The

History Of Cinnamon

, The Types Of Cinnamon, And The Evolution Of The Spice In Global Use

Quick Summary

The history of cinnamon goes back roughly 4,000 years, with a piece of dried bark from Sri Lanka's forests reaching Egypt by around 2000 BCE. It was priced dearly, much like black pepper, in Rome; it drew Portuguese, Dutch and British fleets to Ceylon, and today it can be found in supermarkets and kitchen shelves everywhere. Traders hid its source behind made-up stories; empires fought over it, and once cheaper varieties spread. It went from an unknown spice to a luxury item, and now a pantry staple.

Deep Dive

Before following the scent of cinnamon’s trail from its discovery to today, learn a bit about the spice and what makes it so unique. Cinnamon spice is the dried inner bark of trees in the Cinnamomum genus. Only about half a millimetre of that bark is used, and the woody outer layer is discarded, with the strips curling into quills as they dry. True cinnamon, Cinnamomum verum, is native to Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, while cassia is native to China. That mix-up sits at the heart of the origin of cinnamon puzzle, with the writers of yore mixing it up by saying (the then-believed lore) that this spice came from China (modern-day cassia). 

As for the name of the spice, it comes from an ancient Semitic language; in Phoenician or Hebrew, it is called ‘qinnāmōn’. The Greeks borrowed it from Phoenician traders, calling it ‘kinnámōmon’, a development noted by the Greek historian Herodotus. Over time, this word changed further under Latin influence, becoming ‘cinnamum’ or ‘cinnamomum’, and later, in 13th-century Old French, cinnamone, which eventually became the spelling known today.

Cinnamon In The Ancient World

The early history of cinnamon is a story of secret cargo, with merchants carrying it to Egypt as early as 2000 BCE and keeping its Sri Lankan origin secret. Egyptians used it in embalming, and from the Ptolemaic period onward it was used in kyphi, a burnt aromatic. The Old Testament lists it as a sacred anointing oil, and an inscription records cinnamon and cassia being given to the temple of Apollo at Miletus. A sea route also existed: Indonesian rafts carried cinnamon from the Moluccas to East Africa, where local traders took it north to Alexandria.

Traders' Tall Tales Of Giant Birds

Secrecy kept prices high, just like black pepper’s tale, where the Arabs shrouded its origin in mystery with tales of snakes and fire. Herodotus wrote around 430 BCE that Arab traders claimed giant birds carried cinnamon sticks to nests on sheer cliffs, and that collectors lured the birds with chunks of meat until the nests broke. Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist and author, called the story a trader's fiction, and he also recorded prices of up to 1,500 denarii for a Roman pound of cassia or cinnamon, roughly fifty months' wages for a labourer. In Rome, the Julio-Claudian dynasty’s last ruler, Emperor Nero, is said to have burned a year's supply of Rome's cinnamon at his wife Poppaea Sabina's funeral in AD 65. This was perhaps the most dramatic stretch of the history of cinnamon, where it was used more as a status symbol.

Cinnamon Arrives At The Middle Ages

Across medieval Western Europe, cameline sauce, made with cinnamon, was among the most common dishes on the upper-class table, yet nobody knew where the spice grew. In 1248, the Sieur de Joinville reported being told that cinnamon was fished out of nets near the source of the Nile. Venetian traders held the European monopoly, distributing it from Alexandria. Real clues arrived slowly. Al-Qazwini named Sri Lanka as a source around 1270, and John of Montecorvino followed around 1292. Ibn Battuta wrote in 1344 that the coast was covered in cinnamon sticks washed ashore, though AramcoWorld notes he may have exaggerated. Meanwhile, the Mamluk and Ottoman disruption of Mediterranean trade was one of several factors that pushed Europeans to seek new routes to Asia.

How A Trio Of Colonial Powers Took Over Ceylon Cinnamon

In 1505, a storm blew a Portuguese fleet onto Sri Lanka's shore, and the ships left with nearly six metric tons of cinnamon. That accident exposed the true origin of cinnamon to Europe. Over the next hundred years, through force and local alliances, Portugal took over the trade from the Arab and Muslim monopoly. The Dutch set up a trading post in 1638, took over processing by 1640, and expelled the last Portuguese by 1658; they then overhauled harvesting and eventually began cultivating their own trees. Britain seized Ceylon in 1796, though the British East India Company had already established the Anjarakkandy Cinnamon Estate in Kerala in 1767, which later became Asia's largest. By 1800, true cinnamon was being grown commercially in India, Java, and the Seychelles. Supply rose, and the rare-luxury era effectively ended.

How Cinnamon Is Harvested

No account of the history of cinnamon is complete without its peelers. In Sri Lanka, the work happens twice a year after the monsoons, when high humidity makes production easier. Wrist-sized stems are cut, the outer bark is scraped off, and peelers use blade-sharp knives to loosen the inner bark, often only half a millimetre thick. The paper-thin curls are nested into dense quills, then dried, graded and cut. Mastering the craft traditionally took five to seven years of apprenticeship.

The Types Of Cinnamon

Most cinnamon in international trade is not Ceylon. China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Sri Lanka produced 98% of the world's 238,403 tonnes in 2023, with China alone at 39%. Sri Lanka's 22,410 tonnes make up just under a tenth of that.

How Cultures Around The World Cook With Cinnamon

Different types of cinnamon suit different kitchens, and it works in sweet and savoury cooking alike:

• Sri Lanka: cooks add a quill to fish curries.

• Morocco, Turkey and the Middle East: lamb tagines, pilafs and meat dishes.

• China: an essential part of the five-spice mix.

• Persia: powder is used in thick soups, drinks, and sweets.

• Jewish kitchens: Sephardic vegetable stews and honey-soaked desserts; Ashkenazi honey cakes and kugels.

• Malaysia: one of four sibling spices, along with clove, star anise and cardamom.

• Mexico: a staple in chocolate.

In India, it is dalchini, and North Indian garam masala relies on cassia alongside cardamom, cloves, pepper, cumin, and coriander, and is built for biryani, dal makhani, and rogan josh. Tejpatta, the Indian bay leaf, comes from a related tree, Cinnamomum tamala. The medicinal side is old too: Sri Lanka's fourth-century medical books introduced cinnamon as a healing herb, and Ayurveda still prescribes it for digestion and oral hygiene. That range is why cinnamon spice turns up in both a biryani pot and a dessert.

The Cinnamon Roll Gets Its Swirl

A late chapter in the history of cinnamon belongs to Sweden and the kanelbulle. It reached cafés around 1920, once post-war rationing ended and butter, sugar, flour and cinnamon returned to shops, and it stayed a luxury until the 1950s, when it became quite popular. It is a partner to fika, Sweden's coffee break, and is often sprinkled with pearl sugar. Cinnamon Bun Day, Kanelbullens dag, falls on 4 October each year; the next one is on 4 October 2026. Cassia is the choice for rolls because it handles baking well. If you want to bake your own, our cinnamon roll recipe is a good place to start.

Do Cinnamon Benefits Hold Up To Research?

Cinnamon has been part of traditional medicine for a long time, but modern evidence is patchy. The US National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health says research does not clearly support cinnamon for any health condition, partly because studies often don't specify which species or plant part was tested. A recent study found that:

• Cinnamon is likely safe in food-sized amounts, and larger amounts or long-term use can cause stomach upset or allergic reactions.

• Cassia contains coumarin, and the European Food Safety Authority sets a tolerable daily intake of 0.1 mg per kg of body weight. Ceylon carries only trace amounts.

• Long-term cassia use could be an issue for sensitive people, such as those with liver disease, and anyone on medication should check with a health care provider first.

• Cinnamon sold as Ceylon is sometimes mixed with cassia; in one analysis, market samples contained coumarin levels far above those in authentic Ceylon bark.

Where The Cinnamon Spice Stands Today

Cinnamon is now one of the most common spices in the world, but its story can still be found in the powder and the quills of the cinnamon sticks, especially the OG cinnamon, the Ceylon variety. Both the cassia and Ceylon varieties can be found in India, with southern regions, particularly Kerala, growing the Ceylon variety. Most Indian cooking uses the cassia kind, like the rest of the world. Spot the difference in taste and the strength of flavour. True cinnamon is more fragile and thinner, with a sweeter taste. Pick your kind based on what you’re making.