is one of the herb
used as spices in Nepal.
Source: Inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum.
Cinnamomum verum is considered
"true cinnamon".
In the classical times, four types
of cinnamon were distinguished (and often confused):
·
Cassia (Hebrew קציעה qəṣi`â), the bark of cinamomum
iners from Arabia and ethiopia,
literally "the peel of the plant" which is scraped off the tree
·
true cinnamon (Hebrew
קִנָּמוֹן qinnamon), the bark of C. verum (also
called C. zeylanicum) from Sri Lanka
·
Malabathrum or
malobathrum (from Sanskrit तमालपत्रम्, tamālapattram,
literally "dark-tree leaves"), several species including C.
tamalafrom the north of India
Market: Global annual production of cinnamon and cassia amounts to
27,500–35,000 tons. Cinnamomum
verum accounts for
7,500–10,000 tons of production, with the remainder produced by other species.
Cinnamon is cultivated by growing the tree for two years, then coppicing it, i.e., cutting the stems at ground
level. The following year, about a dozen new shoots will form from the roots,
replacing those that were cut. A number of pests such as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Diplodia spp., and Phytophthora cinnamomi (stripe canker) can affect that
growing plants, sometimes leading to death. The stems must be processed
immediately after harvesting while the inner bark is still wet. The cut stems
are processed by scraping off the outer bark, then beating the branch evenly
with a hammer to loosen the inner bark, which is then pried off in long rolls.
Only 0.5 mm (0.02 in) of the inner bark is used. The outer, woody portion is
discarded, leaving metre-long cinnamon strips that curl into rolls
("quills") on drying. The processed bark will dry completely in four
to six hours, provided it is in a well-ventilated and relatively warm
environment. Once dry, the bark is cut into 5- to 10-cm (2- to 4-in) lengths
for sale. A less than ideal drying environment encourages the proliferation of
pests in the bark, which may then require treatment by fumigation. Fumigated
bark is not considered to be of the same premium quality as untreated bark.
A number of species are often sold
as cinnamon:
The flavour of cinnamon is due to an aromatic essential oil that makes up 0.5 to 1% of its
composition. This essential oil is prepared by roughly pounding the bark, macerating it in sea water, and then quickly distilling the whole. It is of a golden-yellow
colour, with the characteristic odour of cinnamon and a very hot aromatic taste.
The pungent taste and scent come from cinnamic aldehyde orcinnamaldehyde (about 90% of the essential oil from the
bark) and, by reaction with oxygen as it ages, it darkens in colour and
forms resinous compounds. Other chemical components of the essential oil
include ethyl cinnamate, eugenol (found mostly in the leaves), beta-caryophyllene, linalool, and methyl chavicol.
The European Food Safety
Authority in
2008 considered toxicity of coumarin, known to cause liver and kidney damage
in high concentrations and a significant component of cinnamon, and metabolic
effect on humans with CYP2A6 polymorphism, and confirmed a maximum recommended Tolerable Daily
Intake (TDI)
of 0.1 mg of coumarin per kg of body weight. The European Union set a guideline for maximum coumarin
content in foodstuffs of 50 mg per kg of dough in seasonal foods, and
15 mg per kg in everyday baked foods.
- Energy: 103.4 kJ (24.7 kcal)
- Fat: 0.12 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.06 g (of which - fibres: 5.31 g, sugars: 0.2 g)
- Protein: 0.4 g
Why cinnamon and honey is often used?
People of many cultures have been using honey and cinnamon to
treat many different health situations for centuries like:
1. Arthritis
2. Bladder infection
3. Cholesterol
4. Colds
5. Heart diseases
6. Upset stomach
7. Gas
8. Immune system
9. Indigestion
10.
Influenza
flu
11.
Longevity
12.
Pimples
13.
Weight
loss
14.
Skin
infections
15.
Fatigue
16.
Cancer
17.
Hearing
loss
Though these donot have any scientific proof, they are still
used and believed to be very useful for our body.
Tags:
Natural products