Spice Cassia bark (both powdered and in whole or "stick" form) is used as a flavoring agent for confectionery, desserts, pastries, and meat; it is specified in many
curry recipes, where Ceylon cinnamon is less suitable. Traditionally, the bark is stripped off the tree and dried in the shade. After drying, it is thinly sliced for use or ground into a powder.
Essential oils made from the stripped bark have many uses, such as in health products, food and drinks. Cassia is sometimes added to Ceylon cinnamon but is a much thicker, coarser product. Cassia is sold as pieces of bark or as neat quills or sticks. Cassia sticks can be distinguished from Ceylon cinnamon sticks in this manner: Ceylon cinnamon sticks have many thin layers and can easily be made into powder using a coffee or spice grinder, whereas cassia sticks are extremely hard and are usually made up of one thick layer. Cassia buds, although rare, are also occasionally used as a spice. They resemble cloves in appearance and have a mild, flowery cinnamon flavor. Cassia buds are primarily used in old-fashioned pickling recipes, marinades, and teas.
Traditional medicine and phytochemicals The part of the bark that is used to make spices is called the Cinnamomi cortex. Chinese cassia (called
ròuguì;
肉桂 in Chinese) is produced primarily in the southern provinces of
Guangxi,
Guangdong, and
Yunnan. It is considered one of the
50 fundamental herbs in
traditional Chinese medicine. More than 160
phytochemicals have been isolated from
Cinnamomum cassia. The blood-thinning component called
coumarin found in
C. cassia could damage the liver if consumed in larger amounts, therefore European health agencies have warned against consuming high amounts of cassia. Other bioactive compounds found in the bark, powder and essential oils of
C. cassia are
cinnamaldehyde and
styrene. In high doses, these substances can also be toxic to humans. ==History==