Collection: What is the difference between cassia cinnamon and ceylon cinnamon?

And a frequently asked question You'll understand the answer when you also note the similarity, the reason why cassia, Ceylon cinnamon, and also "short cinnamon" are called "cinnamon." Primarily, because the plants from which it is harvested all belong to the Cinnamonum genus. And in varying concentrations cinnamaldehyde Containing an essential oil responsible for the cinnamon aroma, Ceylon cinnamon contains significantly more of it than cassia. And, conversely, cassia contains significantly more coumarin than Ceylon cinnamon.

A key visual difference, which you'll have noticed, is the thickness of the bark, because what we colloquially call cinnamon is the bark of both plants. Ceylon cinnamon is harvested from the stem and peeled on both sides, making it thinner than cassia, which is harvested from the branches and peeled on one side only. And in terms of flavor? It varies greatly.

The prevailing opinion is that cassia is sharper and more bitter than Ceylon cinnamon, which is warmer and milder. However, we know from experience that not all harvests are the same, and flavors can vary by region. On the "warmth" scale, we currently rank our Ceylon cinnamon from Sri Lanka, tied with our cassia cinnamon buds, at number 1, and wild African cinnamon at number 3. We do not currently sell cassia bark.