Ceylon cinnamon differs from Cassia cinnamon in terms of planting and production process, flavour, colour, texture, health benefits, and more. In a nutshell, some key differences are that Ceylon Cinnamon is said to be pricier, with a milder flavour and less coumarin, making it healthier. Cassia is said to be cheaper but harsher, with more coumarin.
But what are the critical differences between Ceylon and other cinnamons, such as Cassia cinnamon, and which is best for regular consumption? Read ahead to find out more details!
What Is Ceylon Cinnamon?
Ceylon Cinnamon, commonly referred to as “True Cinnamon,” is native to Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, manual labour is involved during cultivation and processing activities during cinnamon production, which is one of the reasons for considering it as one of the most sought-after spices in the world.
What is Ceylon Cinnamon’s specialty? According to Sri Lanka business, its unique properties include the composition of more than 80 types of chemical components, and manual labour is involved in many processes that take time to preserve the quality of the product.
A few key components in Ceylon Cinnamon are Cinnamononaldehyde, which is the chemical component in its high-quality bark, and the Coumarin component, present for only approximately 0.004%.
When harvesting Ceylon cinnamon, farmers cut it down from the branches of cinnamon trees at a specific angle so that it can regrow effectively. These harvests take place from June to December during the monsoon season.
Ceylon cinnamon is expensive due to its unique properties and health benefits.
What Is Cassia Cinnamon?
Cassia Cinnamon is also known as Cinnamon aromatic, Cinnamon cassia, or Chinese cinnamon. Cassia cinnamon has many subspecies, such as C.cassia, C.burmani, C.loureirii, and C.tamale.
It has a strong flavour and key components such as hydroxy chalcone and similar chemicals and is widely popular across the world and said to be cheaper in price than the Ceylon Cinnamon.
However, compared to Ceylon cinnamon, it is considered to have a low variety of qualities and is also available at cheap prices.
What Is The Difference Between Ceylon Cinnamon And Cassia Cinnamon?
Demand For The Product
Ceylon Cinnamon has more demand than Cassia Cinnamon, and one of the specific reasons is due to its unique processing and production process.
While Ceylon Cinnamon is rich in quality and has health benefits, Cassia Cinnamon is widely available worldwide and is not a sought-after product like Ceylon Cinnamon.
Planting To Production
Ceylon Cinnamon takes 3 to 4 years to come into production, while Cassia Cinnamon takes less time. One of the critical production places of Ceylon Cinnamon is Sri Lanka, which contributes a $214M as indicated in the OEC World publication. It is also produced in Madagascar, Seychelles, and Northwestern India.
Cassia cinnamon is mainly found in the mountains of southern China, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Moreover, Chinese farmers mainly engage in production activities, including in Guangxi and Guangdong provinces in China.
Components Composition
The bark of Ceylon cinnamon contains components such as trans-cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, and linalool, which account for about 80% of its composition.
Moreover, the dried stem of the Cassia cinnamon bark contains components such as cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, cinnamyl oil, and coumarin.
Both types of cinnamon contain coumarin, which has hepatotoxic and carcinogenic properties that are harmful to human health. However, Ceylon cinnamon contains only approximately 0.004% of coumarin, while Cassia contains 5%. Thus, Ceylon cinnamon is a healthier choice than Cassia cinnamon.
Also, Tau is another component available in cinnamon, which may get stored in the brain and a reason for Alzheimer’s disease. Cassia cinnamon contains more Tau, which may lead to serious illness. However, Ceylon cinnamon is the best choice as it has a lower percentage of Tau and is less risky.
Another key component in both these cinnamon types is Cinnamaldehyde, which reflects the taste of cinnamon. It is a key essential oil present in cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon has approximately 50-63% cinnamaldehyde, while Cassia cinnamon comprises 95% cinnamaldehyde.
Shape And Pattern Of Quills
Ceylon Cinnamon quills are made with the dried inner bark of the stem and rolled into quills. Also, its thickness is less than 0.08m with a single spiral curl. This single spiral curl consists of small pieces of bark, too! Thin cinnamon quills are produced when the inner bark is stripped in thin sheets.
Next, Cassia cinnamon quills are rolled up to the centre point and have a thickness of approximately 1.5mm. However, they would have a small straight bark with a double curl if you found them dried. If they have long-edge spirals, they would be in the opposite direction of the bark.
Flavour And Color
Ceylon cinnamon has a less bitter, subdued, but apt sweet flavour. Its aromatic smell would be breathtaking!
However, Cassia cinnamon has a spicy, pungent, bitter, and sweet flavour. In comparison, its aroma matches its flavour and texture accordingly. Due to its robust and impactful flavour, some say the cassia cinnamon leaves a burning aftertaste.
Ceylon cinnamon is light brown. Cassia cinnamon is reddish-dark brown and can be easily differentiated from Ceylon cinnamon.
Texture
The texture of Ceylon cinnamon is unique. It is very soft and fragile, so even if you break it, it will easily break as it is very soft.
Next, Cassia cinnamon is hard and rough, so breaking it might be more difficult than breaking Ceylon cinnamon.
Taste
Ceylon cinnamon has a sweeter and less bitter taste due to its lower cinnamaldehyde component. But Cassia cinnamon has a spicy, sweet, and strong taste.
Thus, some may prefer Ceylon cinnamon for desserts, sweets, and consumption than Cassia cinnamon.
Cost
Ceylon cinnamon is expensive due to its unique planting, production, and health benefits. However, it is widely popular in places such as the EU, Oceania, and Western Asia.
Cassia cinnamon is affordable and may even be low-priced at some locations. However, it is widely used in the USA and Canada.
Health Benefits
Since both types of cinnamon are different from one another, they also have different health benefits.
Here are the health benefits of consuming Ceylon cinnamon:
According to WebMD, Ceylon cinnamon may be suitable for people with
- Helps to tolerate cancer.
- Prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
- Reduce diabetes.
- Lower high blood pressure.
According to WebMD, Here are the health benefits of consuming Cassia cinnamon:
- Helps with irritable bowel syndrome.
- Assist in overcoming menstrual pain.
- Prevent allergic rhinitis.
- Reduce diabetes.
- Decrease high blood pressure.
- Eases metabolic syndrome.
- Deflate yeast-related infections.
Which Cinnamon To Choose: Ceylon Vs. Cassia?
As discussed above, Ceylon and Cassia cinnamon are different and have contrasting properties.
But what should you use for consumption, and which is the healthiest option? Well, Ceylon cinnamon is the healthier option. Here’s why:
- Ceylon cinnamon can help to reduce blood sugar levels.
- Ceylon cinnamon has less coumarin than Cassia cinnamon, which causes adverse health effects.
- It has a lower percentage of Tau (as discussed above) than Cassia cinnamon.
- It is the best choice for regular consumption as it has fewer side effects.
Thus, Ceylon cinnamon is the best choice for regular consumption.
So, what happens if you consume Cassia cinnamon regularly? According to MedicineNet, here are some side effects they had stated:
- Liver damage.
- May give rise to respiratory issues.
- May lead to mouth sores.
- Reduces blood pressure.
- Risk of cancer.
- This may lead to drug interactions.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, in the battle between Ceylon cinnamon and Cassia cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon is the most preferred choice for regular consumption.
We hope this guide was helpful for you to understand the critical differences between Ceylon and Cassia cinnamon.
FAQs
What is the key difference between Ceylon cinnamon and Cassia cinnamon?
Ceylon cinnamon is expensive, rich in taste, flavour, and texture, and has unique component compositions. Cassia cinnamon is reasonably priced but spicy with a bitter taste, has a hard texture, and different component compositions.
Why is Ceylon cinnamon better than regular cinnamon?
Ceylon cinnamon is better than regular cinnamon because it is said to contain a lower percentage of Tau and Coumarin.
What is unique about Ceylon cinnamon?
Ceylon cinnamon is unique because it is native to Sri Lanka. The planting and production processes are traditional, and manual labor is used.
Which type of cinnamon is best?
Taking into account the health benefits of Ceylon cinnamon vs. Cassia cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon helps reduce blood sugar and diabetes; Sri Lanka Business suggests that Ceylon cinnamon is the best type.
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