Ethnic Spices: Cinnamon

June 13, 12:11 PMOmaha Ethnic Restaurants ExaminerMelissa Aden

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Cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon

Ethnicities that use this spice:
Middle Eastern, Indian, Mexican, Egyptian, Chinese, Egyptian, Latin American, African

Health Benefits:
Cinnamon abounds with health benefits. An excellent source of manganese, dietary fiber, calcium, iron and antioxidants, it is best known for its healing abilities from essential oils found in its bark. These oils help cure colds, sooth the stomach, aid in degestion, treat toothaches, and fight bad breath. As well, the potent oils in cinnamon are said to stave off pesky insects like mosquitoes, as well as frogs.

Overview:
One of the oldest spices known to mankind, cinnamon is the first spice mentioned in the Bible. Way back when, it was rare and more precious that gold. About this time, countries began experimenting with cinnamon as medicine, adding it to their botanical medications. Cinnamon is listed in many recipes in Chinese medical journals dating back to 2,700 B.C. It grew in popularity and later became one of the most traded spices in the entire world.

Harvested from the cinnamon tree (cinnamon sticks are actually dried cinnamon tree bark), ground cinnamon is one of the most diverse spices used in cooking today. Whether used in Mexican chocolate, Grandma’s apple pie, a stew or soup, various drinks, or in a Middle Eastern lamb dish, it always brings its fragrant scent and subtle warm, sweet flavor.

How to store it:
Store cinnamon in a tightly sealed glass container in a cool, dark and dry place. Stored this way, ground cinnamon will last for six months and cinnamon sticks will remain fresh for a year. Storing them in the refrigerator will extend their shelf life.

Where to get it:
Cinnamon is available in both stick and powder form and can be found at any grocery store. If you can, always smell the cinnamon. If it doesn’t smell sweet, it isn’t fresh. Cinnamon sticks can be stored longer, but cinnamon powder has a more potent flavor.

When buying cinnamon, try to buy Ceylon cinnamon as it is sweeter and more refined. Cassia cinnamon is another variety, but it is derived from a tree similar to the cinnamon tree – not the actual tree. Cassia has a stronger, harsher flavor, and should be consumed is small doses as it contains a toxic component called coumarin, known to cause liver and kidney damage in high concentrations.

Great cinnamon recipes:

Orange Cinnamon Bread

Moroccan Vegetarian Stew

Beef Stew with Cinnamon

Cinnamon Pineapple Pork

Mexican Hot Chocolate

This is NOT how you are to use cinnamon! Though funny, I don’t recommend trying this.

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