CINNAMON

Cinnamon is one of the oldest known spices . Cinnamon is a fragarnt spice that makes a gentle addition to baking , sweets and savoury dishes . Cinnamon is prepared from the inside layer ( just under the bark ) of a tropical tree. The woody spice is peeled into wafer thin strips that are rolled together and dried out of the sun to become the quills we buy. When purchasing cinnamon sticks/ quills check to see that you are purchasing cinnamon rather cassia ( a relation from Asia), cassia quills are darker and coarser and have a more bitter flavour . Keep both cinnamon quills and the ground spice separate in airtight containers . Whole spices will keep for 2 to 3 years , while the ground spice should be used within 18 months .