Herbs

Vegetables

Spices

Classification of Spices

Chemical constituents

The primary chemical constituents of this herb include cinnamaldehyde, gum, tannin, mannitol, coumarins, and essential oils (aldehydes, eugenol, pinene).

The essential oil of this herb is a potent antibacterial, anti-fungal, and uterine stimulant. The various terpenoids found in the volatile oil are believed to account for Cinnamon’s medicinal effects.

Culinary Uses

• It is the most common baking spice.
• Cinnamon is used more in dessert dishes. It is commonly used in cakes and other baked goods, milk and rice puddings, chocolate dishes and fruit desserts, particularly apples and pears.
• It is common in many Middle Eastern and North African dishes, in flavouring lamb tagines or stuffed aubergines.
• In American cooking, Cinnamon is often paired with apples and used in other fruit and cereal dishes.
• Stick Cinnamon is used in pickling and for flavoring hot beverages.
• It is used in curries and pilaus and in garam masala.
• It may be used to spice mulled wines, creams and syrups.
• The largest importer of Sri Lankan cinnamon is Mexico, where it is drunk with coffee and chocolate and brewed as a tea.

Medicinal Uses

• Cinnamon is carminative, astringent, stimulant, antiseptic.
• It is more powerful as a local than as a general stimulant.
• It stops vomiting, relieves flatulence, and given with chalk and astringents is useful for diarrhoea and haemorrhage of the womb.
• Because of its mild astringency, it is particularly useful in infantile diarrhea.
• Recent studies have determined that consuming as little as one-half teaspoon of Cinnamon each day may reduce blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels by as much as 20% in Type II diabetes patients.
• It is used to treat nausea and flatulence.
• Cinnamon is a great remedy for people with cold feet and hands, especially at night.
• The cinnamaldehyde component is hypotensive and spasmolytic, and increases peripheral blood flow.