Cinnamomum verum
Spice consisting of the thin bark of the cinnamon tree, a plant native to Sri Lanka, in South Asia. When dried, the bark rolls up forming slender tubes, sold as cinnamon “sticks”. In use for thousands of years in countries like India and China, it became popular worldwide as a natural spice used to impart scent and flavor to sweet and savory dishes. In Brazil, the combination of cinnamon and clove is widely used in the preparation of compotes, pastries and cakes, and it was immortalized by writer Jorge Amado through the character Gabriela, who “smelled of clove and cinnamon”. Another variety of this tree, cassia (Cinnamomum cassia), is stronger and less sweet.
