Cinnamon, an enchanting spice

From Ceylon or China, the cinnamomum belongs to the Lauraceae family, as does the nutmeg or avocado. Its name comes from canna, which means reed in Latin, and evokes its rounded shape obtained from the bark of the cinnamon tree that, when dried, rolls on itself. Cinnamon has been known for more than 4,500 years and is one of the oldest renowned spices. From the 3rd millennium BC, it is used in China for its medicinal properties. Ceylon cinnamon is the most prized, because it produces the best spice: in powder or in roll, its taste is unequaled.

Medicinal virtues

Known in antiquity without any real knowledge of its origin, it is found in Chinese, Sanskrit and Egyptian writings, as well as in the Old Testament and Torah. As precious as gold, it takes the Silk Road from India and China to Mesopotamia, then to Greek cities and Rome. It is then used for its medicinal virtues, as a digestive, as a fortifier, but also to flavor wine. In Egypt, it is used to embalm bodies and to make perfumes and oils. It is even said that Cleopatra used it to bewitch his suitors.

A powerful and tasty plant

Originally used in the Middle Ages to mask bad smells and reserved for the nobility, cinnamon was democratized in Europe in the nineteenth century to make a prominent place in gastronomy. At the time, the Parisian bourgeoisie fretted for cinnamon-based sweets from Turkey, stuffed with fabulous tales of Topkapi’s serail and harem. A success due to the manliness that these were supposed to bring to those who ate them. Today, cinnamon is found in many traditional recipes, such as Swedish kanelbullar; bredele and gingerbread in Alsace; or speculoos, which have become the star of Belgian biscuits!