Chinese Cinnamon Cassia
A small amount of a third type, cassia vera, produced mainly in Java, Celebes and other neighbouring islands, is exported mainly from Makassar, the German Federal Republic being the chief importers.
In the USA, spice millers cut selected pieces of the three types of cassia bark into short lengths for sale as 'whole cinnamon'. The great bulk of the cassias imported is ground to produce 'ground cassia- cinnamon'. The various kinds of cassia bark are different in flavour and degree of aroma, but all are agreeable, fragrant and aromatic. Saigon cassia is generally acknowledged to possess the fullest and finest flavour and it is the preferred type in the USA. The various types are ground separately or blended to meet the needs of the bakery and food- processing industries, being used directly in the ground form or for oleoresin extraction. Ground cassias are sold for domestic culinary use, usually without distinction as to type, under the label of 'cassia- cinnamon'.
The quality of cinnamon and the various cassias is primarily assessed on the basis of their appearance and on the content and aroma/flavour character of their volatile oil. The relative importance of these quality attributes is dependent, however, on their intended end-use. The appearance of the spice is rather more important when it is to be sold in the whole form on the retail market than if it is to be used for grinding or for the preparation of the essential oil or the oleoresin.
Seychelles Cinnamon is variously graded as compound quills, simple quills and quillings, thin scraped hark and rough unscraped bark. The last grade is the largest export, and is used largely in the formulation of mixed spices. Its essential-oil content is low, and according to trade opinion, averages about 0.8 per cent.
The harvesting and preparation of cinnamon in Sri Lanka is generally undertaken for a farmer by contract peelers, usually a group of two families. Sufficient material is cut for a day's peeling, the working day being from about 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Stems, measuring 1.2-5.0 cm in diameter, are cut early in the morning and the twigs and leaves are detached; the last may be retained for distillation purposes. The cut stems are then bundled and are transported by bullock cart to the peeling shed.
The Korintji and Padang (syn. Batavia) forms are graded by appearance into A, B, C and D types according to length, colour and quality, and are sold on their content of volatile oil. The USA is the main importer of Indonesian cassia, and experience there shows that the volatile-oil content usually varies between 1.3 per cent for Korintji C and 4 per cent for Korintji A, and between 1 per cent for Batavia C and 2.7 per cent for Batavia A. There is one other grade, Batavia AA, where the oil content is of little importance since the product is sold (in the USA) for packing in glass bottles where appearance is all-important.
In the USA, spice millers cut selected pieces of the three types of cassia bark into short lengths for sale as 'whole cinnamon'. The great bulk of the cassias imported is ground to produce 'ground cassia- cinnamon'. The various kinds of cassia bark are different in flavour and degree of aroma, but all are agreeable, fragrant and aromatic. Saigon cassia is generally acknowledged to possess the fullest and finest flavour and it is the preferred type in the USA. The various types are ground separately or blended to meet the needs of the bakery and food- processing industries, being used directly in the ground form or for oleoresin extraction. Ground cassias are sold for domestic culinary use, usually without distinction as to type, under the label of 'cassia- cinnamon'.
The quality of cinnamon and the various cassias is primarily assessed on the basis of their appearance and on the content and aroma/flavour character of their volatile oil. The relative importance of these quality attributes is dependent, however, on their intended end-use. The appearance of the spice is rather more important when it is to be sold in the whole form on the retail market than if it is to be used for grinding or for the preparation of the essential oil or the oleoresin.
Seychelles Cinnamon is variously graded as compound quills, simple quills and quillings, thin scraped hark and rough unscraped bark. The last grade is the largest export, and is used largely in the formulation of mixed spices. Its essential-oil content is low, and according to trade opinion, averages about 0.8 per cent.
The harvesting and preparation of cinnamon in Sri Lanka is generally undertaken for a farmer by contract peelers, usually a group of two families. Sufficient material is cut for a day's peeling, the working day being from about 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Stems, measuring 1.2-5.0 cm in diameter, are cut early in the morning and the twigs and leaves are detached; the last may be retained for distillation purposes. The cut stems are then bundled and are transported by bullock cart to the peeling shed.
The Korintji and Padang (syn. Batavia) forms are graded by appearance into A, B, C and D types according to length, colour and quality, and are sold on their content of volatile oil. The USA is the main importer of Indonesian cassia, and experience there shows that the volatile-oil content usually varies between 1.3 per cent for Korintji C and 4 per cent for Korintji A, and between 1 per cent for Batavia C and 2.7 per cent for Batavia A. There is one other grade, Batavia AA, where the oil content is of little importance since the product is sold (in the USA) for packing in glass bottles where appearance is all-important.
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