Recipe Notebook
CookNotebook.com

You may be surprised to learn that most commercial ground cinnamon is actually cassia or a combination of cinnamon and cassia. This practice is permitted with no restriction by most countries, including the United States.

Native to Burma, cassia is botanically-known as Cinnamomum aromaticum or Cinnamomum cassia. It is a member of the same family as true cinnamon, but it has a stronger flavor thus requiring less in volume in recipes.

Cassia is usually a better choice for savory dishes, rather than sweets.

Dried cassia buds resembling cloves are used in the East for pickles, curries, candies and spicy meat dishes. Tiny yellow cassia flowers have a mild cinnamon flavor and are sold preserved in a sweetened brine and used to perfume sweets, fruits, teas and wines.

Cassia leaves may also be used as a flavoring in the same manner as bay leaves.

Tags:  cassia cinnamon sweets cinnamomum dishes flavor leaves choice cloves pickles