The Spice Trade: Cinnamon

For our study of spices, we have been studying cinnamon this week. Cinnamon is a small evergreen tree belonging to the family Lauraceae, native to Sri Lanka, or the spice obtained from the tree's bark (similar spices derived from them, such as Cassia and Cinnamomum burmannii, are called cinnamon too). Cinnamon is harvested by growing the tree for two years and then about a dozen shoots will form from the roots. These shoots are then stripped of their bark, which is left to dry. Only the thin inner bark is used; the outer woody portion is removed, leaving metre-long cinnamon strips that curl into rolls ("quills") on drying. These quills are then cut into 5–10 cm lengths for sale. As we all know, cinnamon in is used as a spice. Americans usually use it in desserts, but other countries often use it in more savory dishes. We have used it in several projects this week. First we mapped where Sri Lanka is, and colored pictures of the cinnamon plant.

Cinnamon Cookies
These cookies are easy to make and taste like soft snickerdoodles.

Cinnamon Cocoa
Sometimes called Mexican Hot Cocoa because of its popularity in Mexico, is easy to make by just adding 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to your usual hot cocoa recipe.



Cinnamon  Teatime
We had the two above treats at a teatime.





Cinnamon Dough Ornaments



Cinnamon Salt Dough Ornaments

We served them warm in paper cones.



Friday's plan is to make Cinnamon-Pumpkin Rolls
to have Saturday morning...

or, perhaps regular Cinnamon Rolls instead.

Cinnamon Snowflakes

We might also make Cinnamon Candies  like we did last year this time.

Other Christmas ornaments that can be made from cinnamon are Holiday Spice Picture Frame, in which cinnamon sticks frame a wallet-sized photo, Cinnamon Star Ormament, in which cinnamon sticks form a star, Cinnamon Stick Bundles, in which a few cinnamon sticks are bundled together like firewood and decorated.

Also, Cinnamon Scented Pine Cone Firestarters.

Do you have any ways you like to use cinnamon? 

You might also want to see

Part I of Spice Trade: Pepper