Cinnamon is an ingredient we use in many gelato recipes, and you probably also find it handy at home for your own baking or just to flavour a coffee. I decided to write this post because in my science studies I came across a nasty chemical called Coumarin.
Coumarin is found in higher concentration in the common variety of Cinnamon called Cassia Cinnamon. It isn’t good for our liver’s health; its derivative compounds are commercially used as pesticides and they can be toxic if ingested by humans.
I love Cinnamon for its flavour and for its newly discovered property that prevent insulin resistence in type 2 diabetes. I personally take half a teaspoon of Ceylon Cinnamon the good variety, the one that has next to no Coumarin in it. I avoid any other varieties of Cinnamon because of the Coumarin content and so you should do. At Giapo we only use the Ceylon Cinnamon, the one that is good for you, so make sure you ask your spice grocer and food supplier for the same.
Below you find the main differences between the two varieties so you will be able to make a more informed choice.
- Dark brown colour
- Thick and hard
- Hollow Tube
- Taste is flat
- It is grown in China, Vietnam and Indonensia
- Light brown colour
- Thin and soft
- Filled like a cigar
- Tastes sweet and delicate
- It is grown in Sri Lanka.
Take a closer look at the picture above to see the differences, and be careful about your future cinnamon choices!