KOCHI: True cinnamon, also known as Sri Lankan cinnamon, is renowned for its aromatic and flavorful essence. Typically grown as bushes, cinnamon plants reach their harvesting stage at around two years of age, standing about 2 metres in height and 8-12 cm in diameter at the base.
Cinnamomum verum finds its primary cultivation around Sri Lanka, the Malagasy Republic, and the Seychelles, with its origins tracing back to the central hills of Sri Lanka. In India, it is sparsely grown in select locations in Kerala. Thriving in a temperature range of 20-30 degrees Celsius and rainfall between 1,250 to 2,500mm, this hardy plant flourishes best at altitudes of 300-350 metres above sea level.
Commercially, cinnamon presents itself in various forms, including quills, quillings, featherings, chips, cinnamon bark oil, and cinnamon leaf oil. These products serve diverse purposes, from flavouring confectionery to pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications.
Renowned for its delicate fragrance and warm, agreeable taste, cinnamon bark is a popular spice utilised in both its whole form and as a powder. Its medicinal properties include aiding digestion of sugar in diabetics, alleviating nausea and vomiting, and possessing anti-fungal characteristics. This further solidifies its virtue as a versatile and invaluable spice in both culinary and therapeutic realms.