Each month we showcase a different spice, write up some information about the spice and then its over to you to come up with your tips, tricks or recipes using the spice. There is a prize for the most interesting idea or recipe (to be posted anywhere in the world, customs permitting). Just add your ideas to this thread or if you have a recipe, then post it as a new thread and tag it ‘cookingbites spice challenge'. This month, the featured spice is cinnamon (including cassia. a closely related spice). Deadline for entries midnight Tuesday 1st August 2017 (BST)
Cinnamon and Cassia
Cultivation
Cinnamon is a native to Sri Lanka, Burma and Southern India and is also grown in the West Indies, South America and the Seychelles. Cinnamon is a bushy evergreen tree of the laurel family. The slim branches are first peeled, then the inner bark is bruised to loosen it. Long incisions are madden the branch and the bark is lifted off and allowed to dry. The quills of bark are rolled daily by hand. Cassia - sometimes known as Chinese cinnamon is a related plant and is grown in China, the West Indies and Central America.
Aroma and flavour
The fragrant aroma of cinnamon manages to combine the homely with the exotic. Its flavour is sweet and warm with just a hint of bitterness. Cassia bark, which comes from a plant related to cinnamon has a coarser appearance and a less sweet taste.
Heath benefits
Cinnamon has a long history of use in traditional medicine. It is believed to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. A recent study suggests that cinnamon may reverse the effects of a high-fat diet.* The spice was found to slow the fat-storing process and lessen the risk of heart damage due to eating unhealthy foods. Some studies also suggest that cinnamon can be an effective tool in managing the disease type 2 diabetes**
Culinary use
Cinnamon is used in a multitude of dishes around the world. In its ground form it often used in baking and sweet pastries and to flavour breakfast cereals or sprinkle on coffee. It is widely used in Eastern and Middle Eastern cuisine in both sweet and savoury dishes and has a particular affinity with lamb. Whole quills can be added to tagines or used when cooking rice or in dhals. In Mexico, the main importer of cinnamon, it is used in the production of chocolate and is also added to moles. In the USA, ground cassia is often substituted for cinnamon. The FDA allows the word to be used not only for real cinnamon, but also for cassia.
Almost all ground cinnamon found in supermarkets in the USA is in fact, Cassia.
Cinnamon is a very versatile spice but needs to be used judiciously. Too much cinnamon can result in a cloying flavour, particularly in savoury dishes. Cassia bark is one of the ingredients in Chinese five spice. It is also commonly used in Indian curries.
Now its over to you. How do you use cinnamon or cassia? Tell us your ideas, tips and recipes for using cinnamon or cassia. Deadline for entries is midnight Tuesday 1st August 2017 (BST)
*http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4486130/Cinnamon-reverse-high-fat-diet.html#ixzz4lfadF8qk
**http://www.organicauthority.com/health/11-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html
Cinnamon and Cassia
Cultivation
Cinnamon is a native to Sri Lanka, Burma and Southern India and is also grown in the West Indies, South America and the Seychelles. Cinnamon is a bushy evergreen tree of the laurel family. The slim branches are first peeled, then the inner bark is bruised to loosen it. Long incisions are madden the branch and the bark is lifted off and allowed to dry. The quills of bark are rolled daily by hand. Cassia - sometimes known as Chinese cinnamon is a related plant and is grown in China, the West Indies and Central America.
Aroma and flavour
The fragrant aroma of cinnamon manages to combine the homely with the exotic. Its flavour is sweet and warm with just a hint of bitterness. Cassia bark, which comes from a plant related to cinnamon has a coarser appearance and a less sweet taste.
Heath benefits
Cinnamon has a long history of use in traditional medicine. It is believed to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. A recent study suggests that cinnamon may reverse the effects of a high-fat diet.* The spice was found to slow the fat-storing process and lessen the risk of heart damage due to eating unhealthy foods. Some studies also suggest that cinnamon can be an effective tool in managing the disease type 2 diabetes**
Culinary use
Cinnamon is used in a multitude of dishes around the world. In its ground form it often used in baking and sweet pastries and to flavour breakfast cereals or sprinkle on coffee. It is widely used in Eastern and Middle Eastern cuisine in both sweet and savoury dishes and has a particular affinity with lamb. Whole quills can be added to tagines or used when cooking rice or in dhals. In Mexico, the main importer of cinnamon, it is used in the production of chocolate and is also added to moles. In the USA, ground cassia is often substituted for cinnamon. The FDA allows the word to be used not only for real cinnamon, but also for cassia.
Almost all ground cinnamon found in supermarkets in the USA is in fact, Cassia.
Cinnamon is a very versatile spice but needs to be used judiciously. Too much cinnamon can result in a cloying flavour, particularly in savoury dishes. Cassia bark is one of the ingredients in Chinese five spice. It is also commonly used in Indian curries.
Now its over to you. How do you use cinnamon or cassia? Tell us your ideas, tips and recipes for using cinnamon or cassia. Deadline for entries is midnight Tuesday 1st August 2017 (BST)
*http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4486130/Cinnamon-reverse-high-fat-diet.html#ixzz4lfadF8qk
**http://www.organicauthority.com/health/11-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html
