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Royal Cinnamon

Intense sweetness and spiciness that defines Vietnamese cinnamon.

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$8.99
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$8.99
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Our Royal Cinnamon has been harvested in the mountains around the ancient Vietnamese capital city of Huế for centuries. This is an heirloom variety not widely harvested or exported, and it exemplifies the intense sweetness and spiciness for which Vietnamese cinnamon is prized. Use it in place of Saigon or other cinnamons in pastries and baked goods, or sprinkle into rich, savory meat or tomato-based dishes.

Royal Cinnamon is the species Cinnamomum loureiroi. It was historically called Saigon cinnamon, but most of what's exported as Saigon cinnamon these days is Cinnamomum cassia. They are different species, but they are often confused for one another, and it's worth noting that neither cinnamon grows anywhere near Saigon!

If you're looking for cinnamon that's less sweet and spicy and more citrusy and complex, check out our Cinnamon Verum.

Highlights

Origin:

Quang Nam Mountains, Vietnam

Aliases:

Saigon cinnamon, cassia cinnamon

Process:

Sun-dried

Ingredients:

Royal cinnamon, ground (Cinnamomum loureiroi)

Tasting notes:

Brown Butter • Buckwheat Honey • Orange Peel

Cooking tips

  • Beautiful in baked goods, spice cookies and desserts
  • Sprinkle over yogurt and oatmeal, and add to smoothies
  • Brew with your favorite coffee or tea
"An out-of-this-world cinnamon and yes, you can taste the difference."
“Cinnamon that will blow your mind.”
"It is so robust and so complex, I cannot go back to any other."

SOURCING

Sourcing image

Our Royal Cinnamon comes from the mountains of Quang Nam in central Vietnam. This area was historically famous for spicy, sweet cinnamon, but in the last decade, the commodity market has shifted further north, where the prices are lower. Everyone told us that this area wasn't worth visiting and that their heirloom cinnamon variety wasn't being harvested anymore. We were very happy to discover that's not the case - the cinnamon here IS being harvested, and is incredible, probably the most intense we've ever tasted.

They use a technique for harvesting cinnamon that we've never encountered before - instead of chopping down the tree to harvest the bark, they make a deep cut around the base of the tree and let the bark dry on the tree for a couple of weeks before harvesting it. That makes it easier to harvest, but it also concentrates essential oils rather than letting them evaporate as the bark dries in the hot sun. The bark comes off the tree mostly dry and very intensely spicy and sweet, with a beautiful fragrance that we could smell from half a mile away.

HEALTH BENEFITS

While we do not make any health claims on any of our spices, there has been some historic and limited recent evidence that cinnamon can potentially be helpful for:

  • Antibacterial and Antifungal Treatments: Cinnamon oils have demonstrated antibacterial and antifungal activity, and show potential for future alternative and/or synergistic treatments for bacteria and yeast. (ABCDEFG)
  • Cancers: Research has shown some increasing evidence that cinnamon contains some anticancer properties by inducing apoptosis of cancer cells and inhibiting tumor cell growth. 
  • (ABC)
  • Cognition and Alzheimer’s Disease: Cinnamon might boost the ability of the brain to utilize glucose, improve cognitive function and help fight Alzheimer’s disease by inhibiting aggregation of a protein called tau.

    (ABCD)

  • Glycemic Control: Some research has shown cinnamon to be effective in increasing insulin sensitivity and improving fasting blood glucose levels, with potential to support glucose control treatment in the future. (ABC ,D)
  • Dyslipidemia: Cinnamon has shown to be effective in reducing triglycerides, total cholesterol and/or LDL-C in some studies. (ABCD)

Further clinical studies are warranted and in progress. Please always consult your healthcare provider. This is not intended as medical advice.

how do we compare? Supermarket Icon Supermarket Fair Trade Icon Fair Trade
Heirloom Spices Yes No No
Fair Prices for Farmers Yes No Depends on global commodity price
Time in Storage None. We import spices at harvest Up to 10 years At least 1 year
Flavor Profile Intense & fresh Stale & bland Inconsistent
Knows Farmers Names Yes No Unlikely
Customer Service Fast responses from real people! No There might be a 1-800 number?
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