At the smell of cinnamon, some people are y attracted, some people are like encountering an enemy as it is far away, in the cafe to order the clerk to ask whether it can accept it, seems to have become a kind of hospitality courtesy. As one of the world's oldest spices, cinnamon has been used to enhance aroma and flavor, but what is cinnamon powder? Why does it have a special odor?

What does cinnamon look like?

You've probably only seen cinnamon on desserts and drinks, but you may not know where it comes from. Cinnamon is the bark of the cinnamon tree, which is dried after being rolled into long strips, and cinnamon powder is made by grinding strips of cinnamon into a powder.

The cinnamon tree is an evergreen tree with long oval leaves and gray-brown bark. Cinnamon can be divided into two main varieties, Ceylon cinnamon (Ceylon cinnamon), which is produced in Sri Lanka, and Cassia cinnamon, which is produced in China. The main difference between the two is the thickness of the bark, hardness, the amount of aroma components of different, Ceylon cinnamon flavor slightly pungent with sweet, while the Chinese cinnamon is more spicy. In Taiwan, there is another unique variety of earth cinnamon.

Because of the difference in flavor, the cinnamon used in confectionery is mostly Ceylon cinnamon, while Chinese cinnamon is mostly used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Why does cinnamon have a special flavor?

The source of the smell of cinnamon is the cinnamaldehyde, an organic compound found in the bark of the cinnamon tree, which is why cinnamon trees are surrounded by this odor, and the removed bark, whether it is in the form of strips of cinnamon or powdered cinnamon, smells slightly pungent.

How do I cook with cinnamon?

Added to marinades and stews to deodorize meat

Cinnamon's pungent aroma is ideal for use with meats - think of the five-spice powder sprinkled into marinated meats, which actually contains cinnamon. When marinating meat, you can use cinnamon powder and marinate the meat with garlic, ginger paste, soy sauce, pepper, etc. The pungent flavor can help to remove fishy and enhance the flavor, and when stewing meat or soup, you can add cinnamon sticks or slices of cinnamon in the soup to simmer. The flavor is not overpowering when used in meat dishes, and is acceptable to those who don't have a strong aversion to cinnamon.

Desserts and beverages can be sprinkled with cinnamon to enhance the aroma

Cinnamon powder and sugar become cinnamon powdered sugar, because the sugar makes the pungency lower, more acceptable, as a filling or outside the powder can add flavor. If you like to make pastry, you can use cinnamon powder to make cinnamon rolls. Spread cinnamon powder and sugar on the flat dough, then roll it up and cut it into pieces and put it into the oven. See the recipe below for how to make cinnamon rolls! For another quick cinnamon dessert, wrap toast in powdered cinnamon sugar, or make French toast and dip or sprinkle the top of the toast with powdered cinnamon sugar.

When it's cooler and you want to make a cup of coffee, cocoa, or tea with milk, get out the cinnamon powder you have at home and sprinkle it lightly! You'll find that cinnamon transforms the flavor of your drink, and mixing it with powdered brown sugar and sprinkling it on top will soften the flavor! Use a cinnamon stick as a stirring rod to incorporate the flavors into your drink.