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CINNAMON (AND CASSIA)

Source: Cinnamon Cinnamomum verum
Berchthold and Presl (syn.C. zeylanicum
Nees), andC. burmanii(C.G. Th. Nees)
Blume;ChinesecassiaCinnamomumcassia
(L.)Berchthold&Presl.(syn.C.aromaticum
Nees,C.loureiriiNees) (Family Lauraceae).

Common/vernacularnames:SriLankancinna-
mon and true cinnamon (C. verum); Batavia
cassia, Fagotcassia, Indonesian cassia,Indone-
sian cinnamon, Java cassia, Korintji cassia,
and Padang cinnamon (C. burmanii); Chinese
cassia,Chinesecinnamon,falsecinnamon,cas-
sialignea,andVietnamcassia(C.cassia).Inthe
United States, the common name cinnamon
appliestoC.verum,C.burmanii,andC.cassia,
whereasintheUnitedKingdomandcontinental
Europe, the name applies only toC. verum.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Sri Lankan or true cinnamon (C. verum)isa
medium-size evergreen tree up to 16 m in
height and up to 60 cm in diameter at breast
height; bark is thin, smooth, light pinkish-
brown; leaves opposite, elliptic or oval to
lanceolate–oval; flowers pale yellowish-
green; native to south India and Sri Lanka.

Indonesian cinnamon (C. burmanii) reaches

15 m in height; leaves are sub-opposite; native

to Sumatra–Java. Chinese or Vietnam cassia

(C. cassia) is native to China and Vietnam

reaching heights of 18–20 m with a diameter

of 40–60 cm; bark is gray brown; trunk is

cylindrical and straight; leaves simple or

sub-opposite; flowers white. Parts used are

the dried bark, leaves, and twigs. The trees

are mostly cultivated for commercial produc-

tion of cinnamon and are usually cut back

(coppiced) to form bushes or shrubs. The

essential oils are obtained by steam distilla-

tion. Cassia oil (Chinese cinnamon oil) is

obtained from leaves, bark, and twigs of

C. cassiaand is mainly produced in China;

cinnamon bark oil is derived from the dried

inner bark ofC. verumand cinnamon leaf oil

from the leaves and twigs of the same species

(RAVINDRAN).

In the United States, cinnamon bark

(particularly fromC.verum) and its oils are

generally considered superior in flavor char-

acteristics to Chinese cassia bark and cassia

oil and are also more valued than oils from

Indonesian cinnamon (RAVINDRAN).

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

C. verumbark yields 0.4–0.8% oil; tannins,

consisting of polymeric 5,7,3^0 ,4^0 -tetrahydrox-

196 Cinnamon (and cassia)