Cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmanii) is one type of spice that is often used as a mixture in the manufacture of food and drinks. This aromatic spice is also commonly used in making cake batter and used as a substitute for sugar because of its distinctive sweet taste. Moreover, cinnamon also contains flavonoids which are able to counteract free radicals, and rich in other health benefits.
Cinnamon from Indonesia is still being hunted and favored by the global market. A part from its number one quality, cinnamon from Indonesia is increasingly in demand by global consumers who are now starting to like natural products. The trend of consuming natural products makes the business potential of cinnamon in Indonesia even more promising. However, even though it is often consumed, maybe not many people know that cinnamon actually has several types. In fact, the taste is also not the same, depending on where it comes from.
The type of cinnamon it self is broadly divided into two categories, namely ceylon cinnamon and cassia cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon originates from Sri Lanka, harvested bark of branches, branches and twigs. Not without reason, the harvesting of ceylon cinnamon is indeed done very carefully and is processed without using a machine, but manually. This process will produce a thinner and more delicate layer of cinnamon than cassia cinnamon. In addition, ceylon cinnamon has a very soft and subtle aroma and taste, with a hint of floral taste. The character of ceylon cinnamon is very suitable for use as a mixture in making various desserts, and can enhance the aroma and taste of the cake mix. Because of these differences in quality, people often assume that cassia cinnamon is ‘fake’ cinnamon and ceylon cinnamon is real cinnamon. In fact, both are types of cinnamon, the only difference is the level of quality and taste.
Cassia cinnamon, this is Indonesia’s pride cinnamon. This type of cinnamon is the most commonly sold in the market in the form of a red-brown powder. Before being processed into powder, cassia cinnamon has a bark-like appearance with a grainy texture, darker color, and thick coating. Its strong taste makes it often used in the food industry or just as a home cooking spice or raw material for making oleoresin. It has the lowest oil content of 3.45%. The content of cinnamaldehyde is higher than ceylon cinnamon, 65%. His figure is easy to recognize. The red color on the leaves is the hallmark of this plant. The higher the planting location, the more obvious the red color. The shape of the leaves is round, long and thick. Plant height reaches 15 m with straight and regular branching. It is suitable for planting at an altitude of 500-1,500 m dpi. Age 6-8 years can be harvested 4 kg. Planters need extra energy to peel because the bark is very thick. The type of cassia cinnamon can be distinguished again based on its country of origin—Indonesia, China and Saigon. Each of them also has a different level of taste. Cassia cinnamon from Indonesia has the sweetest and softest taste compared to the other two types, so it is more popular and sold more often in the market. In the world market, Indonesian cinnamon is known to come from the Mount Kerinci region, Jambi. Meanwhile, cassia cinnamon from China has a strong and bitter taste, which is why it is more often used for traditional medicine in the Bamboo Country. Cassia cinnamon, which originates from Saigon, also has a strong, fragrant aroma, with a rich, slightly spicy taste.