"True" cinnamon is an evergreen tree which may reach fifteen meters.
Native of Sri Lanka, it is a member of the Laureaceae family. Its leaves are long and shiny; its small round flowers give dark blue berries.
Like many spices, cinnamon appears in France with the returning crusaders. It perfumes, along with ginger, the sweet wine called "Hypocras". In cooking, its delicate, spicy and sweet flavour is found in numerous recipes, from gingerbread to rice pudding.
Main aromatic molecules: Aromatic aldehyde (cinnamaldehyde), phenols (eugenol), aromatic alcohols and esters.
Family: Lauraceae.
Producing organs: Barks.
Yield: 400g to 1.7kg of essential oil per 100kg of bark.
Equivalence: 1ml → 31 drops (dosage calculated for a calibrated dropper European Pharmacopoeia).
