Cinnamon
Cinnamomum verum / C. cassia · Spice
Top 10 pairings
Cinnamon sticks, or quills, are curls of dried inner bark from evergreen trees. Warm, sweet and woody-spicy, cinnamon scents mulled wine, apple pie, curries and tagines, and is among the oldest and most traded spices.
Picking a good onedrag
Just milled, loud and oilyFaded, dusty, smells of nothing
Whole in the jarEveryday bestA daily teaspoon of cassia tops the EU coumarin limit; heavy users want Ceylon.
Crush and smellWarm, sweet-woody, a beat later
Quill or powderQuills a year old, still loud
Look at the barkDuller, a few quills cracked
Press the groundPacks a little, breaks at a touch