cinnamon and give it a try.
Interesting! We have gotten bags of the “barky” cinnamon inexpensively at Indian grocery stories.
Where did you purchase your real cinnamon sticks? I’ve heard that “cinnamon” isn’t really cinnamon and I’ve wanted to try the real stuff for awhile but I can never find any.
Huh. I never knew this. Maybe I should try some “real” cinnamon, since I really don’t like what I thought was cinnamon.
Jin–I bought mine at Penzey’s. We have a shop but I believe they have online sales, too.
I had no idea. Thanks for the information.
Cinnamon is a spice I use in Cooking, Drinks, Bath products, and Incense.
I’m excited to try it in the Bath and Incense recipes.
If you are looking for a good online place to buy herbs and spices, {I have not bought cinnamon from them, but plenty of other herbs and such} Mountain Rose Herbs is a good place to start. They are selling both.
Interesting. I’ve started buying my spices at a different place recently & noticed that the cinnamon had a sub label of cassia but didn’t know what that meant. I also noticed a stronger flavour, but thought it was because the spices are much fresher at this place.
I buy my cinnamon (Korjinte cinnamon?) at Costco. Super cheap and it has a much better flavor than any “cinnamon” I’ve bought anywhere else. It is pre-ground though so if you’re looking for sticks, I’m not certain if Costco has them.
Hope this helps you!
Kari
Plain old cassia is also good for killing the mold you get on seedlings from damping off disease.
They’re closely enough related that I don’t think using cassia will be any different (as long as it’s fresh). I think Alton Brown, in his cinammon bun cooking episode, said he prefers cassia because it’s hotter than ceylon.
If cassia is hotter, you would think means that it has a higher concentration of “cinammonness” than ceylon, which would make it more medicinal. I’ve actually read in a few places that you can’t import it into Germany because of its blood-thinning effect… but I’m not sure if that’s accurate or an urban legend.
I find this utterly ridiculous! How can the jars not be labeled with what they truly are! I am quite upset that our society has allowed this, ESPECIALLY in light of the benefits of cinnamon being in the news lately!
You can also buy cinnamon oil. Both “real” cinnamon and cassia oils are available. I added some to my apple jelly last fall. Yum!
I too am curious how you know if you are getting the real stuff. I buy my cinnamon (or hope is cinnamon) by the 4 lb bucket from Breadbeckers out of Atlanta. I guess I will call them and see if it really is cinnamon. I add it to my coffee every morning for the supposed health benefits. Do you have a source for the real stuff?
I just checked my cupboard. Kroger out of Cincinnati.
It just says cinnamon. No ingredient list. So I hope it’s cinnamon.
Hey everyone! My friend who has her degree in holistic med gave me a pamphlet from her first job on cassia as a joke (my name is Cassia) …It said as a herb it is interchangeable with cinnamon and the fruit from cassia is still used as a natural laxitive in India and China today. So you have nothing to worry about as long as your using fresh, pesticide free cassia
My father in law started taking an awful lot of cinnamon a year or so ago after someone told him about the health benefits – he developed a terrible rash and felt rather unwell, and it took quite a while for him to link it to the cinnamon (confirmed by his doctor – a nasty reaction). Please remember – ‘good for you’ doesn’t necessarily equate to ‘more is better’, and some people are quite sensitive to cinnamon.
Everyone, Ceylon Cinnamon should be the only thing you use! Cassia causes liver dammage. Especially if you are going to use it in large amounts mixed with honey for your health! Look it up, You will see I know what I’m talking about.
the cinnamon we buy here in the US has ingredients that is not good for your liver if you eat alot. So much so that Germany has banned it for a long time now. The cinnamon thats good for you is hard to find in the states. Not sure where to get it.
ceylon cinnamon is supposed to be the real stuff according to all I’ve heard and read about….!
Read that Ceylon Cinnamon is the one used for medicinal purposes. Cassia Cinnamon has a toxicity to it in large doses. Try Sprouts or Cox Farms (natural food stores) for the Ceylon (real cinnamon)