Table of Contents
Indian cuisine looks good with spices. Without spices and herbs, a fade portrait of Indian cuisine will appear in our mind. All the spices are rich in taste and health benefits too. The aroma present helps to curb many forms of disorders also keeping them away. Here, we will be talking about one spice plant called “Cinnamon (Dalchini in hindi)” and Cinnamon benefits Health
Many times, it is said spices are bad for health. Yes, this is true only if used in excessive amount. As a fact, ‘Excess of everything is bad’ same case relies upon this too. Cinnamon is a well-known and commonly used spice. Now, apart from taste we will also be talking about its health benefits.
Appearance of Cinnamon plant:
Cinnamon(Dalchini) is an evergreen tree which is 20-25 ft tall. It bears greenish-red coloured leaves which are frontal, leathery and 4-7 inches long. The whole plant has an aromatic and pungent flavour even when the leaves are crushed, it releases a pungent odour and the taste is bitter.
It also bears flowers which are whitish-red, long and grow in bunches. They also have a pungent smell. When the flowers are plucked, an odour similar to turpentine oil is released. The fruits are 1/2 to 1 inch long having a seed inside, oval, dark purple and bell-shaped.
The bark of tree is used as a spice. The bark of new trees are slippery and oily whereas those of old trees is dry and brown. It is approximately 5 mm thick.
Chemical composition of Cinnamon:
As discussed, the bark of cinnamon tree comes under the major usage. Bark contains 1/2 to 1% oil which contains cinnamuldihide and eugenol. The oil looks yellowish when fresh and then changes to red when kept for sometimes. The seeds also contains 33% of oil in it. The root also contain a colourless oil which smells same as camphor.
Nomenclature of Cinnamon (Dalchini)
English name | Cinnamon |
Sanskrit name | Chonch, Twak, Gundatvak, Darusita |
Arabic name | Darsini, Kiphra |
Hindi name | Dalchini |
Family name | Lauraceae |
Kingdom | Plantae |
Botanical name | Cinnamomum zeylanicum |
Different types of Cinnamon plants:
Broadly, there are three types, Based on the countries of origin, it is categorized in three forms as listed below :
1. Cinnamomum cassia– It is majorly found in China and its bark is thick.
2. Cinnamomum sp.– It is imported in India from Sri Lanka. The bark is thinner and sweeter in taste. This cinnamon variety is best if used for medicinal purposes.
3. Cinnamomum tamal– It is very thick, less bitter and when grinded with water, it becomes sticky. Its leaves are only called ‘tejpat‘. It is widely found in India and China. This form of cinnamon is used as a common spice in cooking.
Uses of Cinnamon:
Cinnamon has multiple usages, some of them are listed below
- The bark of cinnamon is widely used to provide an aromatic flavour to dishes like Biryanis, curries, kababs, non vegetarian items etc.
- You can use Cinnamon for pickling.
- Use it for many dessert recipes like pies, cinnamon candies, patties, Coffee etc.
- Cinnamon is a basic ingredient in herbal teas and milk tea even.
- It is a popular flavouring ingredient in alcoholic beverages.
- The powder of cinnamon is also used in the cooking of several curries and dry items.
- The intake of cinnamon with honey and water; is the best combo to loose weight and to curb many disorders.
- Above listed were uses and health benefit of cinnamon
Now, we will be moving to our most concerned point which is “Health benefits of cinnamon”. Here, we will be talking how to use cinnamon in order to cure diseases.