From NationalGeographic.com
Savor the Flavor of Fall
by Amy Topel
When fall comes around, the sweet and spicy flavor of cinnamon is everywhere. It’s baked into pies, cakes and cookies, infused into apple cider and sprinkled on roasted winter squashes. Cinnamon sticks are tied into bundles to create wall decorations and table centerpieces and simmered on the stove to infuse the house with holiday cheer. During this season, cinnamon is definitely the most important spice in the cupboard.
While most visible in the United States during the fall and winter months, cinnamon is an important ingredient year-round in cultures around the globe. Chinese five-spice powder, Moroccan desserts, Mexican mole and Sicilian tomato sauce wouldn’t be the same without it. You may be surprised to learn that there is more than one type of cinnamon and that the cinnamon we use in the U.S. is not the same as that used in Mexico and Europe.
Cinnamon is the peeled bark of an evergreen tree. Many species are used to produce cinnamon, but they fall into two main categories: true cinnamon and cassia cinnamon. True cinnamon is variously known as Ceylon cinnamon, canela or Mexican cinnamon and is harvested primarily in Sri Lanka and used in European and Mexican cuisine. It has a light color and delicate flavor, and is less spicy and assertive than the cinnamon we are used to in the U.S. The sticks are more fragile and can easily be ground to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or in a coffee or spice grinder.
The cinnamon we find in grocery stores in the U.S. is from the cassia tree and is harvested primarily in Vietnam, Indonesia and China. There are many kinds of cassia cinnamon, with variations in flavor and color, but the most prized variety, Saigon cinnamon, has the highest content of essential oils. (more…)
