THE HERB COLLECTION

Ceylon Cinnamon

True Cinnamon • Delicate Multi-Layered Inner Bark Quills of Sri Lanka.

Explore the common forms, learn a little about the plant, and choose what suits your cupboard.

Dried ceylon cinnamon pieces for simmering, decoctions, and jars.

View on Amazon ↗

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

A little about ceylon cinnamon.

The plant

Delicate, warm, citrus-floral, and complexly sweet without the harsh, tongue-burning red-hot bite of common supermarket cassia. Native to Sri Lanka (Ceylon) (Lauraceae (Laurel Family)).

The forms

Most often prepared as a simmered bark quill decoction using 1 whole 3-inch Ceylon quill (crumbled easily by hand) in 10 oz water at 205°F–212°F covered simmer (Simmer 12–15 min (releases natural mucilage & cinnamaldehyde)).

Before you choose

Check the label for the Latin name (Cinnamomum verum), and choose the form that suits your cupboard.

Traditional uses & research +

Botanical taxonomy: Cinnamomum verum (Lauraceae (Laurel Family)) · Tradition: Digestive & Carminative · Key constituents: Cinnamaldehyde, Eugenol, Proanthocyanidins (Low Coumarin).

Curated collections: Digestive Bitters & Warming Spices · Adaptogenic Roots, Berries & Fungi · Seasonal Harvest & Winter Apothecary · Beginner's Home Apothecary Starter Shelf · Seasonal almanac: January Almanac (Midwinter Roots & Pine Needles) · December Almanac (Solstice Resins, Bark Quills & Evergreen).

Traditional background: Prized in the ancient world above gold and silver, true Sri Lankan cinnamon is crafted by peeling paper-thin ribbons of inner bark and telescoping them by hand into multi-layered quills.

Everyday & kitchen uses: Crumbled by hand into herbal teas, simmered in elderberry syrup and spiced ciders, or ground fresh for baking.

Standard preparation methods (compare all 50 steeping temperatures):

Simmered Bark Quill Decoction (1 whole 3-inch Ceylon quill (crumbled easily by hand) in 10 oz water at 205°F–212°F covered simmer): Simmer 12–15 min (releases natural mucilage & cinnamaldehyde)
Ceylon Cinnamon & Apple-Peel Tisane (1 crumbled Ceylon quill + 1 tsp rosehips + 2 slices apple at 205°F covered steep): Steep 12 min
Freshly Ground Spice (Crumble brittle Ceylon quills into a coffee grinder or brass mortar at Grind effortlessly): Unlike rock-hard Cassia, Ceylon bark grinds in seconds without damaging blades

Cautions & interactions +

General information, not medical advice. Check with a doctor or pharmacist before using this herb if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, giving it to a child, taking medication or managing a health condition.

Who should use caution: Ceylon cinnamon has far less coumarin than cassia, a compound that caused liver damage in sensitive people at medicinal doses, but large daily amounts are not proven safe and some products labeled Ceylon turn out to be cassia or other bark. Food amounts appear safe in pregnancy; larger amounts are considered unsafe in pregnancy and not well studied in breastfeeding. Large amounts or long-term use may cause digestive problems or allergic reactions, and the oil or powder can irritate skin. Avoid it with a Peru balsam allergy. Medicinal use under 18 is not recommended. Never inhale dry powder.

Species & lookalike verification: CRITICAL SPECIES & COUMARIN DISTINCTION: Much supermarket 'cinnamon' sold in North America is actually Cassia (Cinnamomum cassia / C. aromaticum or Indonesian Korintje Cinnamomum burmannii)—a thick, single-layer, rock-hard hollow scroll of dark reddish-brown bark that contains high levels of coumarin (about 0.3% on average and up to 1%). True Sri Lankan Ceylon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum, syn. Cinnamomum zeylanicum) is made from paper-thin inner bark layers rolled together like a multi-layered Cuban cigar cross-section, is pale tan-brown, crumbles effortlessly between your fingers, and contains far less coumarin (about 0.004% in one review, though tested samples vary).

Cupboard storage (amber glass guide): Store whole quills in tall glass jars away from light.

Sources & further reading +

How can you tell True Ceylon Cinnamon apart from Cassia Cinnamon in 3 seconds?
Look at the cross-section of the stick and squeeze it: Cassia is a single, thick, rock-hard piece of bark curled inward from both sides (you need a hammer to break it). True Ceylon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) is pale tan, filled with multiple concentric paper-thin layers like a rolled cigar, and crumbles easily between your bare fingers.

How does Ceylon Cinnamon differ from regular supermarket cinnamon on coumarin?
Supermarket Cassia cinnamon contains up to 1% coumarin, a natural compound that caused liver damage in a small group of sensitive people given it as a medicine. True Ceylon Cinnamon contains far less coumarin, about 0.004% in one review, so German risk assessors advise people who often use large amounts to choose Ceylon. That lowers coumarin exposure; it does not prove large daily amounts are safe.

Why does Ceylon Cinnamon taste milder than the cinnamon in cinnamon rolls?
Cassia's volatile oil is 95% pure cinnamaldehyde, which hits the tongue with a one-note 'red-hot fireball' burn. Ceylon Cinnamon's volatile oil (~65% cinnamaldehyde balanced with eugenol, linalool, and caryophyllene) tastes softer, sweeter, and slightly citrus-clove fragrant.

Why does simmered Ceylon Cinnamon tea become slightly sweet and silky on its own?
Simmering a crumbled Ceylon quill for 12–15 minutes releases aromatic compounds and some bark mucilage, making the tea taste naturally sweetened even with zero sugar.

Companion Moss & Thyme guides & tools: