Cinnamomum verum explained

Cinnamomum verum[1] (Cinnamomum zeylanicum,[2] also called true cinnamon tree or Ceylon cinnamon tree) is a small evergreen tree belonging to the family Lauraceae, native to Sri Lanka.[3] The inner bark of the tree is historically regarded as the spice cinnamon,[4] though this term was later generalized to include C. cassia as well.[2]

Description

Cinnamomum verum trees are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 tall. The leaves are ovate-oblong in shape and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The flowers, which are arranged in panicles, have a greenish color and a distinct odor. The fruit is a purple 1 cm (0.5 in) drupe containing a single seed.[5]

Cultivation

The old botanical synonym for the tree, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, is derived from Sri Lanka's former name, Ceylon.[6] Sri Lanka still produces 80–90%[7] of the world's supply of C. verum, which is also cultivated on a commercial scale in the Seychelles, Madagascar and Tanzania.[8] [9]

On Borneo, Cinnamomum verum is cultivated at low elevations in Sarawak (Kuching District), Sabah (Keningau and Sandakan districts), and Kalimantan.[10]

Cultivars

There are several different cultivars of Cinnamomum verum based on the taste of bark:[11]

Processing

The trees grow as leafy bushes, usually reaching a maximum of in height. They are first harvested at 3 years old and continue producing well for 40–50 years. Small side branches, 1.5–5 cm (0.5-2 in) in diameter, are removed from the trees. The outer bark is removed and processed into mulch. Twigs, leaves and berries (seeds) are crushed to make cinnamon oil, a less valuable byproduct. The inner bark of the branches is loosened by being rubbed with a brass rod. The bark is then split with a brass or stainless-steel knife and peeled off as intact as possible. Long, full 'quills' of cinnamon are more valuable than broken pieces. These quills are then dried over several days in the shade, then in darkness. All this work is done by hand by experienced workers; this is the most expensive part of producing cinnamon spice. Finally, the dried bark is cut into sticks or ground into powder for sale to consumers.

Grading

See also: Food grading. The Sri Lankan grading system divides the cinnamon quills into four groups:

These groups are further divided into specific grades. For example, Mexican is divided into M00000 special, M000000 and M0000, depending on quill diameter and number of quills per kilogram. Any pieces of bark less than long are categorized as quillings. Featherings are the inner bark of twigs and twisted shoots. Chips are trimmings of quills, outer and inner bark that cannot be separated, or the bark of small twigs.

Medicinal uses

Cinnamon has a long history of use in traditional medicine as a digestive aid.[12]

Preliminary studies show that cinnamon could slow symptoms of Alzheimer's disease through the reduction of the oligomerization of beta-amyloid.[13]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NCBI – Cinnamomum verum. National Center for Biotechnology Information. 4 October 2016.
  2. Suriyagoda . Lalith . Mohotti . Anoma Janaki . Vidanarachchi . Janak K. . Kodithuwakku . Suranga P. . Chathurika . Madushani . Bandaranayake . Pradeepa C. G. . Hetherington . Alistair M. . Beneragama . Chalinda K. . July 2021 . "Ceylon cinnamon": Much more than just a spice . Plants, People, Planet . en . 3 . 4 . 319–336 . 10.1002/ppp3.10192 . 234875442 . 2572-2611. 1983/3e7af5bd-c4fd-4939-abe6-d908da1dbf4a . free .
  3. Book: Encyclopædia Britannica . 2008 . Cinnamon . (species Cinnamomum zeylanicum), bushy evergreen tree of the laurel family (Lauraceae) native to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), the neighboring Malabar coast of India, and Myanmar (Burma), and also cultivated in South America and the West Indies for the spice consisting of its dried inner bark. The bark is widely used as a spice due to its distinct odor..
  4. Web site: Medicinal Spices Exhibit - UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections . 2023-06-20 . unitproj.library.ucla.edu.
  5. https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cinnamomum+verum Cinnamomum verum Cinnamon, Ceylon Cinnamon Tree PFAF Plant Database
  6. News: In pictures: Sri Lanka's spice of life. BBC News.
  7. Web site: True cinnamon is pricey, but is there an honest difference?. 2018-12-14. Truly Ceylon Cinnamon. en-US. 2019-04-19. 2019-04-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20190419124054/https://www.trulyceyloncinnamon.com/true-cinnamon-is-pricey-but-is-there-an-honest-difference/. dead.
  8. Web site: International trade in non-wood forest products: An overview . Iqbal . Mohammed . 1993 . FO: Misc/93/11 – Working Paper . Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. November 12, 2012.
  9. Web site: Upgrading cinnamon in Tanzania . ITC News . 26 June 2020 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20220113051519/https://www.intracen.org/news/Upgrading-cinnamon-in-Tanzania/ . 2022-01-13.
  10. 10.3767/000651911X615168 . Taxonomic revision of Cinnamomum (Lauraceae) in Borneo . 2011 . Wuu-Kuang . Soh . Blumea - Biodiversity, Evolution and Biogeography of Plants . 56 . 3 . 241–264 .
  11. Web site: Cinnamon . Sri Lanka . Department of Export Agriculture . 2015-10-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170428042959/http://www.exportagridept.gov.lk/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=128&Itemid=159&lang=en . 2017-04-28 . dead .
  12. Web site: Cinnamon. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. National Institutes of Health. 2016. 28 February 2017.
  13. 10.1371/journal.pone.0016564 . free . Orally Administrated Cinnamon Extract Reduces β-Amyloid Oligomerization and Corrects Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease Animal Models . 2011 . Frydman-Marom . Anat . Levin . Aviad . Farfara . Dorit . Benromano . Tali . Scherzer-Attali . Roni . Peled . Sivan . Vassar . Robert . Segal . Daniel . Gazit . Ehud . Frenkel . Dan . Ovadia . Michael . PLOS ONE . 6 . 1 . e16564 . 21305046 . 3030596 . 2011PLoSO...616564F .

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