Cinnamon

Cinnamon is the inner bark of a tropical evergreen tree. Cinnamon comes in 'quills', strips of bark rolled one in another. The pale brown to tan bar strips is generally thin, the spongy outer bark having been scraped off. Cinnamon is very similar to cassia, though cassia tends to dominate the market. Cinnamon is also available ground, and can be distinguished from cassia by its lighter colour and much finer powder.

Cassia is an aromatic bark, similar to cinnamon, but differing in strength and quality. Cassia bark is darker, thicker and coarser, and the corky outer bark is often left on. The outer surface is rough and grayish brown, the inside bark is smoother and reddish-brown. Cassia is less costly than cinnamon and is often sold ground as cinnamon. When buying as sticks, cinnamon rolls into a single quill while cassia is rolled from both sides toward the centre so that they end up resembling scrolls.