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What Are the Best Tips for Cooking with Cinnamon?

Patrick Lynch
Patrick Lynch

Cooking with cinnamon is extremely popular, and homes all over the world benefit from the taste of this luxurious spice. Cinnamon tea and rolls are both simple recipes and provide a variety of health benefits. The tea requires boiling water, a teabag, and some cinnamon sticks. Cinnamon rolls are a little more complicated and require flour, milk, eggs, and other ingredients, which are sprinkled with cinnamon and placed in an oven. Cinnamon can last for several months when correctly stored and is used in cuisine all over the world.

Cinnamon is one of the world’s most widely used spices. Cooking with cinnamon is a popular pursuit in kitchens all over the world. This spice usually comes from the bark of the cassia tree and is associated with Sri Lanka, where it is mentioned in records from the 13th century. It was, however, used in India, for medicinal purposes, more than five centuries before that.

Spices, including cinnamon.
Spices, including cinnamon.

One of the simplest recipes for cooking with cinnamon is cinnamon tea, which has a number of health benefits, including the control of blood sugar level and prevention of bacterial growth. It can be made in a variety of ways, the simplest recipe involving a cinnamon stick, a teabag, and some boiling water. The cinnamon stick is placed in a cup of boiling water for approximately 10 minutes, followed by a teabag for a further two minutes. The cinnamon tea is then ready to drink. Milk and sugar can be added if desired.

A cookbook and utensils.
A cookbook and utensils.

Cinnamon rolls are another popular recipe for cooking with cinnamon. Milk, sugar, butter, flour, eggs, and salt are made into a soft dough, which is rolled flat and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. The dough is then rolled up into a long cylindrical shape that is sliced into smaller cylinders and baked.

Sticks of cinnamon tend to keep their flavor longer than cinnamon powder. The spice should be stored in an airtight container and not exposed to sunlight. When stored correctly, it can keep its flavor for a very long time.

Cinnamon sticks.
Cinnamon sticks.

A host of cuisines around the world rely on cooking with cinnamon in order to bring out extra flavor in their food. For example, North African cuisine, especially dishes associated with Morocco, use cinnamon in couscous to produce a richer flavor. Curry dishes from India use cinnamon as does Chinese cooking, which relies on cinnamon to add the finishing touches to the famous five-spice powder.

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    • Spices, including cinnamon.
      Spices, including cinnamon.
    • A cookbook and utensils.
      By: Vivian Seefeld
      A cookbook and utensils.
    • Cinnamon sticks.
      By: Natika
      Cinnamon sticks.
    • North African cuisine often features cinnamon in couscous dishes.
      By: seagull_l
      North African cuisine often features cinnamon in couscous dishes.
    • Curry dishes from India use cinnamon.
      By: polesnoy
      Curry dishes from India use cinnamon.