Cinnamon has been heralded by many as the “food of the gods” owing to its medicinal properties. It is one of nature’s most powerful spices and has long been treasured for its health benefits. Cinnamon has been cultivated for many centuries because of its medicinal values. In fact, there have been times when cinnamon has been used as an herbal remedy for the most serious conditions such as malaria and HIV/AIDS. And, for the record, there have been two major types of cinnamon, namely, Ceylon cinnamon or Cassia cinnamon and Indian cinnamon or Cymbidium cinnamon that comes from India.
But, what about the health benefits of cinnamon? What are the best places where you can enjoy the numerous health benefits of cinnamon? Well, there are basically two major categories of cinnamon, namely, Ceylon cinnamon or Cassia cinnamon and Indian cinnamon or Cymbidium cinnamon that comes from India. Actually, these differences aren’t just a matter of preference but can greatly affect your health too.
Ceylon cinnamon sticks are true cinnamon which originates from Sri Lanka while Cymbidium cinnamon sticks are true cinnamon trees that have their origin in the Northern India region. The two differ largely in appearance with Ceylon cinnamon sticks being slender with a brownish-red color while Cymbidium cinnamon sticks tend to be bushy and orange-red in color. The difference between the two sticks does not only lie on appearance but also on the spices that they contain.
The main difference between the two is that Ceylon cinnamon tends to have more health benefits than does the Indian version. Its natural antioxidants and curative powers help fight numerous illnesses such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, hepatitis, influenza, and many others. When it comes to healing ailments, the use of Ceylon cinnamon is much preferred than that of the Indian version for the reason that its curative powers tend to be better. Besides being used in the preparation of cinnamon sticks, Ceylon cinnamon is also used as a spice by most of the recipes incorporating cinnamon in them. In most of these recipes, this spice is infused with several health benefits that can help improve the digestive system of a person.
Some of the other recipes incorporating Ceylon cinnamon sticks include the cinnamon rolls and cinnamon bread which are both baking using this spice. These cinnamon rolls and cinnamon breads tend to be very popular around holidays such as Christmas and Easter. The reason behind this is that people love to eat fresh and hot rolls that come wrapped in colorful wrappers. Moreover, people love the taste of cinnamon bread as compared to the ones that come wrapped in white paper. You can simply make these cinnamon rolls at home if you have the ingredients available and try baking them for some time.
Moreover, Ceylon cinnamon sticks can be used for many occasions when you wish to add flavour to your food as well as desserts. For instance, you can make cinnamon-flavoured Custard by adding one teaspoon of Ceylon cinnamon to a cup of water and simmering it for about 15 minutes. You can then add a few drops of red wine vinegar to the Custard after the simmering period and taste its tangy flavour. This Custard tastes even more delicious when you drizzle it with some oil. You can then serve this Custard chilled or frozen.