Ah, cinnamon…the spice so good that Mother Nature herself had to make it twice. No, seriously: cassia cinnamon is the spice you consume in cinnamon buns and breakfast cereals, while Ceylon cinnamon is the one that’s been in the news in the past for its healthful properties.
Granted, the different types of cinnamon come from different trees in different parts of the world, but they both have the same instantly recognizable warm spice flavor. Cinnamon can be the defining characteristic of a food (cinnamon buns, snickerdoodle cookies, cinnamon gum), part of a blend of dominant spices (ras el hanout, pumpkin spice, baharat), or as an accent note (many granolas will use honey, cinnamon, and brown sugar to help carry through the sweet brown flavors of the oats).
Cinnamon isn’t only used in food; ancient Egyptians would place cinnamon inside their mummies to help control odor, much like modern humans use cinnamon-scented candles, potpourris, and wreaths in their homes. Cinnamon can also be used as an insect repellent; a few stick of cinnamon in a sachet inside a closet can help deter moths, while ground cinnamon can be used to deter ants from their chosen paths.
Let’s not forget beverages; cinnamon is one of the defining spices in the autumn special pumpkin spice latte, and is the best part of Fireball whiskey. Speaking of, how about a recipe? This one was named after Eric Collins, a lab technician at Fuchs.
The Collins
Add all ingredients to glass and stir well.
Of course, it would be negligent of the author to not mention that Fuchs can supply cinnamon, along with dozens of other spices and hundreds of flavor profiles. To learn more about us, click here.
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