Which one to choose? What is the difference between Ceylon or Cassia cinnamon?
There are 3 fundamental differences between Cassia cinnamon from Ceylon, i.e. Sri Lanka, and Cassia from Indonesia or Vietnam.
- The outside: Ceylon cinnamon is made up of thinner layers, making it more like a hand-twisted thin cigar, with a more lighter-yellowish colour than cassia, which is cut from a thicker crust and is more grayish in color.
- The inside: the smell and the taste of Ceylon cinnamon powder, is a little smoother, but pleasantly complex. The taste of cassia is not only more aromatic, but also stronger, so a bit more pungent. This pungency is one of the reasons why cassia should be treated with care. The other reason is its coumarin content. Compared to Ceylon cinnamon, the coumarin content of cassia can be as much as a hundred times more. This is not significant, when using a pinch of cinnamon, wich is only a fraction of a gram per capita. However, for medicinal purposes, for capsule applications, we recommend only and exclusively Ceylon cinnamon, which has a low coumarin content.
- Price difference: the price of Ceylon cinnamon is several times more that of cassia.
Store in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight.