The Best Cinnamon Species

[agroventuresperu]

Which is it? Can't remember. Apparently one is a cut above the rest, whereas the others aren't even considered "true" cinnamon..Some of the inferior species I've heard are actually somewhat toxic.

[Daintree]

I have a cinnamon zeylanicum. I don't use the bark but i like to chew on the twigs when I prune, I make tea out of the leaves, and I love to eat the berries.

Carolyn

[blackb0x]

Cinnamomum verum for sure 

[brian]

Ceylon cinnamon is typically known as "true cinnamon" and cassia cinnamon as the "cheap subsititue" but they taste the same to me.  I think cassia recently became controversial because it naturally contains a carcinogen above EU levels and I think restricted in food products there?  I remember some article about cinnamon-bun bakers balking 'bout the ban.

I have a small ceylon cinnamon tree and it is a neat conversation piece.

[brian]

I have a cinnamon zeylanicum. I don't use the bark but i like to chew on the twigs when I prune, I make tea out of the leaves, and I love to eat the berries.

Carolyn

Same!  Bulk cinnamon is so cheap it would be silly to harvest the live tree, but I chew any twigs that die on their own.  How long/what size did you start getting flowers and berries?  Mine has never flowered

[Epicatt2]

Cassia cinnamon is the problem one because it contains a significant amount of coumarin so that anyone taking blood thinners like Warfarin should not use a lot of cassia cinnamon.

Ceylon (or True) Cinnamon OTOH, has a negligible amount of coumarin so it is safe to use in such cases.  Ceylon cinnamon also has a slightly sweeter taste than cassia cinnamon.

OK — HTH

Paul M.
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