I discovered in researching medicinal benefits, other than for kidney functionality, of Cinnamon that most of what is labelled Cinnamon on the shelves in our stores is actually Cassia. It all boils down to the same issue as Mint with all its varieties, i.e. that mint is simply mint and few know the difference between mint and peppermint too…. all this variety gets boxed, and we are filing away the knowledge we seem to seek access to in this box. Cinnamon is the name for perhaps a dozen species of trees and the commercial spice products that some of them produce. All are members of the genus Cinnamomum in the family Lauraceae. Only a few of them are grown commercially for spice. Often a variety is ground and mixed, just labelled Cassia.
The taste is very similar, but the difference is clear, once you know what to look at. Ceylon Cinnamon can be easily ground and looks more like a flake to me. Cassia Cinnamon makes only one or two folds and is more pungent, but difficult to grind.
HERE is a link to an article explaining in detail why knowing this is important for your health.
Remember Cassia Cinnamon can do damage to your liver, whereas Ceylon Cinnamon is beneficial to your liver and kidneys.
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