Cinnamon

Cinnamon, the inner bark of a small lauraceous tree (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) largely grown in Ceylon. The bark is stripped off two-year-old shoots in May and November and dried in the sun, undergoing a slight fermentation. It rolls up into quills, the thinnest being the best. Cinnamon contains a fragrant essential oil and has long been valued as a spice. It has also some medicinal value as a cordial and stomachic. Britain imports about 800 tons.