cinnamon

Would you be surprised if I told you that cinnamon comes from the inner bark of a tropical evergreen tree.

The most common use for cinnamon is for pastries, but there are other uses also. For example, the leaves can be distilled and oil extracted. This oil can be used to make candy, which I make at Christmastime.

Most of the cinnamon we use comes from Indonesia.

There are essentially 4 types of cinnamon, and their quality varies as well.

Cassia- is what is used in the US and Canada. It is not of the highest quality, and its flavor is rather bland, meaning there is no depth of flavor. It is also cheap.

Ceylon - has a richer flavor, and it is also sweeter. The processing is a bit more involved so therefore it is more expensive.

Vietnamese/Saigon -This is my absolute favorite. It has a strong and deep taste. Perfect in Indian, and Southeast Asian dishes.

Korintje- From Indonesia.