Walk into any supermarket in Europe or North America and you will find cinnamon on the shelf. What you are almost certainly holding is Cassia (Cinnamomum cassia), sourced mainly from China or Vietnam — not what spice traders historically meant by cinnamon at all.
The Botanical Difference
True Ceylon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum ) grows natively in Sri Lanka and has been cultivated in the island's wet lowland regions for over a thousand years. It is harvested by skilled peelers who strip the outer bark and roll the inner quills into the multi-layered sticks you see in our catalogue. Cassia, by contrast, is a single thick layer of bark. Ceylon cinnamon sticks crumble like a cigar, layers within layers.
The Coumarin Issue
Coumarin is a naturally occurring compound that gives Cassia its intense, almost medicinal bite. The European Food Safety Authority recommends a tolerable daily intake of just 0.1 mg per kilogram of body weight. Cassia can contain 2,100–4,400 mg/kg of coumarin. Ceylon cinnamon contains roughly 250 mg/kg about fifteen times less.
Flavour Profile
Ceylon cinnamon is delicate, sweet, and almost floral with a warmth that lingers rather than bites. It suits pastries, custards, spiced teas, and anything where you want warmth without dominance. Cassia suits robust red meat rubs where punch is the point.
How We Source Ours
Our Ceylon cinnamon comes exclusively from smallholder growers in the Kandy and Matale districts. Every batch is tested for coumarin levels before shipment, and the certificates are available to any importer on request. Contact our export team to learn more.