Benefits & Uses
True cinnamon,and how toenjoy it.
Draft for review. This guide is general information, not medical advice, and must be checked and approved by Ceynatro Ltd before launch.
01Why Ceylon cinnamon
01
True cinnamon
Ceylon cinnamon is Cinnamomum verum — the “true” cinnamon, native to Sri Lanka. Much of the cinnamon sold in supermarkets is cassia, a related but different species.
02
A gentler, more layered flavour
Delicate, sweet and subtly citrus, with none of the harsh heat of cassia. It flatters a dish rather than dominating it, in sweet and savoury cooking alike.
03
Naturally low in coumarin
Ceylon cinnamon contains only trace amounts of coumarin, a natural compound found at much higher levels in cassia. Food-safety authorities, including the European Food Safety Authority, set a tolerable daily intake for coumarin.
04
Traceable, from village to UK
Our cinnamon comes from village communities across Sri Lanka and is imported directly into the UK, with full traceability from grove to delivery.
02At a glance
Ceylon or cassia?
Both are sold as “cinnamon”, but they are different plants with a different character.
| Ceylon | Cassia | |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical name | Cinnamomum verum (syn. C. zeylanicum) | Mainly C. cassia, C. burmannii and C. loureiroi |
| Main origin | Sri Lanka | China, Indonesia and Vietnam |
| Quills | Thin, papery layers rolled like a cigar; break and grate easily | A single thick, hard curl of bark |
| Colour | Light tan | Darker, reddish brown |
| Flavour | Delicate, sweet, subtly citrus | Strong, pungent, spicy-hot |
| Coumarin | Trace amounts | Considerably higher |
A note on health
Cinnamon has been part of Sri Lankan cooking and traditional practice for centuries, and researchers continue to study it. We don't make health or medical claims for our products: enjoy Ceylon cinnamon as food and fragrance, and if you have a medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take medication, speak to a healthcare professional before using cinnamon in larger amounts or using essential oils.
03How to use it
Quills & ground cinnamon
In the kitchen
Ceylon cinnamon's softer character works across sweet dishes, savoury cooking and drinks.
- Sweet — stir into porridge, rice pudding and warm milk; bake into buns, biscuits and cakes; simmer with apples, pears or plums.
- Savoury — the backbone of many Sri Lankan curries; also lovely in rice dishes, slow-cooked lamb or lentils and North African tagines.
- Drinks — infuse in tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or mulled wine and cider.
Tips
- Drop a whole quill into simmering liquids to infuse, then lift it out before serving.
- Grate quills on a fine grater for the freshest ground cinnamon — Ceylon quills are soft enough to grate easily.
- Its flavour is gentler than cassia, so if you are following a recipe written for cassia you may want to add a little more.
Cinnamon leaf oil
Around the home & in formulation
Our leaf oil is steam-distilled from cinnamon leaves. It is rich in eugenol, which gives it a warm, clove-like aroma — different from bark oil, whose familiar sweet-spicy scent comes mainly from cinnamaldehyde.
- Home fragrance — add a few drops to a diffuser, following the diffuser's instructions, in a well-ventilated room.
- Perfumery and natural formulation — valued by perfumers and formulators as a warm, spicy single-origin note, used at low concentrations within IFRA guidance.
- Cosmetic and skin use — only when well diluted in a suitable carrier, and only after a patch test.
Safety first
- For external use only. Do not swallow.
- Never apply undiluted to skin. Eugenol is a known skin sensitiser and listed fragrance allergen; patch test before use.
- Keep away from eyes, children and pets. Diffuse for short periods in a ventilated room.
- If pregnant, breastfeeding or under medical care, seek professional advice before use.
- Always read the label supplied with your bottle.
See Ceylon Cinnamon Leaf Oil for product details.
Draft — to be confirmed by Ceynatro
04Keeping it fresh
Store it well.
- Keep quills and ground cinnamon in an airtight container in a cool, dark, dry cupboard.
- Whole quills hold their aroma far longer than ground cinnamon — grind or grate as you need it.
- Store leaf oil tightly closed in its amber glass bottle, away from heat and light.