CINNAMON OR TRUE CINNAMON - Intercom Exports

The major use of cinnamonum and cassia barks, both in whole and ground forms,
on a world- wide basis is for domestic culinary purposes, which in the industrialised
western countries the major outlet is in the flavouring of processed foods. The spices are
traded internationally in the whole form and grinding is carried out in the consuming
centers. The ground spices find application in the flavouring of bakery products, sauces
and pickles, puddlings, curry powder, some beverages and confectionary. The preference
for cinnamon or one of the 3 types of cassia in particular applications varies from country
to country. The 4 sps., are often blended during grinding to prepare a mixed cinnamon/
cassia ground spice.
The oleoresins are prepared mainly by the flavour industries of Western Europe
abd North America; and they have similar applications to the ground spices in the
flavouring of processed foods.
CINNAMON BARK OIL IS MAINLY PRODUCED BY DISTILLATION OF
IMPORTED MATERIAL IN western Europe and North America. A little cinnamon bark
oil is distilled in Srilanka but this is considered to be a lower quality product. Cinnamon
bark oil is used in both flavouring and perfumery; in the former application, it is
incorporated into baked goods, sauces and pickles, confectionaries, beverages of the coca
cola types, and in the some dental and pharmaceutical preparations.
In comparision to cinnamon bark oil, the production of cassia bark oil is on a
relatievely small scale with distillation being undertaken in the importing countries.
These oils find a limited use in soaps, perfumes, some spice essence and beverages.
Cinnamonum leaf oil [from C. verum] is distilled in Sri Lanka , the Seychelles
and the Malagasy Republic. The oil is used per se in flavouring and perfumery and, also ,
as a source of its major constituent, eugenol.
Cassia oil of commerce is produced in China. It contains cinnamaldehyde as its
major constituent and is used for similar purposes to cinnamon bark oil in perfumery and
flavouring [after rectification] but its applications are rather more limited.
BOTANICAL NAMES VERNACULAR NAMES