Botanical name: Cinnamomum verum (Synonym:
Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
Indian names: Dalchini (Hindi,
Punjabi, Gujrati, Bengali, Telgu), Tamalapatra (Sanskrit), Lavangpatti
(Kannada), ilayangam, Cannalavangapattai (Tamil)
Family:
Lauraceae
Chromosome No: 2n= 24
Cinnamon is a
spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus Cinnamomum.
However, true cinnamon known as Ceylon
cinnamon is obtained from Cinnamomum verum.
Cinnamon possesses a delicate and spicy aroma due to presence of
volatile essential oils such as cinnamaldehyde
and eugenol.
Cinnamon is among the earliest and popular spices used
by mankind. Ceylon cinnamon, a native of Sri Lanka, is
cultivated in the lower elevations of Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Sri Lanka is the
major country growing Ceylon cinnamon (considered
best quality cinnamon) on an area of about 24,000 hectares and producing 12,000 t quills (long, compound
rolls of cinnamon bark) per year. Total world production of cinnamon at present (FAOSTAT,
2016) is about 223,575 tonnes per annum. Top cinnamon producing countries (all
types of cinnamon) are Indonesia (91,300
tonnes), China (77,055 tonnes), Vietnam (35,516 tonnes), Sri
Lanka (16,931 tonnes) and Madagascar
(2,460tonnes).
Origin
and Domestication
The true cinnamon, Cinnamomum
verum, is a native of Sri Lanka and South India. The
source of cinnamon remained a mystery to the Western world in the medieval
times and was thought to be brought from Red Sea to the trading ports of Egypt.
The source of cinnamon became known to the western world only at the end of thirteenth
century. The Dutch traders controlled the entire business of cinnamon in Sri
Lanka by 1640. Lord Brown of the British East India Company established
Anjarakkandy Cinnamon Estate in Kannur (then Cannanore) district of Kerala in
1767.
Morphology
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum
verum) plant is a small
evergreen tree growing to a height of 10-15 m. However, plants in cultivation
are small and bushy due to regular trimming. The stem is highly branched and
covered with thick grey bark. The bark tissue is characterized by presence of secretion
cells containing mucilage or oil. The leaves are variable in size, opposite, ovate-lanceolate or
elliptic in shape and 7–18 cm long. They are triplinerved with the two basal lateral
nerves reaching the tip of the leaf. Oil
and mucilage cells
are always present
in both the mesophyll
layers. The inflorescence is a panicle with pale yellow or greenish-coloured
small flowers. Flowers
are actinomorphic, bisexual and
trimerous. The perianth is arranged in two whorls of three each.
Androecium is made up of 9 stamens arranged in three whorls. A single carpel
has one superior ovary with one pendulous ovule. Fruit is a fleshy, one-seeded, ovoid and black or purplish black-coloured
berry.
Cultivation
Cinnamon is a hardy plant and can be
grown on a wide range of soil types and under climatic conditions. It is grown
on laterite and sandy soils with poor nutrients in the West Coast of India.
Cinnamon is mostly grown as a rainfed crop. An annual rainfall of 200-250 cm,
warm weather and altitude up to about 1,000 m is ideal for its cultivation. It
is propagated through stem cuttings, air layering and seedlings. Semi hardwood
cuttings of about 10 cm length with 2 leaves are more successful and give
better results. Cinnamon tree is grown for about
two years and then coppiced (cut) to the ground level. The harvested shoots are
processed into cinnamon of commerce. Many new shoots (about a dozen) arise from
the roots to replace those that were cut to the ground. About two years old
shoots are again cut to the ground level and again processed. This process
continues for many years.
Different Species of Cinnamomum
Many different species of Cinnamomum are often sold as cinnamon in
the markets. They are:
- Cinnamomum burmannii (Indonesian cinnamon)
- C. cassia (Cassia or Chinese cinnamon, most common commercial type in Indian market)
- C. citriodorum (Malabar cinnamon)
- C. loureiroi (Vietnamese cinnamon)
- C. tamala (Indian cinnamon, Tejpatta)
- C. verum (Sri Lanka cinnamon or Ceylon cinnamon)
Processing
The shoots are harvested and cut into
straight pieces of 1-1.25 m length. They
need to be processed immediately after harvesting when the inner bark is still
wet. The
rough outer bark of the harvested stem is scraped off. Thereafter, peeling is
done by using a specially made knife, which has a small round end with a
projection on one side to facilitate ripping of the bark. A longitudinal slit
is made on the stem from one end to the other.
The bark can be easily separated by working the knife between the bark
and the wood. The separated bark is first dried in the shade for one day and
thereafter in the sunlight for next four days. The separated bark contracts and
assumes the shape of a quill during the process of drying and hence called quill. The dried quills are cut
into 5-10-cm lengths and packaged for sale.
Improved
Varieties
Nithyasree
and Navasree
Chemical
Constituents
Cinnamon possesses a delicate and spicy aroma,
which can be attributed to the presence of volatile oils. The major component
of leaf oil is eugenol, while that of bark oil is cinnamaldehyde. The volatile
components can be broadly classified into monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and
phenylpropenes. The volatile oil content in the bark of Ceylon cinnamon varies
from 0.4 to 2.8% and contains 75% cinnamaldehdyde, 5% cinnamyl acetate, 3.3%
caryophyllene, 2.4% linalool and 2.2% eugenol. In leaf, volatile oil content
varies from 0.24–3.0% and contains 65 to 92%eugenol. On the other hand, both
leaf and bark oils of Chinese cassia contain mainly cinnamaldehyde (60-90% of
the oil content).
General
chemical
composition of bark is: carbohydrates
59.5%, protein 4.6%, fat (ether extract) 2.2%, fibre 20.3%, total ash 3.5%, calcium
1.6%, phosphorus 0.05% and other minerals.
Uses
1. Universal Spice and
Condiment: The inner bark of cinnamon tree is used as a condiment for
flavouring foods, meat, sweats and other food stuffs. Cinnamon and
sugar are used to flavour cereals and bread-based dishes in the United States.
2.
Cinnamon Oil: Volatile oils such as eugenol and
cinnamaldehyde
obtained from cinnamon bark and leaves are used in perfumes, incenses,
confectionary, chewing gums, chocolates in Mexico and other food items. It is
also is used for
flavouring pharmaceuticals and
soaps.
3.
Medicinal Uses: Cinnamon
has a long history of use in traditional medicine in various parts of the
world. It is used as an ingredient in many Ayurvedic and
Unani medicinal preparations. It has been proved to
be useful in cough, cold, diabetes and in regulating cholesterol. Cinnamon possesses
various biological activities, such as expectorant, carminative, antioxidant,
antimicrobial, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic and anti-allergic.
4.
Insecticidal
activity: Cinnamon oil possesses insecticidal
properties.
5.
Nematicidal
activity: Cinnamon oil also possesses nematicidal activity
against some nematodes.
6. Flavouring of Alcoholic Drinks:
Cinnamon oil is used for flavouring
alcoholic beverages, such as wines, whisky, vodka and brandy.
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