Cinnamon is a spice made from the dried inner bark of trees in the genus Cinnamomum, most prized in its true form, Cinnamomum verum, native to Sri Lanka and the Malabar coast of South India. Cinnamon was among the most valuable commodities of the ancient long-distance spice trade, reaching ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome by routes that traders deliberately obscured to protect their monopoly and markup, giving rise to fanciful ancient accounts of its origin. Its high value and remote true source made cinnamon, alongside pepper and other spices, a driver of the medieval and early modern spice trade that connected South Asia to Europe and, eventually, motivated the European voyages of exploration that opened direct sea routes to the spice-producing regions of Asia.
Facts
Earliest Documented Use, From (Year)Sourced to the subject's own accountAncient authors (Herodotus, Aristotle and others) claimed cinnamon came from Arabia, gathered by giant "cinnamon birds" from nests in an unknown land; Pliny the Elder recorded this as a traders' fiction invented to obscure the spice's real Southeast Asian source and justify a higher price. Captured here as a documented legend, not fact, per the food DataBrief's own precedent for named origin myths (Shennong, Kaldi). Earliest Documented Use, To (Year)Sourced to the subject's own accountThe source gives one point estimate (as early as 2000 BC), not a range, matching the existing start-year value. Origin RegionSourced to the subject's own accountSri Lanka and the Malabar coast of South India 1 Connections
Expresses Tradition
Cinnamon was among the most valuable commodities of the ancient and medieval long-distance spice trade.
Source Cinnamon (Wikipedia)
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Source Cinnamon (Wikipedia)tier 3
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Source Cinnamon (Wikipedia)tier 3
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Source Cinnamon (Wikipedia)tier 3
Sources
1. Cinnamon (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHistory section
It was imported to Egypt as early as 2000 BC, but those who reported that it had come from China had confused it with Cinnamomum cassia.
- Expresses Tradition: Spice Trade Traditions
View the Source Wikidata: Cinnamon
Larousse Gastronomique
Hamlyn, 2009Used By: Sri Lankan Cuisine, entry: Cinnamon
Cinnamon roll - Wikipedia
Used By: Cinnamon Roll, Infobox main_ingredient field: Flour, cinnamon, sugar, and butter (or any other solid fat)View the Source Wikipedia, Honey bun
Used By: Honey bun, Infobox main_ingredient field: Honey, yeast, cinnamonView the Source Pfeffernusse (Wikipedia)
Used By: Pfeffernüsse, Infobox main_ingredient field: cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, black pepper, mace, anise, sugar, butter, eggs, flourView the Source Bananas Foster (Wikipedia)
Used By: Bananas Foster, Infobox main_ingredient field: Bananas, vanilla ice cream, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark rum, banana liqueurView the Source Charoset (Wikipedia)
Used By: Charoset, Infobox main_ingredient field: Apples, pears, raisins, figs, orange juice, red wine, pine nuts and cinnamonView the Source Sholezard (Wikipedia)
Used By: Sholezard, Infobox main_ingredient field: Rice, saffron, sugar, rose water and cinnamon powderView the Source Pepernoot (Wikipedia)
Used By: Pepernoot, Infobox main_ingredient field: Flour, Sugar, Aniseed, Cinnamon, ClovesView the Source Meghli (Wikipedia)
Used By: Meghli, Infobox main_ingredient field: Rice flour, sugar, anise, caraway, cinnamon, coconut, almonds, pistachios, pine nuts, walnutsView the Source Hotteok (Wikipedia)
Used By: Hotteok, Infobox main_ingredient field: Dough: wheat flour, water, milk, sugar, yeast; Filling: brown sugar, honey, peanuts, cinnamonView the Source Giouvetsi (Wikipedia)
Used By: Giouvetsi, Infobox main_ingredient field: Meat (chicken, lamb or beef), pasta, tomato sauce (with cinnamon or bay leaves)View the Source Kruidnoten (Wikipedia)
Used By: Kruidnoten, Infobox main_ingredient field: Flour, Brown sugar, Butter, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, Cardamom, NutmegView the Source Suspiro de limena (Wikipedia)
Used By: Suspiro de limeña, Infobox main_ingredient field: manjar blanco (milk, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla), meringue (egg whites, Oporto, cinnamon)View the Source Massaman Curry (Wikipedia)
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Stroopwafel (Wikipedia)
Used By: Stroopwafel, Infobox food/dish main_ingredient fieldView the Source Gulai (Wikipedia)
Bak kut teh (Wikipedia)
Used By: Bak kut teh, Infobox food/dish main_ingredient fieldView the Source Bocconotto (Wikipedia)
Used By: Bocconotto, Lead paragraph [uses-ingredient 2]Quote, Used By: Bocconotto, Lead paragraph [uses-ingredient 2]
cinnamon
Mrouzia (source article)
Used By: Mrouzia, LeadQuote, Used By: Mrouzia, Lead
It is a sweet and salty meat tajine, combining a ras el hanout blend of spices with honey, cinnamon and almonds.
Konro (Wikipedia)
Used By: Konro, Lead [uses-ingredient 2]Quote, Used By: Konro, Lead [uses-ingredient 2]
The spicy and strong-tasting soup is made from a mixture of rich spices, which includes coriander, keluwak (Pangium edule); a fruit that gives it its blackish color, also small amount of nutmeg, turmeric, galangal, cinnamon, tamarind, lemongrass, clove, and salam (Indonesian bayleaf).
Lanttulaatikko (Wikipedia)
Used By: Lanttulaatikko, Lead [uses-ingredient]Quote, Used By: Lanttulaatikko, Lead [uses-ingredient]
sweetened and enriched with a mixture of bread crumbs, egg, cream, treacle, butter, and seasoned with salt and various spices (such as ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg)
Boeber (Wikipedia)
Used By: Boeber, Lead [uses-ingredient]Quote, Used By: Boeber, Lead [uses-ingredient]
made with vermicelli, sago, sugar, and flavoured with cardamom, stick cinnamon, and rose water
Kanika (food) (source article)
Used By: Kanika (food), Lead paragraphs [uses-ingredient]Quote, Used By: Kanika (food), Lead paragraphs [uses-ingredient]
The key ingredients used to make it are fragrant rice, ghee, raisins, cashews, black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, mace, bay leaf, nutmeg powder, sugar, salt and turmeric.
Tajine Lham-Lahlou (Wikipedia)
Used By: Tajine Lham-Lahlou, Ingredients [uses-ingredient 4]Quote, Used By: Tajine Lham-Lahlou, Ingredients [uses-ingredient 4]
Cinnamon and often turmeric, ginger, or saffron.
Croatian Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Used By: Croatian Cuisine, Wikipedia article textQuote, Used By: Croatian Cuisine, Wikipedia article text
Coastal cuisines use olive oil, herbs and spices such as rosemary, sage, bay leaf, oregano, marjoram, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and lemon and orange rind.
Macanese Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Used By: Macanese Cuisine, Wikipedia article textQuote, Used By: Macanese Cuisine, Wikipedia article text
Typically, Macanese food is seasoned with various spices including turmeric, coconut milk, and cinnamon, and dried cod (bacalhau), giving special aromas and tastes.
Roti gambang (Wikipedia)
Used By: Roti gambang, Lead sectionQuote, Used By: Roti gambang, Lead section
with sesame seeds, flavoured with cinnamon and palm sugar
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