Cinnamon is a small evergreen tree native to Sri Lanka (Ceylon). The leaves are ovate-oblong and its flowers have a greenish color with a distinct odor. The fruit is a purple berry containing a single seed. Its flavor is due to an aromatic essential oil that makes up 0.5-1% of its composition. This oil is made by pounding the bark, macerating it in seawater and then quickly distilling it. The oil has a golden-yellow color with the characteristic odor of cinnamon and a hot aromatic taste.
Cinnamon has been known down through history and was regarded as a gift fit for monarchs and great leaders. It was imported to Egypt and China from Sri Lanka in the early 2000 BC. You can find it mentioned several times in the Bible. Up to the Middle Ages the source of cinnamon was a mystery to the Western world. Eventually it became known to the world and is now grown and cultivated in other areas of the world. In 2006 Sri Lanka produced 90% of the world’s cinnamon, followed by China, India and Vietnam.
Uses of cinnamon include a spice, used in pickling and when mixed with rosewater to make a curry powder for stews. In medicine it acts like other volatile oils and once had a reputation for curing colds and treating diarrhea and other digestive disorders. It is high in antioxidant activity. The essential oil of cinnamon has antimicrobial properties which can aid in the preservation of certain foods. It has been proposed as an insect repellent but remains untested of this date. Cinnamon leaf oil has been found effective in killing mosquito larvae.
If you enjoy the fragrance of cinnamon a new idea would be the enjoyment of burning scented soy candles in your home or office. You can find the cinnamon scent in these fragrances: Cinnamon, Apple Cinnamon, Hot apple Pie, Noel and Yuletide. They come in soy votives, soy container candles in all sizes and fragrance oils. Why not try one today!
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