Cinnamon tree

CINNAMON TREE IS MORE IN DEMAND THAN SUPPLIED. EXPECT A LONG WAITING PERIOD.
This plant (as well as many other tropical tree species) can be kept as a houseplant and, if desired, placed outdoors in a semi-shaded spot in summer.
Cinnamon is a spice used in cooking. It consists of the inner bark of cinnamon tree shoots. There are several species within this genus; the most important are Burmese Cinnamon (C. burmanii) and Cassia (C. aromaticum). Cassia is somewhat spicier and sweeter than Ceylon cinnamon. Cinnamon is sold in sticks. The cinnamon powder used in cooking usually consists of ground Cassia, sometimes with some ground (true) cinnamon added.
Use
Cinnamon is used as a flavouring in sweet dishes, such as apple sauce or stewed pears, and in many types of pastry. Warm rice with butter, sugar and cinnamon is a highly appreciated dessert by children in some families. Traditionally, cinnamon is also used in sweets, for example in cinnamon sticks, which are still sold at fairs. Since the late 20th century, cinnamon has also been used as a flavouring in tea or coffee. In India, cinnamon (actually only cassia) is used in all kinds of meat and vegetable dishes. Cinnamon is then part of the curry mixture. Furthermore, cinnamon is used in liqueurs, for example Bénédictine. The essential oil of the bark and leaf of the cinnamon tree is sometimes used in perfumes.
Production
The cinnamon tree grows mainly in Sri Lanka, but also in Java, Brazil, and Egypt. The cinnamon tree only grows in a tropical climate, preferably near the coast. The bush is pruned two to three times a year, and kept low. The bark is removed from 2-meter-long shoots about one and a half years old. Fermentation of the bark takes place rolled in coconut mats. After that, the outer bark and middle bark are removed. The thin inner bark remains. It rolls up by itself. Then the rolls are dried. During drying, the stems change to the typical yellow-brown colour.
History
The name cinnamon comes from the Latin "canella" = "small roll". Around 2800 BC, cinnamon was already mentioned in the herb book of the Chinese Emperor Shennung. Cinnamon was also known in ancient Egypt. It was used in perfume. Cinnamon was also known in the Bible, among other things for the anointing oil of the tabernacle. From 1580, the Portuguese had dominion over Ceylon (later Sri Lanka), and with it the monopoly on the cinnamon trade. They imposed a tribute of 125 tons of cinnamon per year on the island. The King of Kandy then called on the Dutch for help. This led to the cinnamon monopoly passing into Dutch hands. In 1765, cinnamon was cultivated on plantations in Ceylon for the first time. In 1796, the English conquered the island. The monopoly on the cinnamon trade then passed into English hands, until the Dutch succeeded in establishing cinnamon plantations in Indonesia as well. Since then, Indonesia exports approximately 8000 tons of cinnamon per year.
Cinnamon in language
“Life is like a cinnamon stick, everyone sucks on it and gets their share.” This is a parody of Joost van den Vondel's saying: “The world is a stage. Everyone plays their part and gets their share.” The saying continues with: “and he who doesn't suck doesn't get much.” A few more sayings: “To run after barley and cinnamon water.” = To be sent from pillar to post. “He is above his cinnamon water.” = He is drunk. “If oak bark is weighed by the pound, cinnamon is weighed by the lead.” (Epigram A.C.W. Staring) = The scarcer the article, the more carefully it is handled. “That's still from the cinnamon era.” = That is very old (literally: from the time of the Dutch East India Company.)
(Source: Wikipedia, slightly edited and corrected)
IF CEYLON CINNAMON IS NOT AVAILABLE, WE WILL REPLACE IT WITH BURMESE CINNAMON OR CASSIA!

Names:
Latin: Cinnamomum zeylanicum
Dutch: Kaneelboom
Also known as: Ceylonkaneel
English: Cinnamon tree