Ground Cassia

Ground Cassia comes from the bark of the Cinnamomum aromaticum plant, and often goes by the name Chinese Cinnamon. It can be difficult to discern the difference between Ground Cassia and True Ground Cinnamon after processing, but there are differences. Cassia is a more reddish brown colour than cinnamon and the texture is coarser. The flavour of Cassia is more bitter than cinnamon and stronger too, which may suit the recipe better, especially if it has to compete with other spices. Cassia production is very similar to that of True Cinnamon, the bark removed from the tree and allowed to dry into quills or ground. The bark is thicker than true cinnamon, and therefore harder to grind.

Ground Cassia is great for so many dishes and cooking methods. When baking, it will had a delicious flavour to muffins, cakes and biscuits, or made into bread (toast it then butter it – perfect!) It is a common ingredient in curries and tagines and great for use on breakfasts such as porridge and other grain cereals. It is one of the 5 ingredients that make up Chinese 5 Spice, and you can also use it to make your own custom blends.