Is it worth it to splash out for a unique type of cinnamon online? Ceylon, or even Korintje if I could find it. Where do you order such things from? What could I make with it? Anyone have experience using exotic types of cinnamon not commonly found in the U.S.?
I want to swallow the cinnapill
Jason Clark
Josiah Perry
Ausfag here, I think that our regular cinnamon is the ceylon cinnamon but you can also get cassia bark here at a lot of places. Have you looked in say a local Indian grocery place nearby?
Luke Long
>Americans are so fat and their tastebuds so nonexistent that they need to eat super cinnamon just to get a little taste
Adrian Green
American here and I absolutely hate cinnamon. would i like the European stuff?
Jacob Anderson
I'm pretty sure most of us europoors use mainly cassia. I've had both and honestly I prefer cassia for most applications. The flavor of true cinnamon is much milder and perhaps more sophisticated, which might be ideal if you're using it with no other spices on something fairly mild tasting (like sprinkled over oatmeal). But most of the time when I use cinnamon I prefer to have the stronger and sharper flavor of cassia.
David Barnes
> Ceylon
> mostly used in Europe
I'm pretty sure most stuff labeled "cinnamon" in Europe is cassia as well, since it's the cheaper one and who doesn't like cheap stuff.
I use both cassia and ceylon myself. I avoid cassia in savory dishes, since I think the flavor is too strong for it and I associate its flavor with cinnamon rolls. On oatmeal and cinnamon buns etc. sweet stuff I mainly use cassia, possibly since it's the one I grew up with.
I find ceylon in my local supermarket nowadays, but it's also common in all sorts of hippie/hipster organic produce stores and exotic goods stores.
Colton Sullivan
>stronger and sharper flavor of cassia
i remember alton brown saying this in his cinnamon roll episode.
cassia definitely tastes better for desserts.
Jaxson Jenkins
>I'm pretty sure most of us europoors use mainly cassia.
Pic related is what I had in my pantry. Pretty sure that's not cassia. Hindu is pretty much the cheapest/most basic spice brand you can get in Norway.
Luke Harris
bump
Angel Martinez
I used cassia for years, but switched over to Ceylon a couple years ago when I realized I was consuming so much of the stuff I probably should switch over to the less toxic variety. I order it from Amazon.
Carson Walker
Which kind? Link plz
Benjamin Rodriguez
The Ceylon has a better flavor than cassia, but not nearly as much punch, so I tend to use it in even greater quantities. Just look up organic Ceylon cinnamon sticks. Even fucking walmart sells them.
Leo Jackson
I just was wondering if you had a particular brand you favor.
Wyatt Gutierrez
Isn't coumarin poisonous? Anyway ceylon isn't available in most stores in the US. It's probably easier to find anywhere else.
Elijah Richardson
No. I am not a brand loyal shopper. I base my decisions on price and place of origin. I actually shy away from heavily branded products because in my experience they're usually expensive for the quality of what you get. Especially when it comes to spices. The little jars of fucking McCormic or whatever other brand you see in the supermarket cost 4 to 10 times as much as bulk spices bought online or at an Indian store, and they're pretty shit.
Evan Ross
Coumarin is toxic to the liver. However the benefits of cassia cinnamon still outweigh this one negative (assuming normal consumption).
Ian Carter
But if you put like a teaspoon of that shit on your oatmeal every day in addition to consuming it in other scenarios you probably should consider switching to Ceylon.
Ryan Wood
seriouseats.com
According to SE, Ceylon is actually really mild compared to the cassia variety common here in the US. Has anyone tried the Saigon cassia variety?
Does grinding/grating your own cinnamon from sticks make that much?
Chase Brooks
What do you use to grind your own cinnamon from a stick anyways?
Brody Morales
>Does grinding/grating your own cinnamon from sticks make that much?
Meant to ask if it made much DIFFERENCE since I've always used the powdered kind in shakers/tins.
Could I just break a stick piece off and chuck it in my vitamix, or is the very fine side of a box grater/burr grinder needed?
Ian Rogers
Ceylon is mild and more floral than cassia. I find I use 2-4 times as much Ceylon as I used to use cassia. I keep a dedicated grinder for cinnamon and sweet spices, and another for cumin and stronger spices. Grinding your own gives a fresher result than buying spices already ground, as the much greater surface area of ground spices allows all the volatile oils to evaporate much quicker. I'm completely satisfied buying Ceylon sticks in bulk, grinding them as I need them and using the stuff in pretty large quantities.
Isaiah Martinez
I use cheap coffee grinders and they work fine.
Jeremiah Nguyen
I don't have a coffee grinder :(
>tfw NEETpoor
Jace Williams
Thanks for the replies. I still have a few bottles in my pantry that I need to use up, but I'll look into ordering sticks afterword.
thesweethome.com
Sweethome's guide has tested recommendations for a both a grater @ $33 and a simple micro-plane for $17 (both are also great for improving your citrus zesting game).
Juan Lee
Put it on your list of things to pick up. They're $15-$20 and ought to last you a lifetime. One of mine is nearly 25 years old and still works fine. If there's a Goodwill near you I bet you could find one for $5.
Aiden Phillips
>Has anyone tried the Saigon cassia variety?
I buy it, I like it because it's sweeter and not as strong as "regular" cinnamon, I feel it has more of a rounded flavor.