King of the Spice Trades and beloved bark for millennia, come take a deep dive into one of the world’s most lushly aromatic ingredients
In almost every kitchen cupboard, this famous little bark is probably one of the most recognizable smells, and we’ve been obsessed with it for millennia.
The Egyptians used cinnamon in mummification, the Greeks burned it like incense during religious rituals, and the philosopher Philostratus describes in writing a brew that contains cinnamon, gemstones, and chopped snake, to impart powers to converse with animals.
But all cinnamon isn’t created equal. There are two main types of cinnamon, Ceylon (“true” cinnamon grown in present day Sri Lanka) and Cassia cinnamon (grown in China, the type you probably have in your cupboard). The former is much more expensive and with a more nuanced smell and flavor, including some floral facets. Other rarer types also exist, such as Korintje (smoother flavor with less spicy bite), and Saigon (a stronger, bolder cassia-type cinnamon).
Adding to the complexity, different parts of the cinnamon tree contain different portions of its signature aromatic essences, every part of the bark having a distinct flavor. The parts from the middle are the best, the top of the tree is a grade below that, and nearer to the base is a grade below that.
Wherever it comes from, cinnamon is a bounty of fragrant ingredients.
The main player in cinnamon’s irresistible spicy-sweetness is an aldehyde dubbed, plainly, cinnamaldehyde. And because it’s an aldehyde, it bonds very easily with olfactory receptors, which is why the scent is always so robust and noticeable to us.
Another player is eugenol, which is found in clove (and other things), and is clove’s main player in its signature taste and smell – that numbing on your tongue, and its cool, clean spicy-sweetness.
Linalool can also be found in cinnamon, as well as many flowers and fruits, bringing a floral, citrusy scent to the mix.
(beta-) Carophyllene is what gives cinnamon that woody, fresh, peppery complexity.
And yes, you guessed it, each of these are molecules that can be used in perfumery for the facets described above.
Beta-Caryophyllene is the least obvious, and this one’s a little naughty too because it’s a player in the smell of cannabis (but also in basil, clove, lavender, and rosemary, to name a few), and is a molecule that binds uniquely to CB2 cannabinoid receptors. On its own, it’s a woody, green, strong, and spicy smell that can be used in woody or green accords for a deepening effect.
While the bark gets all the glory, not to be outdone are the leaves of the cinnamon tree, which can be used in teas, marinades, and traditional medicine as well. The essential oil is a unique note in perfumery, and a strikingly gorgeous one, giving off an herbal, green tone and more than a hint of that woody, spicy-sweet cinnamon magic that’s instantly recognizable in the leaves too.
Tending to this prized spice is also a highly specialized occupation, a cinnamon peeler, within Sri Lanka. These peelers hand-tend to the bark all day, their fingers and clothes stained with the potent smell that is exceedingly difficult to eliminate.
The leaves are plucked, the outer bark is scraped, and the inner bark is rubbed and beaten away with brass. The peeler slices the bark into one long piece with a small, sharp knife called a kokaththa, and then rolls the bark into layers, leaving it to dry, as it turns to that beautiful cinnamon-brown color to sit upon our shelves, waiting for Fall, to unleash its spell on us all.
