Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Cinnamon the oldest known spice.


Cinnamon the oldest known spice.
What is Cinnamon?
Cinnamon is the inner bark of a tropical evergreen tree. Both the bark and leaves are aromatic.The bark is left to dry completely, and when it curls then rolled into quills. The word cinnamon is derived from the Greek word that means "sweet wood".
Cinnamon is the brown bark of the cinnamon tree, which when dried, rolls into a tubular form known as a quill.
Cinnamon bark is widely used as a spice. It is used in cookery as a condiment and flavoring material. It is used in the preparation of chocolate, especially in Mexico, which is the main importer of cinnamon. It is also used in many dessert recipes, such as apple pie, doughnuts, and cinnamon buns as well as spicy candies, tea, hot cocoa, and liqueurs. True cinnamon, rather than cassia, is more suitable for use in sweet dishes. In the Middle East, it is often used in savory dishes of chicken and lamb. In the United States, cinnamon and sugar are often used to flavor cereals, bread-based dishes, and fruits, especially apples. It is used in curries and pilaus and in garam masala.
Cinnamon can also be used in pickling. Cinnamon bark is one of the few spices that can be consumed directly.
Cassia sticks or quills are a light reddish brown in color, and hard and woody in texture as they are made from the entire bark of the tree. True cinnamon is made from the inner bark, lending itself to a finer and less dense texture. It is often said that the quills of the true cinnamon spice roll only towards one side whereas the cassia sticks roll inward from both sides.
Cinnamon is known to contain manganese, iron and calcium.
Cinnamon has the highest anti-oxidant strength of all the food sources in nature.
Do u have a shaker of cinnamon on the spice rack in your kitchens.

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