Cinnamon / Cassia

Cinnamon is an aromatic spice that comes from the bark of a Southeast Asian tree. The bark is peeled and dried and is often ground into powder, but is also used in rolled strips. It is used in both sweet and savory
foods.

Cinnamon is considered to be one of the first traded spices in the ancient world and was considered so valuable during this time it was equal in worth to gold and ivory.

There are two main types of cinnamon traded;

Ceylon Cinnamon (also known as “true cinnamon”);
Originated in Sri Lanka and southern parts of India. It’s from the inner bark of the cinnamon tree and is regarded to be of high quality. Ceylon is tan-brown in color and contains many tight sticks with soft layers, thus more expensive than cassia variety. Main producing countries are Sri Lanka and Madagascar, is more commonly used in Europe and Mexico.

Cassia Cinnamon;
Originated in Southern China and is also known as Chinese cinnamon. It is the bark of the evergreen cassia tree, is a similar spice to cinnamon but the coarser and less fragrant and therefore considered to be of lower quality. Cassia tends to be a dark brown-red color with thicker sticks and a rougher texture than Ceylon cinnamon. It’s the type most commonly consumed around the world. Almost all cinnamon found in supermarkets is the cassia variety. Main producing countries are China, Vietnam, India and Indonesia, and is the most typical type of cinnamon available for sale in the United States and Canada.

ARASCO is trading both Ceylon and Cassia cinnamons. Our main origins are Indonesia, Vietnam, India and Sri Lanka. Our extended network allows us to supply any origin, depending on your needs.