CINNAMON OR TRUE CINNAMON - Intercom Exports

The knife is made of brass or stainless steel since other metals are said to stain the
bark. 2 cuts are made round the stem about 30 cm apart and 2 longitudinal slits are made
on opposite soides of the stem. The inner bark is then carefully eased off the wood with
the pointed side of the knife. The alternative approach to peeling involves removing the
outer and inner bark in 1 step, in 2 rectangular pieces using the pointed knife and the
rubbing rod. The strips are then packed together in bunches, wrapped in matting and are
left overnight; by this means they are kept moist and undergo a slight fermentation. This
facilititates the subsequent scraping off of the epidermis, cork and the green cortex with
curved knife on the following day.
The curled pieces of inner bark, stripped by either of the methods described above,
are next assembled into compound quills or pipes by the women in the group. The best
and longest quills are used on the outside and the inside is filled with smaller pieces of
bark which cannot be joined together easily. The compound quills are then rolled by hand
to press the outside edges together and the ends are neatly trimmed with a pair of
scissors. Drying is accomplished in the shade as direct exposure to the sun at this stage
can result in warping. The quills are commonly spread out for air drying on a rush mat
suspended under the roof of the peeling shed. In order to obtain firm and compact quills,
they are rolled by hand daily until judged sufficiently dry. The dried quills thus obtained
consists of a mixture of coarse and fine types and are yellowish brown in colour.
After the propogation of the quills has been completed, they are sold by the farmer
together with any ‘quillings’, ‘featherings’ and ‘chips’. The grading of Ceylon cinnamon
is done on the basis of appearance by the dealers in the trading centers such as Colombo
and Ambalangoda prior to export. The quills are bleached if necessary by sulphur
treatment for about 8 hrs and are sorted into grades according to thickness of the bark.
The compound quills measuring 42 ins[just over 1m] are made up into compact
cylindrical bales of about 45 kg each and are finally enclosed in a gunny cloth. The
qualities normally exported fall into 3 groups- the ‘fine’ or ‘continental’ grades , the
‘Mexican’, and ‘hamburg, or ordinary grades.