 Cassia versus Ceylon cinnamon. What? This is a thing? You better believe it! And this battle has raged on for thousands of years Round one. Where are they from? Ceylon cinnamon is from what is originally called Ceylon, the island off of southern India now known as Sri Lanka Unlike many herbs and spices, this particular variable cinnamon doesn't really like to grow many other places other than in Sri Lanka In fact, there are only certain regions in Sri Lanka itself that can grow this very picky cinnamon crop Cassia on the other hand is your friendly neighborhood cinnamon While some believe Cassia started in India, there are records dating back to 2800 BC showing that Cassia cinnamon was already in use in China These days the primary Cassia crops are in Indonesia, China, Burma and Vietnam Cassia don't care. There's even some in Sri Lanka too. It's all good But Stingy old Ceylon is still primarily grown in Sri Lanka, which contains about 80 to 90 percent of the Ceylon cinnamon crops Round two. How different do they look? Cassia is a dark brown, slightly reddish color. It also has a rougher texture than Ceylon Basically, it's like the blue color cinnamon versus the white color cinnamon Cassia quills only have a couple layers when rolled up, but they are semi-trucked off Making it much harder to break and ground down into real cinnamon The refined Ceylon cinnamon on the other hand is a light brown with a very soft texture That makes it incredibly easy to use. The quills are actually paper-thin and have many layers when the bark is rolled Compared to Cassia, this leaves it quite fragile and rather easy to break Round three. How do they taste different? Well, all of this namby-pamby location and colored stuff is fun But let's get down to the nitty-gritty Walter Mitty. How do they taste? Most of you out there have probably had cinnamon at one time or another I would think. And it's more than possible that all of your cinnamon experiences have been of the Cassia variety Cassia cinnamon possesses a spicier taste than true Ceylon cinnamon This is because 95% of Cassia's oils are from cinnamaldehyde Which is what gives it a stronger, spicier flavor Whereas Ceylon, well often described as being more subtle, is often considered to have a sweeter, more complex taste Often with notes of citrus Yes, quite fine. Quite fine indeed Definitely Ceylon from the 2017 crop in Mattale Sri Lanka Now, to be fair, they both still taste great Well, unless you end up with a lousy quality cinnamon And determining quality can be difficult But the easiest thing to look out for is the bark You want to get a lighter color bark, which usually means it comes from the trunk And not the branches of a cinnamon tree Which means it's a better quality Round four. How are they chemically different? The big belly-hoo of a difference between these two cinemas is actually the chemical kumaran Kumaran is a chemical defense mechanism found in plants to fend off pests and predators On the plus side, it's an anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-bacterial, and anti-adopogenic substance Essentially, if diseases are clubber-lang and Ivan Drago, then kumaran is rocky Fighting off all contenders with a fierce determination, but without the epic training montages Cassia contains high levels of kumaran, whereas Ceylon only has negligible amounts While it's great to have in some ways, you need to make sure you don't overdo it Because kumaran is actually toxic in high doses And can cause liver damage, breathing problems, tongue and gum swelling A burning or itching sensation on the skin, white patches in the mouth, and an increased risk of cancer Round 5 Final Thoughts Ceylon's scientific name is cinemomum verum, which literally means true cinnamon And throughout history, it was often considered as such by most cinnamon connoisseurs Ceylon has also been much more expensive than Cassia throughout most of history But really, it all comes down to personal taste While the more rare and refined Ceylon cinnamon does have certain advantages Some people just love the punch and spicy notes of a good Cassia cinnamon At the end of the day, it's cinnamon and it rocks And really, with whichever one you choose, you can't lose So now that you know all the facts, what do you think? Which cinnamon do you prefer? Let me know in the comment section down below Personally, I've tried and liked them both, but my wife is partial to Vietnamese Cassia cinnamon If you're curious about the subtle differences between other spices, then watch the difference between star anise and aniseed next Or learn more about cinnamon by watching the history of cinnamon next Please be kind, take care of each other And hey, go ahead and grab some of both cinemans and do a taste test for yourself Always good to know the difference