Old Spice

Cinnamon is mentioned in several places in the Bible. It was one of the spices that God instructed Moses to use to anoint the Ark of the Covenant and other sacred objects, to signify the holiness of God’s presence (Exodus 30:22-33). It is also mentioned as one of the gifts that Queen Sheba gave to King Solomon (Kings 10:10). Although it does not grow in the area today, cinnamon was found in ancient Israel over 3,000 years ago, and in biblical times it was highly prized for its healing properties and was often used for medicinal purposes—especially for digestive ailments and respiratory problems.

The spice eventually traveled around the world. The ancient Egyptians prized cinnamon and used it to embalm mummies and in cooking. The Greeks adopted it from the Egyptians. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that cinnamon came from the home of Dionysus, the god of wine and orgies; legend had it that the phoenix would build its nest out of cinnamon and cassia sticks. Ancient Romans used cinnamon to disguise the odor of dead bodies. The Emperor Nero is said to have burned a year’s supply of cinnamon at the funeral of his second wife, Poppaea Sabina, to signify the grief he felt after her death (which some people think he caused). At that time, cinnamon was so highly valued that Pliny the Elder wrote that it would take a Roman laborer four years to earn enough money to pay for one libra, or pound, of it.

Pliny the Elder also claimed that cinnamon was transported around the Arabian Peninsula on “rafts without udders or sails or oars.” Because spices came from far off lands, stories of their origins were abundant. In the Middle Ages, all that was known was that cinnamon was brought to Egypt via the Red Sea. In fact, at the time of the seventh crusade (1248), a French nobleman, Sieur de Joinville, on accompanying Louis IX of France to Egypt, recounted that cinnamon was fished out of the Nile in nets at the edge of the world.

True cinnamon, or Ceylon cinnamon, is obtained from the inner bark of a small evergreen tree called Cinnamomum zeylanicum or Cinnamomum verum that is native to Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. It is often called “true cinnamon,” so as not to be confused with cassia (Cinnamomum cassia), which originated in China, but is currently grown in other parts of Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam and Indonesia. Cassia is reddish brown in color, with a thicker bark and stronger flavor than Ceylon cinnamon and is often mistakenly sold in supermarkets as cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon has a lighter brown color, with a finer, more crumbly texture, with sticks that are easily distinguished from one another. Ceylon cinnamon sticks, or quills, consist of many thin layers that can be ground to a powder in a spice grinder. Cassia, or Chinese cinnamon, on the other hand, is too inflexible to be rolled into quills, so it can only be sold broken into pieces. Unfortunately, in powdered form, the spices are harder to tell apart, except by testing them with tincture of iodine, which has little noticeable effect with true Ceylon cinnamon, but cassia will turn deep blue. Also be warned: Cassia contains a compound called coumarin, which, if consumed over a long period of time, can be bad for your liver.

Cinnamon has many uses in the kitchen, in both sweet and savory dishes. It is widely used to flavor all kinds of cakes, cookies, bread (especially toast), puddings, pies, fruits, and drinks. Cinnamon appears in numerous Jewish dishes, from Ashkenazi honey cakes, sweet fritters, auflaufs (souffles), and kugels, to Sephardic vegetable stews—usually with eggplant or pumpkin—and honey-soaked cakes and pastries like tishpisti, travados, and baklava. Mexicans use it to flavor chocolate and yams. In India, it often appears in curries, especially with chicken and lamb. Cinnamon can also be used in pickling, and makes a delicious flavoring for a latte. It is also one of the spices used in baharat, the Middle Eastern spice mix, and the Indian spice blend garam masala. If you like, cinnamon sticks can be used instead of ground cinnamon. If you decide to do this, then 2 to 3 inches of cinnamon stick should be the equivalent of 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Alternatively, you can grind your sticks into a powder before using.

For centuries, cinnamon has been used as an aid to digestion and to treat toothaches and bad breath, which is why it is often added to chewing gum. It is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols that help prevent damage from free radicals and may help lower your risk of disease. If consumed on a regular basis, cinnamon is said to reduce high blood pressure and may help decrease the risk of heart disease as well as lower the amount of sugar that enters your bloodstream after a meal. Cinnamon also contains a compound called cinnamaldehyde that may stimulate DNA repair and help reduce the risk of cancer. Cinnamon oil is widely used in aromatherapy to help reduce depression, faintness, and feelings of exhaustion and may help reduce headaches. It is also said to be a natural aphrodisiac. Cinnamon oil should always be diluted in a carrier oil before use.