That bottle of cinnamon in your pantry always delivers a warming kick to everyday foods and drinks. But you'll be surprised to learn that not all cinnamon is the same. It turns out that cassia cinnamon is more commonly found in than Ceylon cinnamon.
This is due to cassia being less expensive to produce; however, it doesn't make the cinnamon any less useful. Cassia cinnamon has a bolder taste and deeper color compared to Ceylon. Also, these two types of cinnamon are sourced from different trees — which is a key factor in their unique qualities.
Both cinnamon varieties come from the inner bark of evergreen trees, but that's where the similarities end. Cassia cinnamon trees are grown in abundance in China and Vietnam. The high volume of these trees and the simple production process make cassia cinnamon cheaper and more widely available than Ceylon.
In terms of flavor and appearance, cassia trees yield cinnamon with a rich brown color and strong, spicy taste. Undoubtedly, the cinnamon that many of us are familiar with is cassia. However, in the world of spices, many view Ceylon cinnamon as "true cinnamon" because it comes from a tree native to Sri Lanka called Cinnamomum verum.
Producing this cinnamon is labor-intensive because the bark needs to be carefully stripped off of the branches by hand. This is why Ceylon cinnamon isn't mass-produced and is harder to find in the spice aisle. Additionally, this cinnamon has a tan-brown color and a complex blend of citrus and floral flav.