Cinnamon is one of the most useful spices on the planet because it can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes. Cinnamon can be bought both as ground spice and as dried sticks. If you want to use cinnamon sticks instead of ground cinnamon, a 3-inch cinnamon stick is the same as 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
How are cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon different?
The format is the main difference between cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon. Cinnamon sticks are made from cinnamon bark that has been rolled into sticks, while ground cinnamon is the same cinnamon bark that has been ground into a powder.
Both cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon will last a long time in your pantry, but cinnamon sticks will last longer. Most of the time, you can use either form of cinnamon. However, there are times when you may want to use one form or the other.
How to Use Cinnamon Sticks
When you want to add cinnamon flavour to a drink or other food, cinnamon sticks work well. Cinnamon sticks can be used to add flavour to teas, broths, and other drinks. Cinnamon sticks are great in curries and other country-style dishes. You can also use them to make hot chocolate taste spicier and more rich.
Cinnamon sticks can be used to make cinnamon extract for recipes and cocktails or cinnamon syrup for coffee or ice cream. Cinnamon sticks can be used to treat athlete’s foot if you break them up and put them in warm water to soak your feet.
When to Use Cinnamon Ground
Ground cinnamon is often more useful and easy to use because of how it looks. It’s easy to add to recipes for things like cinnamon toast or cinnamon rolls, and it’s great for making sauces. It also works better than cinnamon sticks when used dry.
If you want to use ground cinnamon in a recipe that calls for cinnamon sticks, you should add the ground cinnamon later in the cooking process. Ground cinnamon doesn’t need to dissolve over time like cinnamon sticks do, so you don’t need to add it as early in the recipe.
Two Kinds of the Same Seasoning
There are two kinds of cinnamon that you can find in the United States. They are both made from the same plant, but they look different. In the U.S., cassia cinnamon is the most common type of cinnamon, and it works well in recipes when it is ground. Some health experts say that too much cassia cinnamon can hurt your liver and kidneys, but you would have to eat a lot of it for that to happen.
Ceylon cinnamon is the other kind of cinnamon. Some people call it “true cinnamon.” Ceylon cinnamon is harder to find, but you can usually find it in Mexican markets or larger grocery stores. It is often called “Canela.” Ceylon cinnamon is a bit stronger in taste and smell.
Cinnamon is good for your health.
Cinnamon is good for your health in a lot of surprising ways. Most of cinnamon’s health benefits come from a chemical called cinnamaldehyde, which is found in the spice. Cinnamon speeds up your metabolism and is full of antioxidants, which protect your body from getting older.
Cinnamon can help your body fight diseases because it can stop inflammation. Cinnamon also helps keep your heart healthy, lowers your blood sugar, and may even help prevent cancer.
How cinnamon came to be
Cinnamon has been used as a spice and a health aid for hundreds of years. Cinnamon was written about for the first time in China around 2800 B.C. During the time of the Roman Empire, cinnamon was so valuable that it was worth more than silver. As a sign of sorrow for killing his wife, Emperor Nero burned cinnamon.
In the Middle Ages, doctors used cinnamon to treat coughs and sore throats, and people used it to keep food from going bad. By taking over the island of Ceylon, the Dutch tried to get a monopoly on cinnamon. However, other growers soon realised that cinnamon could be grown in almost any tropical climate.
The Many-Used Spice
It’s easy to think of cinnamon as a sweet spice, especially when it comes to desserts like cinnamon rolls and sopapillas, but it’s such a versatile spice that you can find it just about anywhere. Cinnamon is a spice that is used in savoury dishes like curries and enchilada sauce. Cinnamon is also used in spice blends. With such a versatile spice, it’s easy to come up with new ideas.
