What is cinnamon?

People often hear and see the term cinnamon in daily life, but what is cinnamon? Cinnamon is a plant that can be used as both a spice and a medicine. Generally, cinnamon grows in warm areas and grows very lush in places with lots of sunlight, and its reproductive ability is very strong. Below I will introduce to you the main values ​​of cinnamon. If you want to know more, you can read it.

Cinnamon (Scientific name: Cinnamomum cassia Presl) is a medium-sized tree of the Lauraceae family, Cinnamomum genus, with gray-brown bark. The leaves are alternate or nearly opposite, oblong to nearly lanceolate, leathery, cartilaginous at the edges, involute, green, shiny, glabrous, with thick petioles. Inflorescence axillary or subterminal. The flowers are white, the perianth is lobed, the filaments are pubescent and flat, the anthers are oval-oblong, and the ovary is ovoid. The fruit is oval, black-purple when ripe, hairless, and the fruit receptacle is shallowly cup-shaped. The flowering period is from June to August, and the fruiting period is from October to December.

It is native to China and is also found in India, Laos, Vietnam and Indonesia. It likes warm and humid climate and avoids waterlogging, but too much rain will cause root rot and leaf rot. Seedlings prefer shade, while mature trees can only grow normally under more sunlight. This type requires a deep soil layer, loose texture, good drainage, and strong permeability of slightly acidic or acidic sandy loam or loam. The propagation methods include sucker propagation, cutting propagation and seed propagation.

Cinnamon bark is often used as a spice, cooking ingredient and medicine. Its wood can be used to make furniture, and it can also be used as a landscaping tree species.

1. Main Value

1. Spices

The bark, leaves and "osmanthus flowers" (first fruits) of cinnamon all have a strong cinnamon flavor, among which the osmanthus flowers are the strongest, followed by the pedicels, bark and leaves. Cinnamon oil can be extracted from branches, leaves, fruits and pedicels. Cinnamon oil is the raw material for synthesizing important spices such as cinnamic acid, used as a raw material for cosmetics, and is also an ingredient in chocolate and cigarettes. It is used as a corrective, carminative, irritant, aromatic, etc. in medicine, and has a preservative effect.

Cinnamon powder is commonly used in Western countries to bake bread, snacks, and marinate meat. In addition to cinnamaldehyde, cinnamon oil also contains more than ten ingredients such as benzaldehyde, cinnamyl alcohol, caryophyllene, coumarin, etc. It is widely used in beverages, food flavoring, pharmaceutical formulations, blending essences and high-end cosmetics. For example, cola drinks contain cinnamon oil.

2. Medicinal

The names of the medicinal materials vary depending on the parts of the tree. The bark is called cinnamon, the cross-sectioned branches are called cassia twigs, the young branches are called cassia tips, the petioles are called cassia twigs, the fruit receptacles are called cassia bowls, the fruits are called cassia seeds, and the newly formed fruits are called osmanthus flowers or cassia buds. Cinnamon has the functions of warming the middle and tonifying the kidney, dispelling cold and relieving pain. It can treat cold pain in the waist and knees, stomach pain due to deficiency and cold, chronic indigestion, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea, and amenorrhea caused by cold. Cinnamon twig has the functions of inducing sweating, relieving muscles, warming and unblocking meridians, and treating exogenous diseases, wind-cold, and pain in shoulders, arms and joints. Cinnamon twig decoction has significant antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Cinnamon seeds can cure stomachache caused by deficiency and cold. The medicinal qualities of cinnamon vary depending on its origin and variety. For example, the Thanh Hoa cinnamon produced in northern Vietnam is of better quality, and its cinnamon bark tastes spicy first and then sweet when chewed. Most cinnamon bark produced in China tastes sweet first and then spicy when chewed, which may be related to the differences in the chemical components they contain.

"Shennong's Herbal Classic": "It tastes spicy and warm, cures all diseases, nourishes the spirit, harmonizes the complexion, benefits the joints, and replenishes the middle and strengthens the qi. It is the first of all medicines to be employed as a messenger. Long-term use can make the spirit go away, lighten the body and prevent aging. The face becomes radiant and the eyebrows are beautiful like those of a child."

"Compendium of Materia Medica": "It strengthens the tendons and bones, unclogs the blood vessels, and is suitable for guiding hundreds of medicines. If taken for a long time, one will become an immortal and will not age."