Cinnamon

Already in the I century BC Roman historian Pliny the Elder wrote about the taste of cinnamon and a few of her distinguished species. Today, the most popular are four types of cinnamon: Ceylon, China, and Malabar cinnamon.

Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum ceylanicum Br.) Called cinnamon, cinnamon or noble present cinnamon. The quality is better than other types. Named it so because it grows in Ceylon in the wild and in plantations, laid in the second half of the 18th century. Nowadays it is grown in other countries. Ceylon cinnamon is very fragile, with a delicate sweet flavor. The taste of her sweet, slightly pungent, warming.

Chinese cinnamon (Cinnamomum Cassia Bl.) Also called Indian, fragrant, easy, office or cassia Canela. It is considered the birthplace of South China. She was known as early as 2800 BC - There is a mention of it in one of the monuments of Chinese writing. Taste it much sharper than that of Ceylon, sweet, tart and astringent, slightly burning.

Malabar cinnamon (Cinnamomum Tamala Nees) first appeared in India. Call it brown cinnamon, cinnamon or cassia wood-faith. Differs from the previous two varieties look and taste. Its thickness to 3 millimeters or more, it tastes more harsh, even bitter and dark-brown-brown in color.
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum Culilawan Bl), or spicy cinnamon, growing plantations Moluccas. Dilute it in Indonesia. At the very sharp cinnamon cinnamon smell, spicy taste with a hint of pungency.

Cinnamon has long been known. The mention of her is found in Chinese sources dating from 2800 BC In Egyptian manuscripts in 1500 BC was found a recipe where cinnamon is used in conjunction with cardamom. At the same time, the Egyptian queen Hatshepsut sent to the country of Punt 5 ships. They returned fully loaded with gold, ivory and cinnamon. In those days in Greece for 35 kg of cinnamon was given 5 kg of gold that was not too expensive. In some countries, 1 kg of cinnamon was changed to 1 kg of gold.

For a long time the cinnamon could afford only the rich people. For them, baked pastry with cinnamon, making wine, refreshing air. The first European navigator who discovered in 1505 in Ceylon cinnamon, Lorenzo was to Alma. Since then Ceylon for centuries was in colonial slavery.

Magical aroma of cinnamon especially well with apples, pears and chocolate. Coffee lovers Add a pinch of cinnamon and grated chocolate can get extraordinary pleasure. Cinnamon is also used to flavor drinks, pickles, biscuits, muffins and sweet dishes from cottage cheese and fruit, is added to vegetable and fruit salads, in poultry dishes, pork and lamb.

Cinnamon turn any, even the most simple dish into a delicacy. For example, in Cambridge Oksfored and favorite entertainment on traditional teas - is sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon croutons. Cinnamon cupcakes from Bordeaux considered the highlight of France. They have come up with cheap nuns. In the holds of ships carrying flour, they collected the remains, mix it with butter and sugar, bronze molds filled dough sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. In a hot oven caramelized sugar, and cakes were prepared fragrant and festive and elegant - smooth and shiny. In some European countries, cinnamon is often added to home-brewed beer, which probably came from the tradition of Christmas feast heated beer or wine with spices.

Cinnamon has an antiseptic effect. She also helps to improve digestion, increase appetite, normalization of the stomach and intestines.