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{{Short description|Spice from Cinnamomum trees}}
{{About|the spice|the genus of trees where cinnamon originates| Cinnamomum|other uses}}{{pp-pc|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
[[File:Cinnamomum verum spices.jpg|thumb|Dried bark strips, bark powder and flowers of the small tree ''[[Cinnamomum verum]]'']]
'''Cinnamon''' is a [[spice]] obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''[[Cinnamomum]]''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic [[condiment]] and flavouring additive in a wide variety of [[cuisine]]s, sweet and savoury dishes, biscuits, [[breakfast cereal]]s, [[Snack|snack food]]s, [[bagel]]s, [[tea]]s, [[hot chocolate]] and [[traditional food]]s. The aroma and flavour of cinnamon derive from its [[essential oil]] and principal component, [[cinnamaldehyde]], as well as numerous other constituents, including [[eugenol]].
[[File:Cinnamomum verum - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-182.jpg|thumb|''[[Cinnamomum verum]]'', from Koehler's ''Medicinal-Plants'' (1887)]]
[[File:Baton de cannelle.jpg|thumb|Close-up view of raw cinnamon bark]]

Cinnamon is the name for several species of trees and the commercial spice products that some of them produce. All are members of the genus ''Cinnamomum'' in the family [[Lauraceae]]. Only a few ''Cinnamomum'' species are grown commercially for spice. ''[[Cinnamomum verum]]'' (alternatively ''C. zeylanicum''), known as "Ceylon cinnamon" after its origins in [[Sri Lanka]] (formerly Ceylon), is considered to be "true cinnamon",<ref name=eb>{{Cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/plant/cinnamon |title=Encyclopaedia Britannica article on Cinnamon, plant and spice |access-date=10 July 2022 |archive-date=18 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230818160253/https://www.britannica.com/plant/cinnamon |url-status=live }}</ref> but most cinnamon in international commerce is derived from four other species, usually and more correctly referred to as "cassia": ''[[Cinnamomum burmanni|C. burmanni]]'' (Indonesian cinnamon or Padang cassia), ''[[Cinnamomum cassia|C. cassia]]'' (Chinese cinnamon or Chinese cassia), ''[[Saigon cinnamon|C. loureiroi]]'' (Saigon cinnamon or Vietnamese cassia), and the less common ''[[Cinnamomum citriodorum|C. citriodorum]]'' (Malabar cinnamon).<ref name=eb /><ref name=fao93>{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/x5326e/x5326e07.htm|title=International trade in non-wood forest products: An overview|last=Iqbal|first=Mohammed|year=1993|work=FO: Misc/93/11 – Working Paper|publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations|access-date=12 November 2012|archive-date=16 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190316134503/http://www.fao.org/3/x5326e/x5326e07.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=HistoryFood>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QmevzbQ0AsIC|title=A history of food|year=2009|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|isbn=978-1-4051-8119-8|edition=New expanded|location=Chichester, West Sussex|quote=Cassia, also known as cinnamon or Chinese cinnamon is a tree that has bark similar to that of cinnamon but with a rather pungent odour|last1=Toussaint-Samat|first1=Maguelonne |translator=Anthea Bell}}</ref> 

In 2023, world production of cinnamon was 238,403 [[tonne]]s, led by China with 39% of the total.<ref name=faostat/>

==Etymology==
The English word "cinnamon", attested in English since the 15th century, derives from the [[Ancient Greek]] {{lang|grc|κιννάμωμον}} ({{transliteration|engvar=gb|grc|kinnámōmon}}, later κίνναμον: {{transliteration|engvar=gb|grc|kínnamon}}), via [[Latin]] and [[Middle French|medieval French]] intermediate forms. The Greek was borrowed from a [[Phoenician language|Phoenician]] word, which was similar to the related [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] word {{lang|he|קנמון}} ({{transliteration|engvar=gb|he|qinnāmōn}}).<ref name="oed">{{cite OED2|cinnamon}}</ref><ref>{{Etymonline|cinnamon}}</ref>

The name "cassia", first recorded in [[late Old English]] from Latin, ultimately derives from the Hebrew word {{lang|he|קציעה}} {{transliteration|engvar=gb|he|qetsīʿāh}}, a form of the verb {{lang|he|קצע}} {{transliteration|engvar=gb|he|qātsaʿ}}, "to strip off bark".<ref>{{cite OED2|cassia}}</ref><ref>{{Etymonline|cassia}}</ref>

[[Early Modern English]] also used the names ''canel'' and ''canella'', similar to the current names of cinnamon in several other European languages, which are derived from the Latin word {{lang|la|cannella}}, a diminutive of {{lang|la|canna}}, "tube", from the way the bark curls up as it dries.<ref>{{cite OED2|canella; canel}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Cinnamon tree.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.7| Cinnamon tree]]
Cinnamon has been known from remote [[Ancient history|antiquity]].<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Cinnamon|volume=6|page=376}}</ref> It was imported to Egypt as early as 2000 BC, but those who reported that it had come from China had confused it with ''Cinnamomum cassia'', a related species.<ref name=HistoryFood/> Cinnamon was so highly prized among ancient nations that it was regarded as a gift fit for monarchs<ref name="EB1911"/> and even for a deity; an inscription records the gift of cinnamon and cassia to the temple of [[Apollo]] at [[Miletus]].<ref>Toussaint-Samat 2009, p. 437</ref> Its source was kept a trade secret in the Mediterranean world for centuries by those in the [[spice trade]], to protect their monopoly as suppliers.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mohammadifar|first=Shamameh|date=2010-08-23|title=The Origin, History and Trade Route of Cinnamon|url=https://jihs.ut.ac.ir/article_24118.html|journal=Journal for the History of Science|volume=8|issue=1|pages=37–51|issn=1735-0573|access-date=7 June 2021|archive-date=26 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926023143/https://jihs.ut.ac.ir/article_24118.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

''Cinnamomum verum'', which translates from Latin as "true cinnamon", is native to [[India]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Bangladesh]] and [[Myanmar]].<ref name="EB">{{cite book|chapter-url=https://global.britannica.com/plant/cinnamon|title=Encyclopaedia Britannica|year=2008|isbn=978-1-59339-292-5|chapter=Cinnamon|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica |quote=(species Cinnamomum zeylanicum), bushy evergreen tree of the laurel family (Lauraceae) native to Malabar Coast of India, Sri Lanka (Ceylon) Bangladesh and Myanmar (Burma).|access-date=17 April 2017|archive-date=6 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180106221847/https://global.britannica.com/plant/cinnamon|url-status=live}}<!--better link needed--></ref> ''[[Cinnamomum cassia]]'' (cassia) is native to China. Related species, all harvested and sold in the modern era as cinnamon, are native to [[Vietnam]] ("[[Saigon cinnamon]]"), Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian countries with warm climates.<ref>{{cite web|last=Davis|first=Michelle|date=2 January 2019|title=Where Did Those Spices Come From?|publisher=[[University of California]] Agriculture and Natural Resources|url=https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=28887|access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref>

In Ancient Egypt, cinnamon was used to embalm [[mummies]].<ref name=HerbCosmetic>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MaAZMbSxNt4C|title=Herbal principles in cosmetics: properties and mechanisms of action|last1=Burlando|first1=B.|last2=Verotta|first2=L.|last3=Cornara|first3=L.|last4=Bottini-Massa|first4=E.|publisher=[[CRC Press]]|year=2010|isbn=978-1-4398-1214-3|location=Boca Raton|page=121}}</ref> From the [[Ptolemaic Kingdom]] onward, Ancient Egyptian recipes for [[kyphi]], an aromatic used for burning, included cinnamon and cassia. The gifts of Hellenistic rulers to temples sometimes included cassia and cinnamon.<ref>{{cite web|last=Nguyen|first=Ngoc|title=What is cinnamons? Origin, History and Types of Cinnamons|date=18 March 2022 |publisher=VHB Group|url=https://vihaba.global/2022/03/18/what-is-cinnamons|access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Mallick|first1=Anurag|last2=Ganapathy|first2=Priya|date=8 May 2021|title=Sweet wood|publisher=[[Deccan Herald]]|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/features/sweet-wood-983434.html|access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref><ref>Greek inscription (in English translation), {{cite web|title=RC 5|url= http://attalus.org/docs/rc/s5.html|access-date=30 August 2025}}</ref>

The first Greek reference to {{lang|grc|κασία}} {{transliteration|engvar=gb|grc|kasía}} is found in a poem by [[Sappho]] in the 7th century BC. According to [[Herodotus]], both cinnamon and cassia grew in Arabia, together with incense, [[myrrh]], and {{not a typo|[[labdanum]]}}, and were guarded by [[dragon|winged serpents]].<ref>Herodotus, {{cite web|title=Book 3, sections 107-113|url= https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Herodotus/3D*.html#107|access-date=30 August 2025}}</ref><ref name=Herodotus>{{cite book|last1=Wheeler|first1=James Talboys|title=An Analysis and Summary of Herodotus: With a Synchronistical Table of Principal Events; Tables of Weights, Measures, Money, and Distances; an Outline of the History and Geography; and the Dates Completed from Gaisford, Baehr, Etc|date=1852|publisher=H. G. Bohn|url=https://archive.org/details/analysissummaryo00hero|page=110|quote=The incense trees are guarded by winged serpents[...] The cassia trees, which grow by a shallow lake, are guarded by fierce winged animals like bats|access-date=9 January 2019}}</ref> Herodotus, Aristotle and other authors named Arabia as the source of cinnamon; they recounted that giant "[[cinnamon bird]]s" collected the cinnamon sticks from an unknown land where the cinnamon trees grew and used them to construct their nests.{{r|Herodotus|p=111|q=Cinnamon is produced in an unknown land, and large birds bring those rolls of bark which from the Phœnicians are called cinnamon}}

[[Pliny the Elder]] wrote that cinnamon was brought around the [[Arabian Peninsula]] on "rafts without rudders or sails or oars", taking advantage of the winter [[trade wind]]s.<ref>Pliny the Elder, ''Natural History'', {{cite web|title=Book 12, chapter 42, section 87|url= http://attalus.org/pliny/hn12b.html#87 |access-date=30 August 2025}}</ref> He also mentioned cassia as a flavouring agent for wine,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L35fAAAAMAAJ|title=Natural History|author=Pliny the Elder|date=1938|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-99433-1|page=14}}</ref> and that the tales of cinnamon being collected from the nests of cinnamon birds was a traders' fiction made up to charge more. However, the story remained current in [[Byzantium]] as late as 1310.<ref>[[Manuel Philes]] repeated the tale in a treatise of {{circa}}1310 prepared for emperor [[Michael IX Palaiologos]]: {{cite book |last1=Tennent |first1=James Emerson |author1-link=James Emerson Tennent |title=Ceylon: an account of the island |date=1860 |publisher=Longman |location=London |volume=1|page=600}}</ref>

According to Pliny the Elder, a [[Roman pound]] ({{convert|327|g|disp=sqbr}}) of cassia, cinnamon ({{lang|la|serichatum}}), cost up to 1,500 {{lang|la|[[denarii]]}}, the wage of fifty months' labour.<ref>Pliny the Elder, ''Natural History'', {{cite web|title=Book 12, chapter 42, section 93|url= http://attalus.org/pliny/hn12b.html#93 |access-date=30 August 2025}}</ref> [[Diocletian]]'s [[Edict on Maximum Prices]]<ref>{{cite book|title=An Economic Survey of Ancient Rome |volume=V: Rome and Italy of the Empire |editor-last=Frank |editor-first=Tenney |last=Graser |first=E. R. |chapter=A text and translation of the Edict of Diocletian |year=1940 |publisher=[[Johns Hopkins Press]] |isbn=978-0-374-92848-3}}</ref> from 301 AD gives a price of 125 {{lang|la|denarii}} for a pound of cassia, while an agricultural labourer earned 25 {{lang|la|denarii}} per day. Cinnamon was too expensive to be commonly used on funeral pyres in Rome, but the Emperor [[Nero]] is said to have burned a year's worth of the city's supply at the funeral for his wife [[Poppaea Sabina]] in AD 65.<ref>Pliny the Elder, ''Natural History'', {{cite web|title=Book 12, chapter 41, section 83|url= http://attalus.org/pliny/hn12b.html#83 |access-date=30 August 2025}}</ref><ref> Toussaint-Samat 2009, p. 437f.</ref>

===Middle Ages===
Through the [[Middle Ages]], the source of cinnamon remained a mystery to the Western world. From reading Latin writers who quoted Herodotus, Europeans had learned that cinnamon came up the [[Red Sea]] to the trading ports of Egypt, but where it came from was less than clear. When the [[Sieur de Joinville]] accompanied his king, [[Louis IX of France]] to Egypt on the [[Seventh Crusade]] in 1248, he reported—and believed—what he had been told: that cinnamon was fished up in nets at the [[source of the Nile]] out at the edge of the world (i.e., [[Ethiopia]]). [[Marco Polo]] avoided precision on the topic.<ref>Toussaint-Samat 2009, p. 438 discusses cinnamon's hidden origins and Joinville's report.</ref>

The first mention that the spice grew in the area of [[India]] was in [[Maimonides]]'s [[Mishneh Torah]], about 1180.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mishneh Torah|url=https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah%2C_Vessels_of_the_Sanctuary_and_Those_Who_Serve_Therein.1.3?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en|access-date=13 July 2024}}</ref> The first mention that the spice grew specifically in Sri Lanka was in [[Zakariya al-Qazwini]]'s {{transliteration|engvar=gb|ar|Athar al-bilad wa-akhbar al-'ibad}} ("Monument of Places and History of God's Bondsmen") about 1270.<ref>{{cite book|last=Tennent|first=James Emerson|title=Account of the Island of Ceylon|volume=1|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/61724#page/11/mode/1up|access-date=8 November 2014|publisher=Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts|year=1860|archive-date=26 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926075419/https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/61724#page/11/mode/1up|url-status=live}}</ref> This was followed shortly thereafter by [[John of Montecorvino]] in a letter of about 1292.<ref>{{cite web|last=Yule|first=Henry|title=Cathay and the Way Thither|url=http://dsr.nii.ac.jp/toyobunko/III-2-F-b-2/V-1/page/0487.html.en|access-date=15 July 2008|archive-date=5 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205213841/http://dsr.nii.ac.jp/toyobunko/III-2-F-b-2/V-1/page/0487.html.en|url-status=live}}</ref>

Indonesian rafts transported cinnamon directly from the [[Maluku Islands|Moluccas]] to East Africa (see also [[Rhapta]]), where local traders then carried it north to Alexandria in Egypt.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1310/is_1984_June/ai_3289703|title=The life of spice; cloves, nutmeg, pepper, cinnamon|work=[[UNESCO Courier]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709044345/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1310/is_1984_June/ai_3289703|archive-date=9 July 2012|publisher=Findarticles.com|year=1984|access-date=18 August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Woods|first=Sean|url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=588&art_id=iol1078376795319P146&set_id=1|date=4 March 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050408160407/http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=588&art_id=iol1078376795319P146&set_id=1|archive-date=8 April 2005|title=Discovery: Sailing the Cinnamon Route|website=Independent Online|access-date=18 August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|jstor=299440|pages=222–224|last1=Gray|first1=E. W.|title=The Spice Trade of the Roman Empire 29 B.C. – A.D. 641|volume=60|journal=[[The Journal of Roman Studies]]|year=1970|last2=Miller|first2=J. I.}}</ref> [[Venice|Venetian]] traders from Italy held a [[monopoly]] on the spice trade in Europe, distributing cinnamon from Alexandria. The disruption of this trade by the rise of other Mediterranean powers, such as the [[Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)|Mamluk sultans]] and the [[Ottoman Empire]], was one of many factors that led Europeans to search more widely for other routes to Asia.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hess |first=Andrew C. |date=1973 |title=The Ottoman Conquest of Egypt (1517) and the Beginning of the Sixteenth-Century World War |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/162225 |journal=International Journal of Middle East Studies |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=55–76 |doi=10.1017/S0020743800027276 |jstor=162225 |s2cid=162219690 |issn=0020-7438 |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-date=13 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230913065029/https://www.jstor.org/stable/162225 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===Early modern period===
During the 1500s, [[Ferdinand Magellan]] was searching for spices on behalf of Spain; in the [[Philippines]], he found {{lang|la|Cinnamomum mindanaense}}, which was closely related to ''C. zeylanicum'', the cinnamon found in Sri Lanka. This cinnamon eventually competed with Sri Lankan cinnamon, which was controlled by the Portuguese.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Mallari|first=Francisco|date=December 1974|title=The Mindanao Cinnamon|journal=[[Philippine Quarterly of Culture & Society]]|volume=2|pages=190–194|jstor=29791158|number=4}}</ref>

In 1638, Dutch traders established a trading post in Sri Lanka, took control of the [[manufactories]] by 1640, and expelled the remaining Portuguese by 1658. "The shores of the island are full of it," a Dutch captain reported, "and it is the best in all the Orient. When one is downwind of the island, one can still smell cinnamon eight [[league (unit)|leagues]] out to sea."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Braudel|first1=Fernand|author-link=Fernand Braudel|title=The Perspective of the World: Civilization and Capitalism, 15th–18th Century|volume=3|publisher=[[University of California Press]]|year=1984|page=15|isbn=978-0-520-08116-1}}</ref> The [[Dutch East India Company]] continued to overhaul the methods of harvesting in the wild and eventually began to cultivate its own trees.<ref>{{cite web|last=Overmeer|first=Marjolein|title=The Dutch East India Company in Ceylon|date=October 2013 |publisher=Schaakstukkenmuseum|url=https://www.schaakstukkenmuseum.nl/?p=1859&lang=en|access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Klein|first=Wouter|date=17 February 2021|title=Plant of the Month: Cinnamon|url=https://daily.jstor.org/plant-of-the-month-cinnamon|publisher=[[JSTOR Daily]]|access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref>

In 1767, Lord Brown of the British [[East India Company]] established the Anjarakkandy Cinnamon Estate near [[Anjarakkandy]] in the [[Kannur]] district of [[Kerala]], India.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cinnamon Valley|publisher=Kerala Tourism|url=https://www.keralatourism.org/destination/cinnamon-valley-anjarakandy/501|access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref> It later became Asia's largest cinnamon estate. The British [[Invasion of Ceylon|took control of Ceylon]] from the Dutch in 1796.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.library.mq.edu.au/digital/under/research/background.html|title=Under a Tropical Sun|publisher=[[Macquarie University]]|date=2011|access-date=9 January 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150401230335/http://www.library.mq.edu.au/digital/under/research/background.html|archive-date=1 April 2015}}</ref>

== Cultivation ==
[[File:CinnamonLeaves.jpg|thumb|Leaves from a wild cinnamon tree]]
[[File:CINNAMON BUDS.jpg|thumb|175px|Cinnamon flowers]]

Cinnamon is an [[evergreen]] tree characterised by oval-shaped leaves, thick bark, and a berry fruit. When harvesting the spice, the bark and leaves are the primary parts of the plant used.<ref name=HerbCosmetic/> However, in Japan, the more pungent roots are harvested to produce ''nikki'' (ニッキ), which is a product distinct from cinnamon (シナモン ''shinamon''). Cinnamon is cultivated by growing the tree for two years, then [[coppicing]] it, i.e., cutting the stems at ground level. The following year, about a dozen new shoots form from the roots, replacing those that were cut. A number of pests such as ''[[Colletotrichum gloeosporioides]]'', ''[[Diplodia]]'' species and ''[[Phytophthora cinnamomi]]'' (stripe canker) can affect the growing plants.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.plantvillage.org/en/topics/cinnamon/diseases_and_pests_description_uses_propagation|title=Cinnamon|publisher=Plant Village, Pennsylvania State University|date=2017|access-date=28 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301092652/https://www.plantvillage.org/en/topics/cinnamon/diseases_and_pests_description_uses_propagation|archive-date=1 March 2017}}</ref>

The stems must be processed immediately after harvesting while the inner bark is still wet. The cut stems are processed by scraping off the outer bark, then beating the branch evenly with a hammer to loosen the inner bark, which is then pried off in long rolls. Only {{cvt|0.5|mm|2}} of the inner bark is used;<ref>{{cite book|last1=Heath|first1=Henry B.|title=Source Book of Flavors|series=AVI Sourcebook and Handbook Series|date=September 1981|publisher=[[Springer Science & Business Media]]|isbn=978-0-87055-370-7|page=233|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HWDg-rPQbqgC&q=0.5%20mm%20of%20the%20inner%20bark%20cinnamon&pg=PA233|access-date=9 January 2019|language=en|archive-date=26 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240526163407/https://books.google.com/books?id=HWDg-rPQbqgC&q=0.5%20mm%20of%20the%20inner%20bark%20cinnamon&pg=PA233#v=snippet&q=0.5%20mm%20of%20the%20inner%20bark%20cinnamon&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>{{efn|Cassia is thicker than Sri Lankan cinnamon.<ref>{{cite web|title=Learn How to Tell Ceylon Cinnamon Apart from Cassia Cinnamon|publisher=Sri Lanka Export Development Board|date=16 June 2017|url=https://www.srilankabusiness.com/blog/ceylon-cinnamon-vs-cassia.html#:~:text=As%20far%20as%20the%20texture,few%20layers%20when%20rolled%20up.|access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref>}} the outer, woody portion is discarded, leaving metre-long cinnamon strips that curl into rolls ("quills") on drying. The processed bark dries completely in four to six hours, provided it is in a well-ventilated and relatively warm environment. Once dry, the bark is cut into {{cvt|5|to|10|cm|0}} lengths for sale.

A less-than-ideal drying environment encourages the proliferation of pests in the bark, which may then require treatment by [[fumigation]] with [[sulphur dioxide]]. In 2011, the European Union approved the use of sulphur dioxide at a concentration of up to {{cvt|150|mg/kg}} for the treatment of ''C. verum'' bark harvested in Sri Lanka.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:279:0022:0031:EN:PDF|author=European Commission|author-link=European Commission|date=22 October 2010|title=Commission Directive 2010/69/EU of 22 October 2010|journal=[[Official Journal of the European Union]]|series=L (Legislation)|number=279|access-date=13 July 2020|archive-date=15 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715201808/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:279:0022:0031:EN:PDF|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Species ===
Several species are often sold as cinnamon:<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Chen|first1=P.|last2=Sun|first2=J.|last3=Ford|first3=P.|title=Differentiation of the four major species of cinnamons (C. burmannii, C. verum, C. cassia, and C. loureiroi) using a flow injection mass spectrometric (FIMS) fingerprinting method|journal=[[Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry]]|volume=62|issue=12|pages=2516–2521|date=March 2014|pmid=24628250|pmc=3983393|doi=10.1021/jf405580c|bibcode=2014JAFC...62.2516C }}</ref>
* ''[[Cinnamomum cassia]]'' (Cassia or Chinese cinnamon, the most common commercial type in the USA)
* ''[[Cinnamomum burmanni|C. burmanni]]'' (Korintje, Padang cassia, or Indonesian cinnamon)
* ''C. loureiroi'' ([[Saigon cinnamon]], Vietnamese cassia, or Vietnamese cinnamon)
* ''[[Cinnamomum verum|C. verum]]'' (Sri Lanka cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon or Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
* ''[[Cinnamomum citriodorum|C. citriodorum]]'' (Malabar cinnamon)

Cassia induces a strong, spicy flavour and is often used in baking, especially associated with [[cinnamon roll]]s, as it handles baking conditions well. Among cassia, Chinese cinnamon is generally medium to light reddish-brown, hard and woody in texture, and thicker ({{cvt|2|-|3|mm}} thick), as all of the layers of bark are used. Ceylon cinnamon, using only the thin inner bark, has a lighter brown colour and a finer, less dense, and more crumbly texture. It is subtle and more aromatic in flavour than cassia, and it loses much of its flavour during cooking.

The barks of the species are easily distinguished when whole, both in macroscopic and microscopic characteristics. Ceylon cinnamon sticks (quills) have many thin layers and can easily be made into powder using a coffee or spice grinder, whereas cassia sticks are much harder. Indonesian cinnamon is often sold in neat quills made up of one thick layer, capable of damaging a spice or coffee grinder. Saigon cinnamon (''C. loureiroi'') and Chinese cinnamon (''C. cassia'') are always sold as broken pieces of thick bark, as the bark is not supple enough to be rolled into quills.

The powdered bark is harder to distinguish, but if it is treated with [[tincture of iodine]] (a [[Starch#Chemical tests|test for starch]]), little effect is visible with pure Ceylon cinnamon; however, when Chinese cinnamon is present, a deep-blue tint is produced.<ref name="EB1911"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/c/cassia31.html|title=A Modern Herbal – Cassia (Cinnamon)|last=Grieve|first=M.|website=botanical.com|access-date=17 April 2017|archive-date=15 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415012057/https://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/c/cassia31.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IrXszQ77xhYC&q=iodine+in+cassia&pg=PA390|title=The Elements of materia medica and therapeutics|volume=2|page=390|first1=Jonathan|last1=Pereira|year=1854|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=26 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240526163407/https://books.google.com/books?id=IrXszQ77xhYC&q=iodine+in+cassia&pg=PA390#v=snippet&q=iodine%20in%20cassia&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Grading===
{{See also|Food grading}}
The Sri Lankan grading system divides the cinnamon quills into four groups:
* Alba, less than {{cvt|6|mm}} in diameter
* Continental, less than {{cvt|16|mm}} in diameter
* Mexican, less than {{cvt|19|mm}} in diameter
* Hamburg, less than {{cvt|32|mm}} in diameter

These groups are further divided into specific grades. For example, Mexican is divided into M00000 special, M000000 and M0000, depending on quill diameter and number of quills per kilogram. Any pieces of bark less than {{cvt|106|mm}} long are categorised as quillings. Featherings are the inner bark of twigs and twisted shoots. Chips are trimmings of quills, outer and inner bark that cannot be separated, or the bark of small twigs.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

==Production==
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; width:13em; text-align:center;"
|+ Cinnamon production <br />{{small|2023, tonnes}}
|-
|-
|{{CHN}} ||91,892
|-
|{{VIE}} ||65,341
|-
|{{INA}} ||55,213
|-
|{{SRI}} ||22,410
|-
|'''World''' ||'''238,403'''
|-
|colspan=2|{{small|Source: [[FAOSTAT]] of the [[United Nations]]}}<ref name="faostat">{{cite web|url=https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL|title=Global cinnamon production in 2023; Crops/Regions/World Regions/Production Quantity/Year (pick lists)|date=2025|publisher=UN [[Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database]] (FAOSTAT)|access-date=2 March 2025}}</ref>
|}
In 2023, four countries accounted for 98% of the world's cinnamon production, a total of 238,403 [[tonne]]s: [[China]], [[Vietnam]], [[Indonesia]], and [[Sri Lanka]].<ref name=faostat/>

===Counterfeit===
True cinnamon from ''C. verum'' bark can be mixed with cassia (''C. cassia'') as [[counterfeit]] and falsely marketed as authentic cinnamon. In one analysis, authentic [[Ceylon cinnamon]] bark contained 12–143&nbsp;mg/kg of [[coumarin]] {{ndash}} a [[polyphenol|phenolic]] typically low in content in true cinnamon {{ndash}} but market samples contained coumarin with levels as high as 3462&nbsp;mg/kg, indicating probable contamination with cassia in the counterfeit cinnamon.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ananthakrishnan |first1=R. |last2=Chandra |first2=Preeti |last3=Kumar |first3=Brijesh |last4=Rameshkumar |first4=K. B. |title=Quantification of coumarin and related phenolics in cinnamon samples from south India using UHPLC-ESI-QqQLIT-MS/MS method |journal=International Journal of Food Properties |pages=50–57 |doi=10.1080/10942912.2018.1437629 |date=1 January 2018|volume=21 |s2cid=104289832 |doi-access=free }}</ref> [[ConsumerLab.com]] found the same problem in a 2020 analysis; "a supplement that contained the highest amount of coumarin was labeled as Ceylon cinnamon".<ref>{{cite web |title=Tests Suggest Caution With Cinnamon |url=https://www.consumerlab.com/news/caution-with-cinnamon/12-11-2020/ |date=11 December 2020 |publisher=ConsumerLab.com |language=en |access-date=7 February 2022 |archive-date=7 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207205614/https://www.consumerlab.com/news/caution-with-cinnamon/12-11-2020/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Food uses ==
{{cookbook}}
[[File:Uncooked cinnamon roll buns, March 2010.jpg|thumb|left|Uncooked [[cinnamon roll]]s]]

Cinnamon bark is used as a spice. It is principally employed in cookery as a condiment and flavouring material. It is used in the preparation of [[chocolate]], especially in Mexico. Cinnamon is often used in savoury dishes of chicken and lamb. In the United States and Europe, cinnamon and sugar are often used to flavour [[breakfast cereal|cereals]], bread-based dishes such as toast, and fruits, especially [[apple]]s; a cinnamon and sugar mixture ([[cinnamon sugar]]) is sold separately for such purposes. It is also used in [[Portuguese cuisine|Portuguese]] and [[Turkish cuisine]] for both sweet and savoury dishes. Cinnamon can also be used in [[pickling]], and in Christmas drinks such as [[eggnog]]. Cinnamon powder has long been an important spice in enhancing the flavour of [[Persian cuisine]], used in a variety of thick soups, drinks, and sweets.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/spicesglobalhist0000czar|pages=10–12|url-access=registration|title=Spices: A Global History|last=Czarra|first=Fred|date=1 May 2009|publisher=Reaktion Books|isbn=978-1-86189-682-7|language=en}}</ref>

Cinnamon is a common ingredient in [[Jewish cuisine]] across various communities. In [[Sephardic Jewish cuisine|Sephardic cooking]], it is incorporated into vegetable stews and desserts such as [[Basbousa|''tishpishti'']] and ''travados'', both of which are soaked in honey. In [[Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine|Ashkenazi cuisine]], cinnamon features in dishes like [[Lekach|honey cakes]], and [[Kugel|''kugels'']].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gavin |first=Paola |date=2024-07-19 |title=Old Spice |url=https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/food/articles/old-spice-cinnamon-history |website=Tablet Magazine}}</ref> It is also one of "four sibling spices" (''rempah empat beradik'') essential in [[Malay cuisine]] along with [[clove]], [[star anise]] and [[cardamom]].<ref>{{cite news |department=Star2 |newspaper=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] |date=Aug 2, 2015 |page=9 |title=A spicy blend of tradition |author=Hariati Azizan }}</ref>

==Nutrient composition==
{{nutritionalvalue
| name=Cinnamon, spice, ground
| water=10.6{{nbsp}}g
| kJ=1035
| protein=4{{nbsp}}g
| fat=1.2{{nbsp}}g
| carbs=80.6{{nbsp}}g
| fiber=53.1{{nbsp}}g
| sugars=2.2{{nbsp}}g
| calcium_mg=1002
| iron_mg=8.3
| magnesium_mg=60
| phosphorus_mg=64
| potassium_mg=431
| sodium_mg=10
| zinc_mg=1.8
| vitC_mg=3.8
| thiamin_mg=0.02
| riboflavin_mg=0.04
| niacin_mg=1.33
| vitB6_mg=0.16
| folate_ug=6
| vitA_ug=15
| vitE_mg=2.3
| vitK_ug=31.2
| source_usda = 1
| note=Source: [[USDA]] Database<ref name=USDAdata>{{cite web|url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/171320/nutrients|date=1 April 2019|title=Spices, cinnamon, ground|publisher=FoodData Central, [[US Department of Agriculture]]|access-date=3 August 2022|archive-date=3 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403171801/https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171320/nutrients|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
Ground cinnamon is 11% water, 81% [[carbohydrate]]s (including 53% [[dietary fiber]]), 4% [[protein (nutrient)|protein]] and 1% [[fat]].

==Characteristics==

===Texture===
[[File:Cinnamomum verum vs Cinnamomum burmanni.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Quills of Ceylon cinnamon (''[[Cinnamomum verum]]'', left) and Indonesian cinnamon (''[[Cinnamomum burmanni|C. burmanni]]'', right)]]

Ceylon cinnamon may be crushed into small pieces by hand, while Indonesian cinnamon requires a powerful [[blender]].

===Flavour, aroma and taste===
The flavour of cinnamon is due to the aromatic essential oils that make up 0.5 to 1% of its composition. 

Cinnamon bark can be macerated, then extracted in 80% ethanol, to a tincture.<ref name="2018E&ES..130a2049W">{{cite journal |last1=Waty |first1=Syahdiana |last2=Suryanto |first2=Dwi |title=Antibacterial activity of cinnamon ethanol extract ( cinnamomum burmannii ) and its application as a mouthwash to inhibit streptococcus growth |journal=IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science |date=March 2018 |volume=130 |issue=1 |article-number=012049 |doi=10.1088/1755-1315/130/1/012049 |bibcode=2018E&ES..130a2049W |s2cid=103168750 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Cinnamon essential oil can be prepared by roughly pounding the bark, [[macerating]] it in sea water, and then quickly [[distilling]] the whole. It is golden-yellow, with the characteristic odour of cinnamon and a very hot aromatic taste. 

''Cinnamon oil nanoemulsion'' can be made with [[polysorbate 80]], cinnamon essential oil, and water, by ultrasonic emulsification.<ref name="s41598-021-85375-3">{{cite journal |last1=Jeong |first1=Yeo-Jin |last2=Kim |first2=Hee-Eun |last3=Han |first3=Su-Jin |last4=Choi |first4=Jun-Seon |title=Antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of cinnamon essential oil nanoemulsion against multi-species oral biofilms |journal=Scientific Reports |date=15 March 2021 |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=5911 |doi=10.1038/s41598-021-85375-3 |pmid=33723345 |pmc=7971021 |bibcode=2021NatSR..11.5911J |language=en |issn=2045-2322}}</ref><ref name="fsn3.1946">{{cite journal |last1=Fattahi |first1=Reza |last2=Ghanbarzadeh |first2=Babak |last3=Dehghannya |first3=Jalal |last4=Hosseini |first4=Mohammadyar |last5=Falcone |first5=Pasquale M. |title=The effect of Macro and Nano-emulsions of cinnamon essential oil on the properties of edible active films |journal=Food Science & Nutrition |date=December 2020 |volume=8 |issue=12 |pages=6568–6579 |doi=10.1002/fsn3.1946 |pmid=33312541 |pmc=7723223 |language=en |issn=2048-7177}}</ref>

''Cinnamon oil macroemulsion'' can be made with a dispersing emulsifying homogeniser.<ref name="fsn3.1946"/><ref name="homogenizers/ultra-turrax-t-25">{{cite web |title=Ultra-Turrax® T 25 |url=https://homogenizers.net/products/ultra-turrax-t-25 |website=Homogenizers.net |access-date=19 May 2023}}</ref>

The pungent taste and scent come from cinnamaldehyde, about 90% of the [[essential oil]] from cinnamon bark.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/637511|title=Cinnamaldehyde|last=PubChem|website=pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov|language=en|access-date=2019-10-18|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009015010/https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/637511|url-status=live}}</ref> Cinnamaldehyde decomposes, in high humidity and high temperatures, to [[styrene]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=High daily intakes of cinnamon: Health risk cannot be ruled out|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307202919/https://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/349/high_daily_intakes_of_cinnamon_health_risk_cannot_be_ruled_out.pdf|url=https://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/349/high_daily_intakes_of_cinnamon_health_risk_cannot_be_ruled_out.pdf|publisher=[[Federal Institute for Risk Assessment]] (BfR)|date=18 August 2006|access-date=20 May 2022|url-status=live|archive-date=7 March 2022}}</ref> and, by reaction with oxygen as it ages, it darkens in colour and forms resinous compounds.<ref name="EB1911"/><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Yokomi|first1=Naoka|last2=Ito|first2=Michiho|date=1 July 2009|title=Influence of composition upon the variety of tastes in Cinnamomi cortex|journal=Journal of Natural Medicines|volume=63|issue=3|pages=261–266|doi=10.1007/s11418-009-0326-8|issn=1861-0293|pmid=19291358|s2cid=9792599}}</ref>

Cinnamon constituents include some 80 [[aromatic compounds]],<ref>{{cite journal|pmid=21929331|year=2011|last1=Jayaprakasha|first1=G. K.|title=Chemistry, biogenesis, and biological activities of Cinnamomum zeylanicum|journal=Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition|volume=51|issue=6|pages=547–62|last2=Rao|first2=L. J.|doi=10.1080/10408391003699550|s2cid=34530542}}</ref> including eugenol, found in the oil from leaves or bark of cinnamon trees.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/r?dbs+hsdb:@term+@rn+@rel+8007-80-5|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305031735/https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/r?dbs+hsdb:@term+@rn+@rel+8007-80-5|archive-date=5 March 2017|title=Oil of cinnamon|publisher=[[Toxicology Data Network]] (TOXNET)|date=6 August 2002|access-date=29 November 2016}}</ref>

====Alcohol flavourant====
Cinnamon is used as a flavouring in [[cinnamon liqueur]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailymeal.com/11-cinnamon-flavored-liquors-holidays/121613|title=11 Cinnamon-Flavored Liquors for the Holidays|last=Willard|first=Haley|date=16 Dec 2013|website=[[The Daily Meal]]|access-date=17 April 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119120045/https://www.thedailymeal.com/11-cinnamon-flavored-liquors-holidays/121613|archive-date=2018-01-19}}</ref> such as cinnamon-flavoured [[whiskey]] in the United States, and {{transliteration|engvar=gb|el|[[rakomelo]]}}, a cinnamon brandy in Greece.

==Health-related research==
Cinnamon has a long history of use in [[traditional medicine]] as a digestive aid. However, contemporary studies are unable to find evidence of any significant medicinal or therapeutic effect.<ref name="nccih">{{cite web|url=https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/cinnamon|title=Cinnamon|website=[[National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health]]|publisher=[[National Institutes of Health]]|date=2016|access-date=28 February 2017|archive-date=1 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301111423/https://nccih.nih.gov/health/cinnamon|url-status=live}}</ref>

Reviews of clinical trials reported lowering of fasting [[plasma glucose]] and inconsistent effects on [[hemoglobin A1C]] (HbA1c, an indicator of chronically elevated plasma glucose).<ref name=Costello2016>{{cite journal|first1=Rebecca B.|last1=Costello|first2=Johanna T.|last2=Dwyer|first3=Leila|last3=Saldanha|first4=Regan L.|last4=Bailey|first5=Joyce|last5=Merkel|first6=Edwina|last6=Wambogo|title=Do Cinnamon Supplements Have a Role in Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes? A Narrative Review|journal=[[Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics]]|volume=116|issue=11|pages=1794–1802|date=2016|pmid=27618575|pmc=5085873|doi=10.1016/j.jand.2016.07.015}}</ref><ref name=Allen2013>{{cite journal|first1=Robert W.|last1=Allen|first2=Emmanuelle|last2=Schwartzman|first3=William L.|last3=Baker|first4=Craig I.|last4=Coleman|first5=Olivia J.|last5=Phung|title=Cinnamon use in type 2 diabetes: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis|journal=[[The Annals of Family Medicine]]|volume=11|issue=5|pages=452–459|date=2013|pmid=24019277|pmc=3767714|doi=10.1370/afm.1517}}</ref><ref name=Akilen2012>{{cite journal|last1=Akilen|first1=Rajadurai|last2=Tsiami|first2=Amalia|last3=Devendra|first3=Devasenan|last4=Robinson|first4=Nicola|title=Cinnamon in glycaemic control: Systematic review and meta analysis|journal=[[Clinical Nutrition (journal)|Clinical Nutrition]]|volume=31|issue=5|pages=609–615|date=20 April 2012|pmid=22579946|doi=10.1016/j.clnu.2012.04.003}}</ref><ref name=Leach2012>{{cite journal|last1=Leach|first1=Matthew J.|last2=Kumar|first2=Saravana|title=Cinnamon for diabetes mellitus|journal=[[Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews]]|issue=9|date=12 September 2012|volume=2012 |article-number=CD007170|pmid=22972104|doi=10.1002/14651858.CD007170.pub2|pmc=6486047}}</ref><ref name=Namazi2019>{{cite journal|last1=Namazi|first1=Nazli|last2=Khodamoradi|first2=Kajal|last3=Khamechi|first3=Seyed Peyman|last4=Heshmati|first4=Javad|last5=Ayati|first5=Mohammad Hossein|last6=Larijani|first6=Bagher|title=The impact of cinnamon on anthropometric indices and glycemic status in patients with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials|journal=[[Complementary Therapies in Medicine]]|volume=43|pages=92–101|date=April 2019|pmid=30935562|doi=10.1016/j.ctim.2019.01.002|s2cid=81727505}}</ref> Four of the reviews reported a decrease in fasting plasma glucose,<ref name=Costello2016/><ref name=Allen2013/><ref name=Akilen2012/><ref name=Namazi2019/> only two reported lower HbA1c,<ref name=Costello2016/><ref name=Akilen2012/> and one reported no change to either measure.<ref name=Leach2012/> The [[Cochrane (organisation)|Cochrane]] review noted that trial durations were limited to 4 to 16 weeks, and that no trials reported on changes to [[quality of life]], [[morbidity]] or [[mortality rate]]. The Cochrane authors' conclusion was: "There is insufficient evidence to support the use of cinnamon for type 1 or type 2 [[diabetes mellitus]]."<ref name=Leach2012/> Citing the Cochrane review, the U.S. [[National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health]] stated: "Studies done in people don't support using cinnamon for any health condition."<ref name=nccih/> However, the results of the studies are difficult to interpret because it is often unclear what type of cinnamon and what part of the plant were used.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/cinnamon|title=Cinnamon|access-date=20 June 2021|archive-date=25 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625060646/https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/cinnamon|url-status=live}}</ref>

A meta-analysis of cinnamon supplementation trials with lipid measurements reported lower total cholesterol and triglycerides, but no significant changes in [[LDL-cholesterol]] or [[HDL-cholesterol]].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Maierean SM, Serban MC, Sahebkar A, Ursoniu S, Serban A, Penson P, Banach M |title=The effects of cinnamon supplementation on blood lipid concentrations: A systematic review and meta-analysis |journal=J Clin Lipidol |volume=11 |issue=6 |pages=1393–1406 |date=2017 |pmid=28887086 |doi=10.1016/j.jacl.2017.08.004 |url=http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/6931/1/cinnamon.pdf |access-date=27 November 2018 |archive-date=28 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428043735/http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/6931/1/cinnamon.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Another reported no change to body weight or insulin resistance.<ref name=Namazi2019/>

==Toxicity==
{{further|Coumarin|Lead}}
A systematic review of [[adverse events]] as a result of cinnamon use reported gastrointestinal disorders and allergic reactions as the most frequently reported side effects.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Hajimonfarednejad|first1=M.|last2=Ostovar|first2=M.|last3=Raee|first3=M. J.|last4=Hashempur|first4=M. H.|last5=Mayer|first5=J. G.|last6=Heydari|first6=M.|title=Cinnamon: A systematic review of adverse events|journal=[[Clinical Nutrition (journal)|Clinical Nutrition]]|volume=38|issue=2|pages=594–602|date=1 April 2019|pmid=29661513|doi=10.1016/j.clnu.2018.03.013|s2cid=4942968}}</ref>

In 2008, the [[European Food Safety Authority]] considered the toxicity of coumarin, a component of cinnamon, and confirmed a maximum recommended [[tolerable daily intake]] (TDI) of 0.1&nbsp;mg of coumarin per kg of body weight. Coumarin is known to cause liver and kidney damage in high concentrations and metabolic effects in humans with [[CYP2A6]] [[Polymorphism (biology)|polymorphism]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Harris|first=Emily|title=German Christmas Cookies Pose Health Danger|newspaper=NPR.org|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6672644|access-date=1 May 2007|publisher=[[National Public Radio]]|archive-date=10 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070510110952/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6672644|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=efsa>{{Cite journal|doi=10.2903/j.efsa.2008.793|title=Coumarin in flavourings and other food ingredients with flavouring properties - Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids and Materials in Contact with Food (AFC)|journal=[[EFSA Journal]]|volume=6|issue=10|page=793|date=7 October 2008|doi-access=free}}</ref> Based on this assessment, the [[European Union]] set a guideline for maximum coumarin content in foodstuffs of 50&nbsp;mg per kg of dough in seasonal foods, and 15&nbsp;mg per kg in everyday baked foods.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/20/cinnamon-intake-food-argument-denmark|title=Cinnamon sparks spicy debate between Danish bakers and food authorities|last=Russell|first=Helen|date=20 December 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|access-date=26 November 2016|archive-date=26 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240526163408/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/20/cinnamon-intake-food-argument-denmark|url-status=live}}</ref> The maximum recommended TDI of 0.1&nbsp;mg of coumarin per kg of body weight equates to 5&nbsp;mg of coumarin (or 5.6 g C. verum with 0.9&nbsp;mg coumarin per gram) for a body weight of 50&nbsp;kg. C as shown in the table below:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="2" |
! colspan="2" | ''[[Cinnamomum cassia|C. cassia]]''
! colspan="2" | ''[[Cinnamomum verum|C. verum]]''
|-
! Min
! Max
! Min
! Max
|-
| mg coumarin/g cinnamon
| 0.085&nbsp;mg/g
| 12.18&nbsp;mg/g (He et al., 2005)<ref name= dan/>
| 0.007&nbsp;mg/g
| 0.9&nbsp;mg/g
|-
| [[Tolerable daily intake|TDI]] cinnamon at 50&nbsp;kg body weight (bw)
| 58.8&nbsp;g/bw
| 0.4&nbsp;g/bw
| 714.3&nbsp;g/bw
| '''5.6&nbsp;g/bw'''
|}

Due to the variable amount of coumarin in ''C. cassia'', usually well over 1.0&nbsp;mg of coumarin per g of cinnamon and sometimes up to 12 times that, ''C. cassia'' has a low safe-intake-level upper limit to adhere to the above TDI.<ref name=dan>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.foodcont.2013.10.014|title=Coumarin content in cinnamon containing food products on the Danish market|url=http://www.foedevarestyrelsen.dk/SiteCollectionDocuments/Laboratorie/Food%20Control%20-%20Coumarin%20in%20Danish%20Food%20Products.pdf|journal=Food Control|volume=38|pages=198–203|year=2014|last1=Ballin|first1=Nicolai Z.|last2=Sørensen|first2=Ann T.|access-date=9 December 2015|archive-date=2 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802005156/http://www.foedevarestyrelsen.dk/SiteCollectionDocuments/Laboratorie/Food%20Control%20-%20Coumarin%20in%20Danish%20Food%20Products.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> In contrast, ''C. verum'' has only trace amounts of coumarin.<ref name="Wang2013">{{cite journal|last1=Wang|first1=Yan-Hong|last2=Avula|first2=Bharathi|last3=Nanayakkara|first3=N. P. Dhammika|last4=Zhao|first4=Jianping|last5=Khan|first5=Ikhlas A.|title=Cassia cinnamon as a source of coumarin in cinnamon-flavored food and food supplements in the United States|journal=[[Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry]]|volume=61|issue=18|year=2013|pages=4470–4476|doi=10.1021/jf4005862|url=https://cinnamonvogue.com/DOWNLOADS/Cinnamon_and_coumarin.pdf|pmid=23627682|bibcode=2013JAFC...61.4470W |access-date=13 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505233039/http://www.cinnamonvogue.com/DOWNLOADS/Cinnamon_and_coumarin.pdf|archive-date=5 May 2015}}</ref>

In March 2024, the US [[Food and Drug Administration]] recommended a voluntary recall on six brands of cinnamon due to contamination with [[lead]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/fda-alert-concerning-certain-cinnamon-products-due-presence-elevated-levels-lead|title=FDA Alert Concerning Certain Cinnamon Products Due to Presence of Elevated Levels of Lead|website=[[Food and Drug Administration]] |date=6 March 2024|access-date=27 May 2024}}</ref> after an investigation stemming from 500 reports of child lead poisoning across the US.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/cinnamon-lead-applesauce-wanabana-fda-344066a22a729d176c0c732180f48247|title=Lead-tainted cinnamon has been recalled. Here's what you should know|last=Aleccia|first=Jonel|date=8 March 2024|access-date=27 May 2024}}</ref> The FDA determined that cinnamon was adulterated with [[lead chromate]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-elevated-lead-chromium-levels-cinnamon-applesauce-pouches-november-2023|title=Investigation of Elevated Lead & Chromium Levels: Cinnamon Applesauce Pouches (November 2023)|website=[[Food and Drug Administration]] |date=16 April 2024|access-date=27 May 2024}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery class="center" caption="" widths="150px" heights="150px">
File:“Spiced” Tea – Flavoured by Cinnamon and Cardamom, Comilla, Bangladesh, 26 April 2014.jpg|Cinnamon-flavoured tea
	
File:Mmm... cinnamon toast (4197664913).jpg|Cinnamon toast can be made with cinnamon baked in, or just sprinkled on top.
	
File:ദന്തധാവനചൂർണ്ണം.JPG|Ground cinnamon
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{portal|Food}}
* ''[[Canella]]'', a plant known as "wild cinnamon" or "white cinnamon"
* ''[[Cinnamomea (disambiguation)|Cinnamomea]]'', a [[Neo-Latin]] adjective meaning 'cinnamon-coloured'
* [[Cinnamon challenge]]
* [[List of culinary herbs and spices]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Wijesekera R. O. B., Ponnuchamy S., Jayewardene A. L., "Cinnamon" (1975) monograph published by CISIR, Colombo, Sri Lanka

== External links ==
{{wiktionary}}
{{Commons|Cinnamomum verum}}
* [https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/07/south_asia_sri_lanka0s_spice_of_life/html/1.stm "In pictures: Sri Lanka's spice of life"]. [[BBC News]].

{{Herbs & spices|state=expanded}}
{{Transient receptor potential channel modulators}}

[[Category:Cinnamon| ]]
[[Category:Antifungals]]
[[Category:Cinnamomum]]
[[Category:Incense material]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Non-timber forest products]]
[[Category:Spices]]
[[Category:Indian spices]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan spices]]