What is Cassia? Cassia (Chinese cinnamon). Cinnamon and cassia sticks

But there is a significant difference in the chemical composition between them. Knowing the benefits and harms of cassia, you can get therapeutic effect. The main thing is to understand exactly what product you are dealing with. To do this, you should learn several techniques that will allow you to distinguish between two such similar seasonings.

Cassia - description and features

Cassia is otherwise called Chinese cinnamon. It is a product obtained from the bark of the Chinese cinnamon tree, which is not found in wildlife, and is cultivated in Indonesia, China, and Vietnam. The preparations are collected from trees that have reached the age of 7 years. At this time, the bark is already separated from the trunk without any problems. The top unnecessary layer is removed from it, and the bottom layer is cut into strips and slightly dried. Cassia is reddish-brown in color and bends slightly under pressure.

The pieces of cassia are not rolled into tubes and are covered with roughness and irregularities due to the peculiarities of processing. Even when rolled, it is visually coarser than Ceylon cinnamon. By taste and aroma, it is difficult even for a professional to distinguish cassia from real cinnamon, but these spices should not be confused. Cassia contains much higher levels of coumarin than cinnamon, which can be harmful to humans.

Where is the spice used?

Cassia has a tart, slightly sweet taste. The spice has astringent properties and leaves feeling of lightness burning sensation on the tongue. For these characteristics, she was included in the world-famous Chinese mixture"five flavors" Chinese cooks also use it as an independent seasoning, adding it to fried pork dishes.

Cassia is often added to baked goods and goes well with other seasonings:

  • With the help of Chinese (Indonesian) cinnamon, culinary experts enhance the taste of cookies, gingerbreads, pies, etc. But it is rarely added to cakes and pastries.

Advice
Before adding Chinese cinnamon to a dish, you can lightly heat it in a dry, hot frying pan. Then the aroma of the spice will be fully revealed.

  • Cassia goes well with orange, and. The proportions may vary, but the optimal ratio is 1:1.
  • Cassia taken in minimal quantities improves the taste of English puddings, cocktails, mulled wine, and charlotte.
  • Culinary experiments with adding spices to sweet pilaf give good results, fruit salad, jam and even .
  • Chinese cinnamon enhances the flavor of chicken and red meat. It is actively used in Indian and Caucasian cuisines.

Such wide range The use of cassia does not mean that it can be added to all food served during the day. Quite the contrary, it is better to immediately decide in which case the use of seasoning will be most appropriate and limit it to 1-2 dishes.

The composition of cassia and its beneficial properties

The aromatic seasoning has an impressive calorie content and high content carbohydrates. But its energy reserve is so quickly wasted by the body that consuming the product does not lead to the appearance of fat deposits. In addition, the following substances can be identified in the composition of cassia:

  • Vitamins (A, B, C, E, K, PP). The seasoning is used in cooking in small quantities, but they are enough to supply the body with the listed elements in quantities close to therapeutic.
  • Minerals (sodium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, calcium, iron and others). They act as stimulants of metabolic processes, participants in the synthesis of substances necessary for the body. Minerals strengthen bones and muscles, improve the functioning of internal organs.

Cassia is also irreplaceable if you need to lose weight. The stimulating and cleansing properties of the spice come to the fore. You can limit yourself to tea with the addition of honey and Ktiai cinnamon, but it is better to prepare a more effective composition. In a glass of kefir, stir half a teaspoon of cassia and a quarter teaspoon each of ginger and red hot pepper. The mass is infused for an hour and drunk at one time.

Harm to cassia and how to avoid it

In some cases, real, that is, Ceylon cinnamon can harm the body, and in the case of cassia, this risk increases several times. This is explained by the large amount of coumarin contained in Chinese cinnamon. This substance can accumulate in the body if it enters it in large volumes. The consequences can be very different - from disruption of the liver and pancreas to a violent one-time reaction.

Advice
Do not overuse ready-made confectionery products with the taste and aroma of cinnamon. Most often, cassia is used in their production, because it is several times cheaper than the original spice. In excessive quantities, such products can significantly harm the body.


Based on this, you need to remember a few rules for using spices:

  1. If you have problems with the liver and pancreas, you should avoid cassia altogether.
  2. Pregnant women are prohibited from consuming all types of cinnamon, including cassia. Substances in the spice can cause miscarriage due to stimulation of the uterus.
  3. Even in the absence of contraindications, cassia should be added to dishes little by little; 1-2 dishes with cassia per day are enough, but you should not use Chinese cinnamon every day.

If you follow these rules, there will be no harm. Food with cassia, on the contrary, will help improve metabolic processes and strengthen the body's defenses.

Differences between cassia and cinnamon

If you do not learn to distinguish between cassia and ordinary Ceylon cinnamon, this can lead to negative consequences. Firstly, Chinese cinnamon contains several times more coumarin than Ceylon cinnamon. Secondly, the density of cassia sticks is much higher, so you need to chop them first, otherwise you can simply break the coffee grinder. Finally, the cost of cinnamon is 10 times higher than the cost of cassia, and there is no point in overpaying.

  • If the tubes are twisted and their surface is clean and uniform, then this is real cinnamon.
  • Chinese cinnamon is much darker than its noble and expensive counterpart.
  • A real spice crumbles easily even with your hands; cassia is more like a dense bark that is difficult to break.
  • If the product packaging lists Ceylon or Sri Lanka as the country of origin, this is a real spice. If Vietnam, China or Indonesia - it is cassia.
  • To check the quality of a spice at home, you need to drop a little iodine on it. Ceylon cinnamon will not change color; cassia will turn dark blue due to the presence of starch in its composition.

At the right approach Dishes with cassia can not only improve your health, but also lift your spirits and relieve depression. They can also act as appetizers, preparing the body for food intake.

Cassia is a subshrub that is perennial plant and related to legumes. It does not exceed 1 meter in height. The root of the plant is dark brown, weak, with a small number of branches. On branched and long stems there are leaves with thorns and stipules. Cassia flowers irregular shape, consisting of 5 petals and 10 stamens. The cassia fruit is a bean, slightly curved, 6 cm long. outside bean, the outlines of chambers with seeds are visible. Inside the bean are flat yellow seeds.


The flowering of the plant begins in June and lasts until autumn, and the fruits ripen in October.

Cassia is very common in the tropics of Africa, and in deserts and semi-deserts. The plant is cultivated in Egypt, India, Central Asia, Crimea and Pakistan.

Beneficial properties of Cassia aculifolia

Cassia contains organic acids, flavonoids, ash, macro- and microelements such as chromium, copper, zinc and others. Cassia leaves contain myricyl alcohol.

Cassia has laxative and diuretic properties. Preparations from this plant stimulate appetite. Main active substance cassia are anthraglycosides, which improve motor function large intestine. Cassia has mild choleretic and antitoxic properties, so it is used by people with impaired gallbladder and liver functions. Cassia preparations are recommended for anal fissures, paraproctitis and hemorrhoids.

Due to its many beneficial properties, cassia is used for constipation, skin diseases, edema and glaucoma.

Cassia aculifolia essential oil

Cassia essential oil is obtained by hydrodistillation from the leaves, bark or branches of the plant. This oil has a bactericidal, astringent and expectorant effect. With the help of cassia oil, you can normalize digestion and eliminate spasms in the intestines. Cassia essential oil is taken as an anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, carminative and antirheumatic agent.

The oil of this medicinal plant prevents accumulation extra pounds, and it also improves skin regeneration, makes it more elastic, nourishes skin cells and hair follicles.

Cassia essential oil is a powerful aphrodisiac.

Cassia oil is used for fevers, nausea, depression, stress, wasp and bee stings, nervous exhaustion and colds. In addition to these diseases, the oil of this plant helps with skin inflammation. Due to its strong bactericidal properties, cassia oil is added to mouth rinses.

Since the oil is toxic and can irritate the mucous membrane and sensitive skin, then it must be used with caution.

Application of cassia aculifolia

IN medicinal purposes Cassia leaves and its fruits (less commonly) are used. Cassia leaves are one of the components of anti-hemorrhoids tea or laxative tea. Cassia is used as a narcotic and sleeping pill. This plant is used for poisoning carbon monoxide. Large doses Cassia helps with schizophrenia. Cassia tincture destroys tubercle bacilli and various viruses.

Cassia has one distinctive feature, which is as follows: its use improves the stool. It also normalizes the biliary function of the liver. Cassia is used by surgeons before or after surgery for colon atony.

Antihemorrhoidal tea.
To prepare it, you need to take cassia leaves, buckthorn bark, coriander fruits, yarrow herb and licorice root in equal quantities. Now you need to pour one tablespoon of this mixture with a glass of boiling water and leave for 20 minutes. After straining the finished tea, take 100-200 ml before bed.

Laxative infusion of cassia. Take 1 tablespoon of cassia herb and pour 200 ml of boiling water. Leave to brew for 4 hours. Take the finished product after filtering. The infusion should be drunk at night in small sips.

Contraindications to the use of Cassia aculifolia

You should not use cassia preparations for a long time, as they can cause addiction to the body. Pregnant and nursing mothers are strictly prohibited from taking medications from this plant. If a person has diarrhea, acute inflammation small or large intestine, then cassia preparations are also contraindicated for it. If there are signs of individual intolerance, cassia should not be used.

Which is widely used in cooking. It has been valued since ancient times for its healing properties. Many people associate the aroma of cinnamon with comfort and warmth, delicious homemade baked goods. Therefore, most housewives constantly buy this spice. But do they only buy cinnamon? Most likely, almost no one knows that there are two identical spices - cassia and cinnamon. You need to figure out how to distinguish them. After all, the most widely sold spice is cassia - a low-quality and often harmful substitute for this spice.

Benefits of cinnamon

It is no coincidence that this spice has been known and popular since ancient times. It was used not only in cooking, but also in medicine. It was believed that cinnamon calms and gives peace, warms and cures colds. In addition, this spice invigorates, gives good mood and improves memory. It contains a lot of manganese, calcium, iron and fiber. And the special substance eugenol helps accelerate tissue regeneration and wound healing.

Modern medicine has proven medicinal value cinnamon. This spice has the following properties:

How to use cinnamon correctly

This spice is most often used in cooking. Everyone is familiar with the smell of baking with cinnamon, which is associated with comfort and tranquility. But this seasoning is also successfully added to desserts, drinks, salads, and main courses. Especially popular are cinnamon coffee, apple pie or baked chicken.

There are several recipes for using cinnamon to treat various diseases:

  • Brew half a teaspoon of powder and a pinch of black pepper with a glass of boiling water, cool slightly, add a spoonful of honey and drink for flu or cold;
  • if you mix a spoonful of honey with half a spoonful of cinnamon, this mixture helps with nasal congestion and cough;
  • an infusion of cinnamon with honey, consumed on an empty stomach, helps reduce weight;
  • A glass of kefir with a teaspoon of cinnamon in the morning helps improve digestion and normalize blood pressure.

Cinnamon can also be used in cosmetology. When mixed with honey, the powder brightens the skin and makes it softer. When added to hair masks, it accelerates hair growth.

Types of cinnamon

This spice is highly valued and widely distributed. But the process of obtaining real cinnamon is very labor-intensive, and the trees whose bark is taken to produce it grow only in a few places. Therefore, both cassia and cinnamon are most often found on sale. Few people know how to distinguish them from each other. Usually people do not realize that there are 4 types of cinnamon, of which only one is truly valuable:

  • Ceylon cinnamon, or quinamon, is a real expensive spice;
  • Indonesian or Chinese cassia;
  • Malabar brown, or tree cinnamon, also called “cassia vera”;
  • cinnamon, or spicy cinnamon.

In addition, cinnamon substitutes are often used commercially and in food production: Burmese or bay cinnamon, as well as cinnamon extract.

Ceylon cinnamon

Both cassia and real cinnamon have a spicy aroma and add flavor to baked goods. But only spice from a tree growing in Ceylon, on the island of Sri Lanka and in South India brings benefits. This is the most valuable type of cinnamon - Ceylon. It has a rich, delicate aroma and a light brown hue. These cinnamon sticks are thin and fragile and crumble easily.

For its production, young trees 1-2 years old are used. A thin layer is removed from them inner cortex. It is dried in the sun and hand-wrapped into tubes. Then it is cut into sticks about 12 cm long or ground into powder.

Characteristics of Cassia

Despite the fact that this particular spice is presented on the shelves of our stores in 90% of cases, few people know this name. What cassia is is known mainly by culinary specialists and those who are seriously concerned about their health. This seasoning is made from trees related to cinnamon, but with slight differences. They grow in Vietnam, Indonesia and China. To produce cassia, whole pieces of bark are taken from trees that are at least 7 years old. That is why the sticks of this seasoning turn out to be so hard and rough, and its smell is sharp and bitter.

Why is cassia dangerous?

There would be no need to try to find out whether you bought real cinnamon, because the aroma of the fake is still pleasant. But in fact, constant consumption of cassia is dangerous to health. It contains very a large number of tannins, and most importantly - coumarin. Its content exceeds the permissible limit by 1200 times. In cassia it is present in quantities of more than 2 g/kg.

Coumarin is also known as rat poison and is quite poisonous to humans. If consumed frequently, it accumulates and damages the liver and kidneys. A person begins to experience headaches, indigestion, and dizziness. It became known that dangerous dose coumarin for children preschool age contained in 4 cinnamon cookies. For an adult, 6-7 mg of cassia, that is, a fifth of a teaspoon, is toxic.

The main differences between cinnamon and cassia

At first glance, these spices are not different, which is why there is such confusion. Most people don't realize that both cassia and cinnamon are commercially available. What is the difference between them can be understood by studying their characteristics in detail. Since people most often buy powder, you need to know how they differ. Real cinnamon is more light color, has a subtle pleasant aroma, slightly sweet. Cassia, on the other hand, is dark, even with a reddish tint, smells more sharply, and leaves a bitter aftertaste.

Cinnamon and cassia sticks

It is in this form that this spice is more useful. Flour or starch is often added to the powder to make it more crumbly. In addition, during storage, ground spice loses its aromatic and taste qualities. And the sticks make it easier to compare cassia and cinnamon.

How to choose real cinnamon

In most cases, people purchase this spice in sealed bags, so they cannot determine the color, much less smell it. In this case, you first need to look at the name and country of manufacture. Real Ceylon cinnamon is produced in Sri Lanka. China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and even more so other countries are producing cassia. A conscientious manufacturer will also correctly indicate the name of the product: Cinnamomum zeylonicum is real cinnamon, and Cinnamomum aromaticum is fake.

In addition, it would not hurt to pay attention to the price: real cinnamon cannot be cheap, it is usually 5-10 times more expensive than cassia. The expiration date is also important. After all, after a year of storage, cinnamon loses its properties and aroma.

How to Test the Quality of Cinnamon at Home

What should those who just found out that cinnamon and cassia exist? How to distinguish a fake product at home from an already purchased product? You can look at the color so that it is not very dark, and smell it. But the most informative way is to take a little powder and drop a drop of iodine into it. Real cinnamon will hardly change color, but cassia will turn dark blue. You can also determine it by taste. Cinnamon is sweetish-spicy, has a mild taste and delicate aroma. Cassia smells more strongly, bitter and pungent. And if you pour boiling water over a little powder, the cinnamon residue will become jelly-like and red-brown.

Now you know that cassia and cinnamon are very similar. How to distinguish them? If there are sticks in front of you, then you need to try to break them. Ceylon cinnamon is fragile and breaks easily, while cassia is dense and rough. The fake will be a strip of thick bark, slightly curled, often only on one side.

Now you know that both cassia and cinnamon are available for sale. It’s quite easy to remember how to distinguish them. Therefore, you can take advantage of all the beneficial properties of real noble cinnamon.

It has firmly established itself among our taste preferences and is becoming increasingly popular. A lesser-known seasoning is its Chinese relative - cassia, which, however, has already firmly occupied the domestic market, but has not yet quite a defined place in the minds of the consumer, and therefore a lot of controversy is swarming around it. Let's try to figure out what it is and what it comes with.

Description

Cassia, or Chinese cinnamon, is a woody plant genus Cinnamomum family, originally growing in the vast expanses of China, but also cultivated in India and Sri Lanka.

Quite tall and reaches 15 m in height, which is very different from its one and a half meter bushy relative originally from Ceylon - Ceylon cinnamon. Despite the difference in size, the leaves and flowers of both plants are practically indistinguishable in appearance.

Did you know? Most of all, cinnamon is used in Indian and Chinese cuisines - the seasoning is used in every third dish.

It is interesting that the names assigned (for Chinese cinnamon - “false cinnamon”, and for Ceylon cinnamon - “real”) do not fully correspond to reality, since both occupy adjacent positions in taxonomy, and the chemical composition of their bark differs only quantitatively, and only by 1-2%.

Another thing is the parts of the plant that are used industrially: for cassia it is the bark itself, its keratinized part, and for Ceylon cinnamon it is the soft cambium and phloem. This is the reason for the hardness and pungent odor of the first and the softness and ease of processing of the second. The color, by the way, is also due to the difference in raw materials.
There is also confusion with the name “cassia”, because this plant does not belong to the genus Cassia, but one of its names in Latin sounds like Cinnamomum cassia.

Chemical composition

Chemical composition Chinese cinnamon and Ceylon cinnamon are almost the same:

  • 1–3 % essential oil(cinnamaldehyde 90%) - for cassia and 1% - for cinnamon;
  • coumarin;
  • tannins;
  • contains a lot of calcium and manganese;
  • contains small amounts of B vitamins, essential and non-essential amino acids.

Nutritional value and calorie content

contains proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as water:

  • proteins - 4 g;
  • fats - 1.2 g;
  • carbohydrates - 27.5 g;
  • water - 10.85 g.

100 g of cassia contains 250 kcal.

Beneficial features

Beneficial features cinnamon have long been noticed and adopted in its historical homeland - China. In different concentrations and compositions, cinnamon was used to combat -intestinal diseases, bacterial diseases, kidney diseases and blood thinners. Powder from the bark of the plant is also used in for cosmetic purposes and as part of antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory ointments.

Alcohol infusion of cassia is effective against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, tubercle bacilli, and also acts as a natural immunostimulant.

Harm

All talk about the dangers of Chinese cinnamon is caused either by its abuse, or inappropriate use, or the purpose of advertising Ceylon cinnamon is pursued. In fact, cassia is no more “dangerous” than its Ceylon relative, since the “poisonous” substance coumarin, which some resources are guilty of, is contained in almost equal quantities and in the same compounds in both representatives of cinnamon. So, if you eat handfuls of any of the spices, you have an equal chance of getting poisoned. In moderate doses, coumarin, like any biological active substance, brings benefits to the body. This will be especially useful for people suffering from high blood viscosity. .

Did you know? The myth about the dangers of coumarin is an exaggerated and unsuccessfully projected copy of a number of incidents with, which, after grazing in the clearings, suffered from spontaneous bleeding. Veterinarians came to the conclusion that the bleeding was caused by coumarin, which is contained in red clover in huge concentrations. But you don't need to be a doctor to feel the difference between tens of kilograms consumed by livestock and a pinch of spices in baked goods.

Another thing is individual intolerance to cinnamon (allergy); it is also not recommended to abuse it during pregnancy and breastfeeding (due to its tonic effect), as is the case with most spices. A certain risk group consists of people with anemia and vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Use in cooking

It is generally accepted that Chinese cinnamon is less valuable in cooking than Ceylon cinnamon. The Ceylon relative has a number of advantages, including long shelf life, a milder aroma, and ease of processing.

In addition to application in folk medicine Cassia is valued in cooking as a fragrant spice that complements the taste of both desserts and meat dishes.

In Western European cuisine

The burning, sweetish taste of cinnamon was loved by the inhabitants of the western and central parts of the continent, mainly in the composition sweet products: muffins, desserts, cookies, fruit smoothies, ice cream. Cassia goes well with, and. It also perfectly complements rice dishes and (by the way, one of interesting dishes from rice with cinnamon - sweet pilaf).
In the countries of the East

Cassia is traditionally combined with a mixture of peppers and other hot seasonings and is used for cooking meat dishes. For example, one of traditional recipes Asian cuisine describes a marinade for, which includes the described seasoning in tandem with, and. Cassia goes very well with meat. It is usually combined with such as and star anise.

Important! Downside of Chinese cinnamon short term storage: after 2 months, the spice loses its aroma even if storage rules are followed. Take this into account when buying seasoning - do not stock up and look at the production date.

Ground cassia is mainly used in the preparation of baked goods, and its pieces are used for liquid dishes, sauces or mousses. Cinnamon is added to the dish 10-12 minutes before cooking, otherwise the effect high temperature will destroy the flavor of the seasoning.

Application in medicine

IN medical purposes are used:

  • alcoholic infusions of cassia extract;
  • cinnamon camphor;
  • cinnamon bark


Cinnamon camphor is extracted by steam distilling crushed cassia bark. Has a strong effect on nervous system and heart, used for poisoning with sleeping pills and narcotic substances, as well as carbon monoxide. Previously used as part of seizure therapy to treat mentally ill people, in particular schizophrenia. Another use of cinnamon camphor is in ointments and liniments: such ointments have an antibacterial effect and increase the conductivity of other active substances.

Crushed cinnamon, brewed for 30 minutes in boiling water, helps reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Studies on the effect of the plant on the condition of patients with type 2 diabetes actually had positive results after 30 days of use, but the remedy should not be considered a panacea. The patients' condition improved, but full recovery Unfortunately, there was no talk. Also, 1 gram of cassia powder per day significantly reduces the number of free radicals.

The difference between cassia and cinnamon

Cassia is easy to distinguish from cinnamon both visually and by smell. Speaking about the plant, cassia (Chinese cinnamon) is 15 meters high, and Ceylon cinnamon is a branched bush 1–2 meters high (in cultivation).

The spices also differ in appearance: Ceylon cinnamon sticks are twisted inward on both sides and are light brown in color, easily broken in the hands and easily ground into powder in a coffee grinder. Talking about taste qualities, Ceylon cinnamon is softer and has no pungency.
Cinnamon (left) and cassia (right) The hard bark of cassia does not curl as well as the soft phloem of cinnamon, and its color is grayish-brown. Processing sticks of this spice is very problematic at home: it is practically impossible to grind accessible ways, does not grind, breaks with difficulty.

Cinnamon- an evergreen tree that grows in the subtropics, sometimes reaching 15 meters in height in the wild. On plantations it looks like a low-growing shrub because it is constantly pruned to obtain bark.

Its bark has long been used as aromatic and fragrant. It was highly valued in ancient times. It got to the point that in some countries cinnamon was 15 times more expensive than gold.

They add it wherever possible - to soups, porridges, meat, fish, sweet dishes. It is used especially a lot in oriental cuisine; on average, they add a teaspoon of cinnamon per kilogram of rice, meat, cottage cheese, dough. Cinnamon is added to fruit and vegetable salads, in coffee, tea and other hot drinks, and is also used in the preparation of muffins, cookies and buns. Cinnamon is also added during canning - due to its ability to kill bacteria, it better preserves canned vegetables and fruits.

Cinnamon is also used as a warming component in balms and ointments.

When preparing dishes, add cinnamon only at the very end, a maximum of ten minutes before the end, otherwise it will give the dish an unpleasant bitterness. And don’t buy a lot of cinnamon powder at once - it tends to lose its aroma during storage.

Benefits of cinnamon

Cinnamon improves appetite and digestion, normalizes the functioning of the intestines and stomach, promotes better work kidneys, liver, gallbladder.

Cinnamon - excellent antimicrobial agent, and helps fight colds. Cinnamon is a natural antioxidant and helps remove harmful substances from the body.

Cinnamon improves blood circulation and normalizes heat balance in the body when extremities are frozen.

Cinnamon is an indispensable spice for sick people diabetes mellitus. Its consumption lowers blood sugar levels, increases insulin activity, and improves the body's ability to process sugar.

Cinnamon is also used as a remedy for seasickness.

Counts. what if you inhale fragrant powder cinnamon a few minutes a day improves memory and increases productivity.

Cinnamon for weight loss

Since cinnamon helps the body metabolize sugar, it is very good for weight loss. When used, fat disappears even in those who have long despaired of losing weight. A good remedy for weight loss is a drink made from cinnamon and honey. For a glass of boiling water, use half a teaspoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of honey. You can also add a slice of lemon - a natural antioxidant that also promotes weight loss. Honey is losing its medicinal properties at temperatures above 40 degrees, so wait until the boiling water has cooled and only then add honey.

Cinnamon tea and cinnamon coffee are also used for weight loss. To prepare, break a cinnamon stick into pieces and pour boiling water over it. Brew new cinnamon each time, do not leave the brewed cinnamon for the next time - it will not be nearly as useful. By the way, gourmets claim that coffee with cinnamon is much tastier than with sugar.

Consumption of lactic acid products also promotes weight loss. There are very good recipe: for a glass of kefir, use half a teaspoon of cinnamon and ginger, and a pinch of chili pepper.

Drink all these drinks twice a day - in the morning half an hour before breakfast, and in the evening before bed.

Harm of cinnamon

When buying cinnamon, look at the country of origin. True cinnamon is grown in Ceylon from a plant called Ceylon cinnamon. It has a thinner bark, a sweet, slightly hot taste.

Cinnamon is also grown in China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia and other countries from a plant called Chinese cinnamon. This cinnamon is also called cassia. Cassia has thicker bark and a stronger taste. Real cinnamon is ten times more expensive than cassia.

But taste isn't everything. Cassia contains a lot of coumarin, which is harmful to the liver and kidneys, especially when regular use. Who doesn't know, coumarin is used as rat poison. Real Ceylon cinnamon also contains coumarin, but in very small quantities, in which it is even useful. as it thins the blood and stimulates mental activity.

If used very rarely, you can also use cassia, but if you use cinnamon regularly, use only real cinnamon from Ceylon. Although it is more expensive, health is more important than money.

Cinnamon is often counterfeited, for example, seeds of cinnamon trees are added to the powder, which have a harsher odor and unpleasant taste.

Cinnamon substitutes such as bay cinnamon or Burmese cinnamon are also often used. The bark of the so-called white cinnamon, which is collected from canela alba, sometimes comes from the Antilles.

Therefore, if you want real cinnamon, it is better to buy it unground.

In any case, you shouldn’t eat a lot of cinnamon—a teaspoon a day will be enough.

Growing Cinnamon

You can grow cinnamon at home, in a greenhouse, and even on your own plot, especially if you live in the south. This capricious tree needs constantly moist soil, and plenty of sunlight. On a hot afternoon, however, it requires shade.

At home, cinnamon is grown in pots. Soil for pots is prepared from equal parts of turf, leaf soil and sand.

Cinnamon is propagated by seeds or semi-lignified cuttings. Before planting, cuttings need to be rooted in damp sand at a temperature of 20 degrees.

In summer, plants can be taken out into the open air, or even replanted if your climate is warm enough.

You can try to plant the seeds right on the site if you live in the south and have a lot of sun and warmth. Seeds are planted in the spring, deep enough so that they are not disturbed by possible frosts. You need to water constantly, but do not allow the soil to become waterlogged. The first bark can be cut only two years after planting. The tree is cut down at the root and the bark is removed. Next year, young shoots will sprout from the stump again. After another year, the shoots are cut off again and bark is obtained. And so they get bark every two years.

Remove the cut bark upper layer, or primary cortex, and everything else is dried. When dried, the bark curls up and you get natural cinnamon tubes.

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