
Since childhood, I have known the “smell of happiness at home” from the smell of cinnamon in my mother’s tea or biryani. But one day, I bought a new cinnamon from the market, and where did that smell go? That’s when the first question that came to mind was, Did I buy fake cinnamon by mistake?
That’s when my curiosity began: how can I distinguish actual and pretend cinnamon?
I have found out a few things via my personal observations, which I am sharing with you.
🔸 1. Difference in coloration
True cinnamon (referred to as Ceylon cinnamon) is mild brown or barely yellow in color. False or cassia cinnamon is slightly darker, reddish brown. You can make the distinction with the aid of putting the two aspects side by side in the store.
🔸 2. Structure and texture
Real cinnamon is like thin paper, easily broken by pressing it with your hand. And the fake is hard, thick and in one continuous layer. You can tell it is hard when you break it with your hand.
🔸 3. Smell
This is actually the biggest distinction. The odor of real cinnamon is sweet, mild and comforting. The odor of the faux is a touch robust, a piece pungent. When I first found out that I had sold a fake, I caught it proper away.
🔸 4. Difference in price
Real cinnamon is relatively expensive because it usually comes from Sri Lanka or southern India. Sometimes what is sold as “cinnamon” at a low price in stores is most often Cassia.
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My own experience tells me that it is important to be aware of these small things in the kitchen. Because the quality of what we are taking into our bodies through our daily food ultimately affects our health.
This article is not medical advice; it is just my own experience, some differences that I have seen with my own eyes. However, I think that if we are a little aware of the daily market, we can protect ourselves from a lot of big losses.
Finally, I will say one thing: learning to recognize the real thing is important not only in the market but in all areas of life.
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