Cinnamon is one of the most famous and popular spices in the world. It is obtained by removing the inner layer from the bark of a tropical tree belonging to the laurel family. In cooking, both cinnamon sticks and powdered bark are used.
How are cinnamon sticks used
Ceylon cinnamon sticks - soft and brittle - are ideal for flavoring a variety of drinks. They are put in teas, punches and compotes, they are stirred with coffee. You can make flavored water by boiling about 1.5 liters of liquid with a cinnamon stick and sliced orange. This drink perfectly quenches thirst and is not high in calories, since it contains no sugar. A cinnamon stick is an indispensable component of a set of spices for mulled wine.
The harder sticks of Ceylon, Indonesian or Mexican cinnamon are added to rice to flavor it and give it a slight yellowish tinge, as well as to various East Asian meat dishes. Cinnamon sticks are often added to a variety of marinades to add extra flavor.
With a cinnamon stick and 100 ml of light rum, you can make a wonderful essence that you can add to flavor your baked goods. To do this, you just need to pour the spice with alcohol, seal it with a cork and leave it in a cool dark place for two weeks, remembering to shake it every day.
Cinnamon powder in cooking
Ground cinnamon has a more pronounced aroma than sticks. It is known as the main, indispensable component of many desserts. Cinnamon buns and biscuits, apple and pumpkin pies, sweet bread with raisins are famous all over the world. Cinnamon and other sweets are not complete, but it is also often seasoned with meat, vegetable and even fish dishes. Cinnamon is a component of the famous curry condiment and is part of the traditional Chinese spice mixture known as the Five Spices. She is also flavored with drinks, especially ground cinnamon, as a seasoning for coffee, cocoa and hot chocolate. The sweetish taste of cinnamon makes it very popular among those who lose weight, because it is able to replace, partially or completely, such "harmful" sugar.
Which is better - sticks or powder
Cinnamon sticks and powder are interchangeable in cooking One teaspoonful of ground cinnamon is equivalent to one cinnamon stick. Cinnamon sticks have a more delicate and less pungent taste, contain more essential oils and last longer - about a year in an airtight container, but they are also much more expensive. Ground cinnamon tastes spicier, and to some even pungent, it does not last so long - about six months in a jar with a ground-in lid, and with prolonged storage it gradually loses its aroma.
