Good and Good for You -- Cinnamon

With sugar, as spice, it's everything nice...just the name conjures up images of the holidays and home baked goods and warm and comfort and the smell of apple pie baking.

CINNAMON

Cinnamon has a looooooong history of use. It’s first mentioned in Biblical text and in the ancient papyri of Egypt. In the BCs it was treasured for its aroma and used in emollients and anointing oils.

When the Greeks and Romans got a hold of it, they first used it as a medicine and aphrodisiac, but around the 3rd-4th century started using it with food.

In the Middle Ages it was a culinary staple used both for savory and sweet dishes.  Its use spread throughout Europe though eventually it became used primarily (though not exclusively) in the preparation of sweet foods.

As it turns out, those Greeks and Romans were really onto something when they started using cinnamon. It contains a number of compounds and oils that have medicinally beneficial qualities.

Ÿ Cinnamon can be used as a digestive aid, to relieve bloating, indigestion, and flatulence.
Ÿ A small amount of cinnamon added to a cup of tea makes a great remedy for diarrhea.

Ÿ Cinnamon is an anti-inflammatory which can aid in relieving symptoms of asthma and arthritis.
Ÿ It has antibacterial elements that can block yeast fungus.
Ÿ Cinnamon is an anticoagulant that can help protect against strokes.

Cinnamon sticks can retain their flavor for up to a year. The way to tell if ground cinnamon is still useful is to smell it, if you don’t get an immediate aroma, you should toss it.  Actually a good rule of thumb for most all dried herbs and spices.

There are actually two types of cinnamon – true or Ceylon cinnamon and bastard or Chinese cinnamon. The latter is more pungent and comes from a Cassia tree which has bark that resembles that of cinnamon. The former actually comes from a flowering shrub whose bark is used as the spice.

In Ancient Rome, cinnamon was a highly prized and coveted item which made Nero’s gesture of having all the cinnamon in Rome burnt on his wife’s funeral pyre all the more impressive.  Maybe it was the guilt from having killing her that led to it, but knowing Nero’s history, he was probably just making a statement.