Difference between Ceylon and Cassia Cinnamon
I love cinnamon. I started researching into cinnamon after I started adding it into home cooked food and bakes. I discovered that there are 2 types of cinnamon sold in the market – Ceylon and Cassia. The difference in price is very disparate! Ceylon cinnamon can cost a few times more than Cassia!
Cinnamon is produced from drying strips of inner bark of the Cinnamomum tree. You can buy them in the form of cinnamon sticks or quills or powder or extract.
Cassia Cinnamon originated from China and are widely grown in East and South Asia. It is dark brown (reddish) in colour, with thicker stalks and a rougher texture than its Ceylon cousin. It is very affordable and is most commonly consumed due to its price point. Therefore, if you see a bottle of cinnamon in the supermarket and it’s not specified whether it’s ceylon or cassia, it is most likely to be the latter. It has a very strong and spicy flavour.
Ceylon Cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka and South India. It is made from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum verum tree. It is tan brown in colour and its stalks are dense with soft layers and a smoother texture. As it is less common than the Cassia Cinnamon, it is more expensive. It has a delicate and mildly sweet flavour which makes it suitable for desserts.
Why do I use the Ceylon and not Cassia Cinnamon?
Cassia cinnamon contains coumarin which can be harmful in large doses. Cassia contains ~1% coumarin whereas Ceylon contains ~0.004%, which is negligible.
Coumarin is known to cause kidney, liver and lunch damage, therefore it may be harmful in large doses.
Lots of tests have been conducted with the Ceylon Cinnamon which shows that it has been useful in controlling blood sugar, which is important with diabetes patients.
It also blocks a protein named tau from accumulating in the brain. Tau buildup is a characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.
At the end of the day, it’s all about moderation. Just don’t take anything excessively or good stuff may also have bad outcomes.
