Cinnamon: what it is, uses in Mexico and vs cassia

What is it?

Mexican cinnamon, almost always the Ceylon variety (Cinnamomum verum), arrived in New Spain via the Manila Galleon in the 16th century, connecting Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka) with Acapulco by way of the Philippines. Unlike the Chinese cassia that predominates in the United States, Ceylon cinnamon is more brittle, paler, sweet and aromatic, with lower levels of coumarins, which makes it safer for everyday consumption. Today it is an essential ingredient of Mexican cooking: it flavours mole poblano, Oaxacan mole, atoles, champurrado, rice pudding, milk sweets, café de olla, pan de muerto, capirotada and rompope. Mexico is one of the largest consumers of Ceylon cinnamon per capita in the world. Although it is not grown on Mexican territory owing to very specific tropical climatic requirements, its constant use has made it an identity component of the national cuisine.

Origin and history

Cinnamon was domesticated on the island of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) more than 4,000 years ago, according to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Mentioned in Egyptian papyri and in the Bible, it was a luxury good of the spice trade between East and West. The Nao de China galleon, also known as the Manila Galleon, brought Ceylon cinnamon to Acapulco between 1565 and 1815, traded from the Philippine archipelago. Cinnamon was distributed across New Spain along the Camino de Asia, reaching Puebla, Veracruz, Mexico City and Oaxaca. Sahagún mentions it in the colonial recipe books as a novel spice in 17th-century convent cooking, where it was integrated into mole poblano. The UNAM's Digital Library of Mexican Traditional Medicine documents its medicinal use: as a digestive, antiparasitic and to regulate blood sugar. The Mexican government recognises Mexico as the world's leading importer of Ceylon cinnamon originating from Sri Lanka, with per capita consumption higher than that of any other region outside Asia.

Characteristic ingredients

Cinnamomum verum is the inner bark of the cinnamon tree, dried in fine, rolled scrolls known as rajas (quills). Ceylon cinnamon has pale tones, thin layers and crumbles easily; cassia cinnamon (Cinnamomum aromaticum, Cinnamomum burmanii) is darker, thicker, harder and more pungent. Traditional Mexican cinnamon is always Ceylon, identifiable by its sweet, mild smell. It is sold in quills, ground or as pastes (Ki ground cinnamon). Its main component is cinnamaldehyde (60-75%), responsible for the characteristic aroma, in addition to eugenol and linalool. In Mexican cooking it is used to: flavour the milk of atoles and champurrado, infuse café de olla, integrate into mole poblano and Oaxacan mole, sprinkle over rice pudding and churros, perfume breads (concha, doughnut, rosca de Reyes) and give character to desserts such as capirotada, jericalla, flan and sweet rice. Studies by the INNSZ and UNAM support its moderate antihyperglycaemic effect, useful in diets for type 2 diabetes.

Cultural significance

Cinnamon is an essential element of Traditional Mexican Cuisine, inscribed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010, present in the moles and sweets declared emblematic of the country. It forms part of the Manila Galleon Route, which UNESCO is studying as a trans-Pacific cultural route, a candidate for world heritage. The Mexican Brotherhood of Mole celebrates National Mole Day each year, with competitions that use Ceylon cinnamon as a distinguishing ingredient. The Mexican preference for Ceylon over cassia, owing to its delicate flavour and lower coumarin toxicity, is championed by PROFECO, which regularly warns about adulterations. Economically, cinnamon is one of the main products imported from Sri Lanka and Indonesia, with growing consumption in baking, traditional sweets and traditional drinks. Mexican restaurants such as Pujol, Quintonil and Sud 777 work with selected Ceylon cinnamon to preserve the authenticity of regional moles.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Ceylon cinnamon and cassia cinnamon?

Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) is paler, more brittle, sweet and with a low coumarin content, native to Sri Lanka, and is the one used in Mexico. Cassia (Cinnamomum aromaticum) is darker, harder, more pungent and with a high coumarin content, potentially hepatotoxic in excess, native to China and Indonesia, and predominates in the United States owing to its lower price.

What does Mexican cinnamon taste like?

Mexican Ceylon cinnamon has a sweet, warm, delicate flavour, with notes of clove, vanilla and subtle citrus, without the aggressive heat of cassia. It is ideal for infusions, atoles and milk sweets because it provides aroma without bitterness. Its aromatic profile complements cacao, vanilla, anise and piloncillo in traditional Mexican preparations.

What is cinnamon used for in Mexican cooking?

It is used to flavour mole poblano and Oaxacan mole, atole, champurrado, café de olla, capirotada, rice pudding, rompope, jericallas, flans and traditional breads such as conchas, doughnuts, rosca de Reyes and pan de muerto. It is also mixed with sugar to sprinkle over churros, buñuelos and cinnamon polvorones, and to perfume pumpkin or sweet-potato sweets.

Where does the cinnamon used in Mexico come from?

It is native to Sri Lanka (former Ceylon), from where it reached New Spain via the Manila Galleon between the 16th and 19th centuries. Today Mexico imports Ceylon cinnamon from Sri Lanka, Madagascar, the Comoros and Indonesia, always preferring the verum variety for its superior flavour and lower coumarin content, considered the authentic one for traditional moles.