You say cinnamon, I say cassia

You say cinnamon, I say cassia

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My cinnamon ice cream post prompted someone to leave a comment about the potentially toxic effects of cinnamon.

It’s Monday morning. I spent the entire weekend cleaning out the basement and dealing with mouse nests and the moldy fallout of a summer’s worth of floods. I’m not in the mood for fear mongers. Allow me to be blunt. Unless you impale yourself on an upturned and extremely pointy piece, cinnamon won’t kill you.

  • Fact: Cinnamon (cinnamomum zelanicum) is native to Sri Lanka and is “true” cinnamon. Although somewhat delicate in flavour, it contains eugenol, an essential oil, that gives it a hint of clove.
  • Fact: Cassia (cinnamomum cassia) contains more volatile oils than true cinnamon and is therefore more pungent. Although cassia is commonly sold in North America as cinnamon, it’s not a marketing scam, as the commenter’s link suggested. We are not being fooled, tricked, duped or otherwise hoodwinked. We simply prefer the stronger flavour and aroma.
  • Fact: Both species contain coumarin, the potentially toxic chemical in question. Even though cassia contains far more than true cinnamon, the quantities are small. While the synthetic version of this compound is used in warfarin, naturally occurring coumarin is safe to eat, after all…
  • Fact: Strawberries, apricots and cherries contain coumarin. I eat far more of these in one sitting than I do in a year’s worth of cinnamon consumption.

Sorry to have used Latin on you this early in the week. It was necessary. I can’t have people tossing their cinnamon sticks in the garbage for no reason and getting all stressed about their spice cookies. Worry about the real culinary threat — artificial vanilla.

5 Comments
  • Dana McCauley
    Posted at 10:38h, 18 August

    Char, I can tell you aren’t in the mood for jokes today but I can’t help but point out the obvious connection between your weekend activities and this post about cinnamon – what you need is Coumarin to thwart those mice!

    Perhaps you should make them a highly spiced apple pie and see if they keel over so that you can have your basement back for yourselves?

  • FRANCESCA
    Posted at 10:52h, 18 August

    Charmian, I love cinnamon!
    I have a friend with type II diabetes – they have a little cinnaomn on their oatmeal every morning and it’s really helped them. There still needs to be more research done on cinnamon and it’s relationship in helping regulate blood sugar. As you know coumarin is an anticoagulant so anyone already on blood thinning meds should discuss this with their doctor.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes/AN00939

  • Christie's Corner
    Posted at 11:06h, 18 August

    Dana, I did think of the warfarin/coumarin connection. I considered shoving cinnamon sticks into the dark corners of the basement (rodents are more susceptible than humans to coumarin) but my husband didn’t want the animal rights people to come after me.

    Francesca, cinnamon is a hot medical topic (pardon the pun), but you have to eat a LOT of it. Thanks for the link.

  • Cheryl
    Posted at 13:48h, 18 August

    I think this was my favorite post from you ever. You’ve let the snark out of the bag, and it suits you quite well. If anyone complains, tell them you’ve taken up whittling, have a pile of cinnamon sticks at the ready, and should they tick you off, they do so at their own peril.

  • Gretchen
    Posted at 15:56h, 18 August

    I have to agree with Cheryl: this is totally one of your best posts. (And you’ve also shamed me: I frequently threaten my daughter with instant death by poison when she shakes on a teaspoon of cinnamon to complement her 1/2 cup of applesauce.)