Cassia Cinnamon Chips

Cassia cinnamon is the bark of Cinnamomum cassia, and it is the bolder, hotter, sweeter of the two cinnamons you will meet. These chips are cut small, so they give up their flavour in a simmering pot far quicker than a whole quill and still strain out in one go. Certified organic. Key Benefits Cut for brewing: chip-sized pieces release flavour much faster than whole quills, but unlike ground cinnamon they lift straight out of the pot when you are done. Bold and sweet: cassia carries more of that hot, sweet spice note than the milder true cinnamon, so you need less of it. Certified organic: grown and processed to organic certification standards. Kitchen and teapot both: chai, mulled wine, stewed fruit, pickling spice, curries, rice and slow-cooked meats. Traditionally warming: mature cinnamon bark has a long record in Chinese herbal tradition as a warming spice for cold weather. Holds its aroma: whole bark keeps its oils far longer than pre-ground cinnamon, which fades within months. How to Use Bark wants heat and time rather than a quick steep. For a pot of chai, simmer about a teaspoon and a half of chips in four cups of water for ten minutes before you add the tea and milk. For mulled wine, cider or stewed fruit, a heaped teaspoon per litre is plenty. It pairs naturally with Ginger Root and Star Anise in a spice pot. If you want the softer, more floral cinnamon for baking, custards and everyday sprinkling, Cinnamon Sticks are true cinnamon and a different thing entirely. Good to Know Cassia and true cinnamon come from different trees, and once you have seen them side by side you will not confuse them again. Cassia bark is thick, hard and dark red-brown, rolled into a single tight curl. True cinnamon is thin, papery and layered like a rolled cigar. The thicker grades come off trees ten years or older, stripped in autumn and dried in the shade so the volatile oils stay put. Most of what gets sold simply as cinnamon, and almost every chai masala blend, is cassia rather than true cinnamon. Cassia is naturally high in coumarin, so keep it to culinary amounts rather than large daily doses, particularly if you have a liver condition or take blood-thinning medication. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Consult a healthcare provider before use, especially if pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medication.