Highlights interest in the colorful history ...

The acrid smell of cinnamon is unique, often reminiscent of dreams of hot cinnamon rolls from the oven. Cinnamon was once so popular that wars were fought, is used as a currency and has aphrodisiac properties.

History Canela

Native to Ceylon (Sri Lanka), true cinnamon, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, dates back in Chinese writings to 2800 BC, and is still considered kwai Cantonese today. Its botanical name comes from Hebrew and Arabic term amomon, meaning fragrant spice plant. The ancient Egyptians used cinnamon in their embalming. His word cannon, Italians called Cinnamon, the "small pipe", which aptly describes cinnamon sticks means.

In the first century AD, Pliny the Elder wrote of 350 grams of cinnamon, the value of more than five kilograms of silver, about fifteen times the value of silver by weight.

Medieval physicians used cinnamon in medicines to coughs, hoarseness and sore throat be treated. As a sign of repentance, commanded the Roman emperor Nero, the supply of cinnamon burned a year after his wife's murder.

Moreover, the species is estimated for the preservation properties of the meat by the phenols, to inhibit bacterial decomposition, with the added advantage that a strong advantage cinnamon taste masked the smell of meat old.

In the 17th century, the Dutch took the largest cinnamon supplier in the world, the island of Ceylon, the Portuguese, demanding outrageous fees Chalia caste poor job. When the Dutch learned from a source of cinnamon along the coast of India, bribed and threatened the local king to destroy everything preserve its monopoly on the coveted spice.

In 1795, Britain seized Ceylon from the French, who had won their victory over Holland in the wars of the Revolution. (In the Victorian language of flowers, cinnamon means "my fortune is yours.")

However, the case of the cinnamon monopoly had begun in 1833, found than other countries that could easily grow in areas such as Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Mauritius, Reunion and French Guiana French. Cinnamon is now also grows in South America, the Caribbean and other tropical climates.

Learn more about Cinnamon and Cassia:

• Selection Cassia cinnamon, storage and use
• What is the case?
• Cinnamon and Health
• Cinnamon history
• cinnamon customer
• cinnamon Recipes
_{Peggy Trowbridge Filippone cinnamon and cassia Photos © 2007 to About.com, Inc. licensed}

Cookbooks