Does it come from a leaf or plant? I've always wondered about it's origins (since about 5 minutes ago) but have never asked. :confused:
Cinnamon comes from the bark of a tree. If you buy cinnamon sticks, you can see that a little more clearly.
More often though, it's ground to a powder, which is what we cook with.
More often though, it's ground to a powder, which is what we cook with.
Cinnamon is mostly used ground, although I have a few recipes that use the whole cinnamon stick. Whole cinnamon is used often in asian cooking, and the one recipe I make in that cuisine is Pho soup, and it uses whole stick cinnamon for flavor. I also make a beef stew using stick cinnamon for flavor.
In both of those recipes, I remove the cinnamon before serving. It's there for taste not the eating
In both of those recipes, I remove the cinnamon before serving. It's there for taste not the eating
Cinnamon comes from the dried bark of various laurel trees. Cinnamon sticks are made from long pieces of bark that are rolled, pressed, and dried. Ground cinnamon comes from drying the central part of the bark, is mostly used in baking and cooking, while stick cinnamon is mostly used for pickling or flavoring beverages. Cinnamon oil is derived from the waste products of the drying process and from the pointed black fruit the trees bear which is usually used for medicinal purposes and flavorings.
