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Ceylon vs cassia: how to tell true cinnamon apart
4 min read · By the Ellara Ceylon team
Most cinnamon sold in supermarkets is cassia, a close cousin of true cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), often called Ceylon cinnamon. They look alike in a jar, but they are different spices.
Look at the quill
True cinnamon is the thin inner bark of the tree, rolled into many fine layers like a cigar. It is pale tan, papery and brittle. Cassia is thicker, harder and darker, usually a single rough scroll of bark.
Taste and smell
True cinnamon is sweet, warm and gently floral, with a citrus edge. Cassia is stronger, hotter and more pungent: the flavor many people know from cinnamon candy.
A note on coumarin
Cassia contains considerably more coumarin than true cinnamon, which is why some food-safety agencies suggest moderation with cassia. If you use cinnamon every day, the choice may matter to you.
How to choose
- Look for Cinnamomum verum or Ceylon cinnamon on the label.
- Choose thin, many-layered quills, not thick, hard bark.
- Be wary of very low prices for cinnamon sold as Ceylon.
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