How to use cinnamon correctly? Recipes and uses

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Cinnamon has always been considered a noble spice. Known in the times of Ancient Egypt, this seasoning was the most expensive among many peoples. Today, the spice is used not only in cooking. Any hostess knows how to use cinnamon in alternative medicine. Even the composition of many fashionable perfumes includes the smell of fragrant spices. We can safely say that cinnamon is a universal seasoning.

Spice Homeland

Real cinnamon grows in Ceylon. Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Ceylon cinnamon) belongs to the laurel family. It is an evergreen plant that can reach a height of 10-15 meters in the wild. On agricultural plantations, cinnamon is an abundant shrub.

The leaves of a young plant are red or crimson. This is facilitated by the anthocyanin pigment, which protects the cinnamon from ultraviolet rays. The crown of older plants acquire darkgreen coloration. The leaves, like the bark, exude a pleasant fragrance reminiscent of cloves.

The spice (other than the term cinnamon) is called cinnamon, twak, durusita, dalcini, kirpha, darachini, cassia and kinamon.

Varieties of spices

Cinnamon is common in different countries. Plant species differ in aroma, color and structure. There are four varieties of it, but not everyone can be considered a real cinnamon.

The original spice is Ceylon cinnamon. It also grows in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil and Guiana.

Features of this type of seasoning are:

• Type of straw.
• Light brown or tan exterior color,
• The wall thickness of the tube is approximately 1 millimeter. The highest quality varieties are even thinner.
• Cinnamon is very brittle and breaks easily.
• It has a delicate aroma and a sweet-burning taste.

Cinnamon, growing in southern China, is an analogue of a spice called cassia. The plant is also common in Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos. The main characteristics of cassia are:

• View of a piece of bark.
• Reddish-brown surface with greyish-brown spots.
• The bark is quite thick - about 2 millimeters.
• Sharp sweet-burning taste with astringent aftertaste.

Malabaran (woody, brown or cassia-vera) cinnamon comes from Southwest India. The spice has the following features:

• Rough appearanceimmediately betrays the origin of the spice.
• The uneven dark brown color makes you wonder how to use cinnamon properly.
• Thick layers of 3 mm are difficult to grind.
• Astringent bitter taste is not always pleasant.

How to choose a spice

To know how to use cinnamon, you need to navigate the choice of the right spice. The highest quality seasoning is considered to be from Sri Lanka. The spice is easy to crumble in your fingers, and the light brown color allows you to distinguish the stick in appearance from the reddish-brown cassia.

At home, you can also easily distinguish fake ground cinnamon. How? With a few drops of iodine. Cassia in combination with an antiseptic becomes dark blue, and the real spice will retain its original color. By brewing cinnamon powder with boiling water, two types of substance can be obtained. If the resulting composition is resinous of a red-gray hue, this is cassia. The jelly-like red-brown appearance is indicative of the authenticity of the cinnamon.

Sticks or powder?

Basically, cinnamon is the bark dried and rolled into tubes. For real elite Ceylon spice, tubes of the smallest thickness are used.

Cinnamon is equally useful in powder and sticks. It all depends on the area of use. In baking and cooking, it is more advisable to take ground spice. When making various kinds of drinks (mulled wine, tea, etc.), it is more convenient to use cinnamon sticks. As practice shows, the taste of the dish does not depend on whether the spice is ground or not.

What's the use ofcinnamon

Aromatic spice contains many trace elements and vitamins. It contains iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamins C, A, PP and group B. In addition, cinnamon contains essential oils, tannins and fiber.

Spice has many useful properties. It helps to cope with such troubles as flatulence, spasms of the gastrointestinal tract, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, infections, etc.

Also, the spice can be used in case of enuresis, impotence, periodic female pain, rheumatism, convulsions. With these diseases, it is recommended to use ground cinnamon with benefit. And there is no harm in these cases.

Spice is also successfully used in cosmetics. A variety of sprays, pastes, medicinal drops, mouth and tooth rinses include this fragrant plant in their composition.

Is the spice harmful

Like every plant, the spice has some contraindications. Of course, the benefits of ground cinnamon and the harm of using spices as a component of medicines depend on the individual tolerance of the body. It is necessary to study who can use cinnamon with benefit. Spice can harm children under three years of age due to the possibility of allergic reactions. People who have discomfort after eating any culinary products with cinnamon, it is advisable to stop using this spice. In liver diseases, cinnamon should be used with caution, as in pregnancy, internal bleeding, epilepsy. Given that the spice lowerspressure, it is not recommended for people prone to hypotension.

How to use cinnamon in cooking

Pleasant, sweetish and persistent taste of the spice makes it possible to use it in the preparation of various dishes. The combination of cinnamon and honey is especially tasty. How to use such a mixture depends on the imagination of the cook. Even a drink of water, cinnamon and honey is very tasty and helps to quench your thirst.

Spice is very versatile. It is successfully used to create confectionery masterpieces. All kinds of buns, buns and cookies acquire an exquisite taste with the addition of spices. Fruit pies seem insipid without this fragrant seasoning. Cinnamon is also added to sweet sauces, even ice cream. Punches, teas and compotes with spices acquire a very unusual taste.

Skilled cooks often use cinnamon when preparing meat dishes, sauces, second courses and even soups.

Spice is an excellent natural antiseptic that prevents E. coli from infecting food. Therefore, it is recommended to add it to perishable dishes and fresh juices.

Cinnamon adds a spicy flavor to food. Therefore, it is popular with people who love spicy dishes. The spice endows any food with nobility and sophistication.

Spice is added to liquid food in the form of sticks, and to dough or second courses - in the form of a powder. How to use ground cinnamon with benefit? There will be no harm if you sprinkle ready-made dishes with fragrant powder. It can also be added to baked apples and pumpkin.

Howuse cinnamon for diabetes

For a long time, the spice was used only in cooking. But recently, the spice has been seen to work very well for the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. A number of studies have explored how to use cinnamon to reduce sugar. As a result, recipes were drawn up to combat the disease. However, everything should be in moderation, so official medicine recommends using the seasoning with caution.

Adherents of non-traditional methods of treatment testify that cinnamon lowers blood sugar in 24% of patients, and normalizes cholesterol levels in 18%. Regular use of the product enhances the effect. These data are not unfounded, but are based on real research. A group of volunteers consumed cinnamon for 40 days.

Eating cinnamon can also be harmful. How to use the spice correctly so that there are no side effects? First, you need to know what other foods can enhance the glucose-lowering effect. Additives such as chromium, garlic, horse chestnut, bitter melon, plantain, Siberian ginseng, panax, fenugreek, alpha lipoic acid, devil's claw also drop sugar. All these substances can be part of various medicines and tinctures. When using cinnamon to lower blood sugar, it is recommended to carefully study the structure of concomitant medications.

When taking spice in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, you can be guided by the following recipes:

• Yogurt for diabetics. In a glass of biokefir or fermented baked milk, add two tbsp. spoons of groundflax seeds and ¼ or ½ teaspoon cinnamon, mix and let steep for 5-7 minutes. When the yogurt thickens, it can be consumed.
• Also, ordinary cinnamon tea is suitable to reduce sugar. Preparing a drink is easy. In the teapot, along with the tea leaves, add two or three spice sticks and pour water. Bring to a boil over low heat, let it brew for about 15 minutes. You can drink tea by adding lemon or lime.

• Drink of orange and cinnamon will not only reduce glucose, but also add strength, refresh on a hot day. Put one cinnamon stick in hot boiled water, let cool. Then pour the drink into cups and enjoy by adding a slice of orange.
• As you know, the use of sugar in diabetes is unacceptable. Honey is the only permitted sweetness for type 2 disease. The combination of a natural bee product with cinnamon can also lower blood sugar levels somewhat. In hot boiled water insist one incomplete teaspoon of spice. After thirty minutes, add two tablespoons of honey. Leave in a cool place. Take half serving in the morning before meals and in the evening before bedtime.

It is worth remembering that regular use of cinnamon can not only lower glucose levels, but also prevent the onset of the disease at the stage of prediabetes.

The use of spices in the fight against excess weight

How to use cinnamon for weight loss is of interest to almost every overweight person today. spice notnot only burns fat, but also makes insipid foods more delicious.

The fair sex is especially interested in weight loss recipes. Using all kinds of diets, ladies run the risk of seriously harming their he alth. Taking dubious drugs that burn fat, women can also harm themselves. Therefore, recipes for how to use cinnamon for weight loss are very popular with those who want to lose weight.

Regular use of spices in the fight against extra pounds has a positive effect. Of course, before you start using spices, you need to determine how it affects the body as a whole. Chronic liver damage or individual intolerance to cinnamon can be a serious obstacle to the use of seasoning. If there are no contraindications, you can safely get down to business.

The easiest cinnamon weight loss remedy is to drink a daily drink made from a mixture of honey and spice. Prepare it according to the same instructions as above for diabetics. You need to drink such a remedy in the morning half an hour before breakfast and at night before going to bed. Regular use of such a drink can reduce the weight of even the most obese person. The tool does not allow fat to accumulate in the body.

Also, in order to reduce weight, it is recommended to start your day with a cup of any (but preferably green) tea with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder. In this case, the body is filled with energy and tone,enough for the whole day.

For second breakfast, you can use a mixture of cinnamon and ginger. The root will enhance the effect of the spice. Ginger is also able to fight excess fat cells, and in combination with cinnamon is just a universal remedy. However, the use of the mixture in its pure form is not recommended. It is best to use the composition with the addition of honey and water, as a delicious tonic drink.

The combination of honey-water-cinnamon is very effective in the fight against cholesterol. An excess of this organic compound leads to the formation of cellulite. How to use cinnamon for weight loss and eliminate the "orange peel" will tell the following recipe. The mixture will require two tbsp. l. honey and three tsp. cinnamon powder. Dilute these ingredients in two glasses of warm water. Drink this drink for three weeks three times a day. A very quick result is not guaranteed, but perseverance and perseverance will lead to a stunning effect. In addition, excellent he alth and vitality are provided to you.

Cinnamon for other diseases

Healing properties make it possible not only to use cinnamon for weight loss. As traditional healers and representatives of official medicine testify, seasoning can be used to improve a person's well-being. There are many recipes for using cinnamon for various diseases.

• Psychologists say that spice calms nerves and improves mood. The scent of cinnamon indoors can have a positive effect on people. This explains the fact that in many training companies there isslight smell of this spice.
• Honey and cinnamon paste spread on a slice of bread and eaten for breakfast lowers cholesterol and prevents myocardial infarction. In addition, such a dish will help strengthen the heart muscle and improve breathing. Veins and arteries become more elastic even in old age with the daily use of goodies.
• Vitamins contained in honey support strength. A mixture of honey and cinnamon has a very beneficial effect on the elderly. Old-timers have significantly improved memory and concentration. Dr. Milton's studies show that daily use of 1/2 tbsp. l. honey with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon restores strength. The drink should be consumed in the morning on an empty stomach and in the middle of the day (after 15-00).
• The spice also helps with arthritis. One cup of warm water with two spoons of honey and a spoonful of spices can cure this disease even in the chronic stage. The main thing is to drink the drink daily. However, a mixture of honey and cinnamon can be eaten with water. Research by Dutch scientists proved that 1 tbsp. l. honey and 1/2 tsp. spices consumed before breakfast reduced or eliminated walking pain in 73 out of 200 patients.

• About how to use cinnamon for diabetes, it was said above. The spice lowers the level of both sugar and cholesterol. Enough two tbsp. Mix spoons of honey with three teaspoons of spice and dilute the mixture in two glasses of warm water. Drink three times a day. The mixture is capablereduce cholesterol levels by 10% in two hours.
• Regular use of honey and cinnamon can strengthen the immune system. Also, the mixture is very effective for colds. Honey, lemon and cinnamon tea relieves runny nose and chills. However, the spice is not recommended to be taken at high temperatures. It is also useful to gargle a sore throat with a liquid with the addition of honey and cinnamon. Another advantage of the spice is the provision of fresh breath. Therefore, it is advisable to rinse the mouth with spice water before important meetings.
• Cinnamon helps with indigestion, bladder inflammation, even toothache. It is enough to use a mixture of honey and seasoning.
• Recently, scientists in Japan and Australia have found that spice successfully fights cancer of the stomach and bones. A group of patients with malignant tumors was asked to eat one tablespoon of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon daily for one month three times a day. For some volunteers, the terrible disease has receded.