Cinnamon is one of the world’s oldest spices, used in ancient Egypt and India. Egyptians included it among the ingredients used to embalm pharaohs. Today, Ceylon cinnamon is considered the finest variety.
Cinnamon can be found ground, as sticks, or as quills. It’s perfect for making jams, compotes, and fruit jellies, and it works well in dairy dishes. It pairs beautifully with vegetables and fruits—especially apples, pears, and quinces—and is commonly added to baked goods, puddings, and beverages. It also complements salads made with carrots, corn, cucumbers, and red cabbage. In Eastern cuisine, cinnamon appears in cold dishes with turkey and chicken, as well as in hot roasted or stewed beef dishes. In China and Korea, it’s often added when frying pork. Along with citrus and vanilla, cinnamon ranks among the top three holiday scents.
The flavor of cinnamon also harmonizes well with spices like coriander, cloves, cardamom, bay leaves, black and white pepper, nutmeg, and cumin. In India, it is one of the components of the spice blend known as “garam masala.” It can also be combined with star anise, fennel, and paprika.
Cinnamon is a favorite holiday spice largely because its scent feels warm and uplifting. It also freshens breath. In traditional Eastern medicine, cinnamon has been used for diarrhea, fever, and various women’s health issues. In Russia, people believed it helped with colds. Historically, cinnamon has been used for heart complaints, muscle spasms, skin conditions, asthma, and digestive troubles. It has been applied as a topical antiseptic and pain reliever, and in some traditions it’s considered an aphrodisiac for women. After childbirth, some cultures recommend cinnamon to help the uterus contract and to stimulate breast milk. For that reason, cinnamon is generally avoided during pregnancy and during heavy bleeding because it was believed to increase the risk of miscarriage.
APPLE PIE WITH CINNAMON
Peel and core 5–6 kg (about 11–13 lbs) of apples, then grate them on a coarse grater. Mix the grated apples with 4 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sunflower oil, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Pour the batter into a baking dish and bake for 40 minutes.
