A truly rare find! Ceylon cinnamon is the bark from the Cinnamomum verum tree and tastes very different from more readily available cassia cinnamon, and yet preserves that cinnamon flavor you love in cinnamon buns.
Tastes floral and warm with notes of honey and crystallized ginger.
One stick is 5 inches long. 1.5 oz bag has 5-6 sticks.
Our Ceylon cinnamon sticks include only the smooth inner bark of the tree for maximum potency. They are rolled by hand into "cigars" or "quills" using traditional techniques that are indigenous to the island, which maximize flavor and aroma. You will see many layers in a single stick and they are soft, brittle and easily processed in a spice grinder to make fresh powder or chips on demand.
- Heirloom variety native to Sri Lanka (Sinhala: Pani Miris Kurundu පැණි මිරිස් කුරුඳු)
- Sourced from the central hills of Sri Lanka
- Organically grown
- Also known as Cinnamomum verum or Cinnamomum zeylanicum
If you or someone you know usually says "I'm not a fan of cinnamon," that's because you've been consuming the strong tasting Cassia. Cassia is a dark brown and hard wood-like tree bark of cinnamon variety. Try Ceylon and you're in for a warm, cozy surprise!
Want powder? Get our ground Ceylon cinnamon.
Great uses for whole Ceylon cinnamon
- Use anywhere you would use regular cinnamon
- Stir into savory dishes like soups, chili, curries, stir fry and sauces to elevate combined flavors
- Make chai tea from scratch
- Combine with other spices and herbs for your own homemade tea blends
- Make fresh cinnamon tea: Crush one Ceylon cinnamon stick using a spice grinder or by hand (or 1 tablespoon ground Ceylon cinnamon) and add to 1 cup of boiling water. Steep, covered, for 10 minutes and strain.
- Chew on a piece as a natural breath freshener
Good pairing combos: green cardamom pods, nutmeg in shell, whole cloves, freshly ground Ceylon turmeric
Detailed harvesting process
Ceylon cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka (known as Ceylon prior to 1972) and is a more rare find in North American grocery stores, especially in whole, layered cigar form.
Fun fact: Sri Lanka is home to seven indigenous varieties of Cinnamomum verum. The Sinhala word for cinnamon is "kurundu". The most popular and commercially cultivated variety is called "pani miris kurundu" literally translating to "honey-chili-cinnamon" and tastes sweet like honey, spicy like chili pepper and smells like the holidays! Sri Lanka exports over 90% of the world's Cinnamomum verum or true cinnamon.
Tropical rains starting around May and relentless through several months soak cinnamon trees, loosening the outer bark of the tree trunks. After the monsoons let up, the trees dry out and start shedding its bark naturally. This bark is what turns into cinnamon sticks.
Farmers peel cinnamon trees by hand using a sharp knife, roll them into tight "quills" and allow them to air dry further in the shade of makeshift tents. The technique of hand rolling Ceylon cinnamon is proprietary to the island, and without this, you may find Cinnamomum verum grown outside of the island come in powdered or chip form.
Cinnamon can be produced completely organically and does not require spraying of pesticides at any point in the growing cycle, because of its naturally pungent oils. But many large distributors may use chemicals to preserve the looks of cinnamon quills while they are transported to customers using traditional supply chains, which may take up to five years in some cases.
We work closely with our farmer to secure his chemical-free fresh harvest as soon as it's ready in June through August every year. So, you can also taste the true flavor of Ceylon cinnamon with nothing else added.
