The holiday season warms up with National Cinnamon Day on November 1st. It’s the spice that ushers in a season while being versatile all year long.
- Cinnamon comes from the bark of the cinnamon tree.
- Cinnamon sticks are also called quills.
- Cinnamon doesn’t have a sweet taste but does amplify the sweetness in other ingredients.
- According to IRI data, cinnamon was the most purchased holiday spice in 2018.
- Native to Ceylon, which is modern day Sri Lanka, cinnamon’s first recordings are from Chinese writings that date as far back as 2800 BC.
- Even today in the Cantonese language, cinnamon is still known as “kwai”. And in the Malay language, it goes by “kayumanis”, which means “sweet wood”.
- Ceylon produces so much cinnamon that in the 17th Century the Portuguese and the Dutch started a war over the island.
- During medieval times, doctors found that cinnamon worked well as a treatment for coughs, sore throats and hoarseness.
- Cinnamon is full of antioxidants.
- Cinnamon has anti-inflammatory properties.
- Cinnamon may help prevent heart disease.
- Cinnamon can help balance insulin.
- Cinnamon is supposedly helpful in the fight against degenerative brain disorders like Alzheimer’s as it activates protective proteins that help stop mutation and damage to cells.
- Just smelling the wonderful odor of cinnamon boosts brain activity!
- Cinnamon is a rich source of vitamin K, calcium, and iron, while providing moderate amounts of vitamin B6, vitamin E, magnesium, and zinc
- It may also have been considered a status symbol and was often used as a special imported gift given to monarchs, royalty and other people of importance.
- 2000 BC: A network of sea routes link East to West, from Japan all the way over to Europe, and cinnamon is one of the spices traded on this route.
- 65 AD: Emperor Nero is said to have burned a year’s worth of Rome’s supply of cinnamon at his wife’s funeral.
- 14th Century: Portuguese explorers find cinnamon – While traders brought the spice to the West, the place where it originates from is kept secret until the Portuguese discovered it in Ceylon.
- 1930s: Cinnamon candy is made – Produced by the Ferrara Pan Candy Company, Red Hots are made using the panned method of candy making.
- Cinnamon may actually be one of the oldest spices in the world. In the Bible, it is mentioned in Exodus 30:23, Proverbs 7:17, and revelation 18:13 to name just a few.
- Annually, the production of cinnamon is a staggering 27,500 to 35,000 tons!
- Sri Lanka produces around 90% of the cinnamomum verum (cinnamon variety) used across the world.
- Cinnamon bark is often used in cooking as a spice. It is mostly used in cooking as a seasoning and flavoring agent.
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