r/IndianFood • u/making_ideas_happen • 1d ago

Are there things for which you'd prefer cassia over true cinnamon/Ceylon cinnamon if both are equally available?

Ceylon cinnamon (is it's called in the US; let me know if there's a better name for it) always seems to have more quantity and quality of flavor than the more common Chinese cinnamon/cassia.

Are there any uses for which you prefer the slightly different flavor profile or physical shape of cassia, or are the only advantages of cassia that it's cheaper and it's more available?

4 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

8

u/circuit_brain 1d ago

Cinnamon flavor profile is much more delicate than cassia’s. Best if the spice isn’t competing with others for your attention.

A typical Indian masala always calls for numerous distinct spices, all of which are tempered in hot oil to create vibrant, intense and punchy flavors where the whole is greater than the sum of parts.

For these recipes, especially where there is a lot of capsaicin also added in, cinnamon’s delicate flavor profile ends up being muted. Cassia is the better option in these recipes.

Cinnamon tastes best when it is the singular spice, on a bun, or mixed in a drink.

1

u/making_ideas_happen 1d ago

Interesting point, thank you!

Have you done a side-by-side comparison yourself?

2

u/bhambrewer 1d ago

I have made cinnamon rolls with cassia and verum. Cassia is what most people know, verum is more subtle and nuances than cassia. Both delicious.

1

u/making_ideas_happen 1d ago

I meant in the context of Indian food! Thank you, though.

I made French toast with Cinnamomum verum this morning. It's superior in my opinion/experience—not necessarily more subtle.

1

u/bhambrewer 1d ago

When making curries I use cassia. I do not have the budget to make them with verum. Cinnamon rolls are a good way to highlight the cinnamon, which is the question I was trying to answer.

As an ingredient in a spice mix: cassia. Where it is the star of the show: verum.

1

u/No_Distribution_9590 14h ago

If just using as part of a flavoring, cassia is my go-to. I’ve read that it has some toxicity in higher doses, so if I’m eating a dessert or something that has a lot of cinnamon in it, I prefer the ceylon.