How to Identify Real Cinnamon from Cassia

Tease your taste buds with both the spices. The one that has a delicately sweet flavor to it is cinnamon, while the one that is strong and peppery is cassia.

Cinnamon and cassia are two spices that provide a unique aroma and taste to exotic dishes. Both these spices have a specific taste to them, but due to their similarity in appearance (only on the first glance), some people tend to get confused between the two. Another reason for the confusion is that they belong to the same family.

Cassia or Cinnamomum cassia is from the genus Cinnamomum, the same one that true or real cinnamon belongs to. When in powdered form, it is next to impossible to distinguish the two only based on their appearance. One will have to taste the powder forms of both to be able to identify them.

The most surprising thing is, in some countries of the world, commercial cinnamon powder that is sold to consumers is mixed with ground cassia, as the latter is relatively lower in its value. When consumers buy the adulterated mix, they are unknowingly damaging their health.

Given ahead are the distinguishing points between cassia and cinnamon which will be helpful for consumers to identify the two.

Cinnamon is the inner bark of the trunks and branches of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume, whereas cassia is the edible and peel-able bark of Cinnamomum cassia. The texture of true cinnamon is smooth in comparison to the rough and uneven feel of cassia.

True cinnamon is brown or tan in color, which is much lighter than the reddish-brown color of cassia sticks.

Due to the method of detaching the bark from its trunk, the ends of cassia sticks curl inwards, giving it the appearance of a hollow tube, whereas cinnamon has a fuller appearance and looks like a rolled-up newspaper or cigar.

The thickness of each is different, with cassia being thicker.

The difference in the taste between the two is very obvious. Like I mentioned above, cinnamon has a sweet taste to it, while cassia has a spicy taste. Both are used to enhance the flavor of a dish, but in different ways. For example, if you are baking apples, your best option would be to use powdered cassia.

It does not make the dish overly sweet; it just adds a hint of spice to the preparation. If you plan to make any ethnic Indian curry or meat, the best option to use is cinnamon, along with other spices, as it blends very well with meat and brings out the flavors of the other spices, too.

Cassia grows in Indonesia, China, and Vietnam. If you plan to buy real cinnamon powder, avoid buying those that are imported from either one of the three countries as it can be mixed with cassia.

The coumarin content in true cinnamon is very low as compared to that of cassia. Coumarin is an aromatic and flavorsome chemical compound found in many plants. It is a benzopyrone, which acts as a blood thinner, and if consumed in excess, it has damaging effects on the kidney and liver.

If, by chance, you have already purchased cinnamon powder from your local grocery store and you doubt that it is real, all you need to do is test it with tincture iodine (which is easily available in any medical store or pharmacy).

Take a small portion of the powder in a bowl or plate, and add a few drops of the tincture iodine to it. If your powder does not change color, then it is true cinnamon powder. If the color changes to a deep-blue, then the powder you have is adulterated with cassia. The blue tint varies with the amount of cassia present in the mixture.

If you opt for cassia, please make sure not to use too much as it may affect the liver and kidney. Also, too much cassia gives off a very bitter taste. Cinnamon should also be used in moderation, because if too much of it is used in the preparation, its sweetness may cause nausea.

Whenever you are out shopping for your spices, make sure to ask your vendor the source and origin of the products, so that you know exactly what you buy and from where it has come.