Knowing your Onions

Or, in this case, knowing your cinnamon.

It’s one of the world’s most widely used spices, and the pungent aroma of it is unmistakable. Usually one whiff can evoke dreams of hot cinnamon rolls straight from the oven. But cinnamon is not just aromatic; it was also so highly-prized at one time that several wars were fought over it. It’s also been used as a currency, and has many attributed medicinal uses, too.

Native to Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), true cinnamon dates back to Chinese writings from around 2,800 BC. Ancient Egyptians used cinnamon in their embalming process, and from their word for cannon, Italians called it canella, meaning ‘little tube’, which aptly describes cinnamon sticks. In the first century AD, Pliny the Elder wrote of 350 grams of cinnamon as being equal in value to over five kilograms of silver - about fifteen times the value of silver by weight. Medieval physicians used it in medicines to treat coughing, hoarseness and sore throats. What’s more, as a sign of remorse, the Roman Emperor Nero ordered a year’s supply of cinnamon to be burnt after he murdered his wife Poppaea Sabina in 65 AD. (I guess things were a lot simpler then!) It was also valued for its preservation of meat qualities due to the phenols which inhibit the bacteria responsible for spoilage; plus the aroma masked the stench of aged meats. Cinnamon is additionally referred to in the Bible and alluded to by Herodotus and other classical writers.

In the 17th century, the Dutch seized the world’s largest cinnamon supplier, the island of Ceylon, from the Portuguese, demanding outrageous quotas from the poor labouring Chalia caste. A Dutch captain reported that, “The shores of the island are full of it and it is the best in all the Orient. When one is downwind of the island, one can still smell cinnamon eight leagues out to sea.” Later, when the Dutch learned of a source of cinnamon along the coast of India, they bribed and threatened the local king to destroy it all, thus preserving their monopoly. In 1795, Great Britain took Ceylon from the French, who had acquired it from their victory over Holland in the Revolutionary Wars. However, by 1833, the downfall of the cinnamon monopoly had begun when other countries found it could easily be grown in other areas, such as Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Mauritius, Réunion and Guyana. It’s now also grown in South America, the West Indies, Vietnam and other tropical climates.

That said, most commercial ground cinnamon nowadays is actually cassia or a combination of cinnamon and cassia. It is a member of the same family but has a stronger flavour, thus requiring less volume in recipes. Cassia is usually a better choice for savoury dishes rather than sweet. Dried cassia buds resembling cloves are used for pickles, curries like massaman and spicy meat dishes. Tiny yellow cassia flowers have a mild cinnamon flavour and are sold preserved in sweetened brine and used to perfume sweets, fruits, teas and wines. Cassia leaves can also be used in the same manner as bay leaves for soups, stews and casseroles.

There’s a broad range of historical uses for cinnamon in different cultures. These include the treatment of intestinal and digestive disorders as well as arthritis. In China, it’s believed that cinnamon heats up a cold body, improves the circulation and generally gets the blood rushing around. It’s also prescribed for loss of vigour, whether due to stress, aging or illness. And, specifically, cinnamon is held supreme for aiding blood deficiencies that leave one feeling weak. Across Asia, cinnamon tea has been used as a treatment for bronchial asthma attacks. Researchers believe that as asthma is linked with emotional upset, the calming nature of the substance may be the root of this cure.

Cinnamon oil has exhibited antifungal, antiviral, bactericidal and larvicidal properties. Ingredients in the oil have been shown to kill Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, the Asian flu virus A, and Echo virus. All of which can make you seriously ill. Next time you come in contact with a snotty-nosed kid, have a nice cup of cinnamon tea. On second thoughts, first send them round to someone you don’t like for a couple of hours, then have a nice cup of cinnamon tea. On a more serious note, American scientists have claimed that a teaspoon of cinnamon a day can help prevent the onset of diabetes. Potentially, this spice could help millions of sufferers of Type II, non-insulin dependent diabetes. This type of diabetes causes cells to lose their ability to respond to insulin, the hormone that tells the body to remove excess glucose in the bloodstream. If glucose builds up in the blood, tiredness, weight-loss and blurred vision are some of the resulting symptoms. This condition prematurely kills 100 million people around the world every year.

So, whether you take cinnamon as a preventative or curative measure, or simply to add a sweet-spicy flavour to an apple or chocolate cake, one thing is for sure. You are following in the footsteps of the ancients and they seemed to know a thing or two - things which we appear to have almost lost.