Cinnamon, What a Spice!

To me, there is a very deep richness to the aroma of cinnamon. It's almost too much! How to describe it? I would say husky, pungent, heady, and yes, strong. There were times in my life when cinnamon in any amount would cause a tummy-ache, but that seems to have changed over the years, for which I am thankful. The only spices that come close to this one are perhaps nutmeg, cloves or allspice.

Here are the basic facts on this wonderful, flavorful spice~~~~~

Bible Name: CINNAMON

Latin Name: Cinnamomum zeylanicum

Other Names: True Cinnamon; Ceylon Cinnamon; 'the sweet wood'

Bible Verses: Proverbs 7:17 and others.
Ezekiel 27:19 mentions Cassia, the 'other cinnamon'.

Type of Plant: Tropical evergreen tree that grows 30 to 40 feet. It has silky yellow-white flower clusters. The leaves are 5 to 7 inches long. There are also small, dark purple berries with only one seed in them. This tree can grow quite tall, but in countries like Indonesia, they keep it pruned more into a bush shape to make harvesting easier.

In Bible Times: Cinnamon was one of the 4 ingredients in the Holy Anointing Oil (Ex. 20:23), the other 3 being Calamus, Cassia (the other Cinnamon is in there, too!) and Myrrh. It's a spice which has been in continuous use since the days of ancient Rome.

This ancient illustration shows an artist's conception of the gathering of cinnamon bark in the 16th century.

Nowadays: Ceylon produces the most high quality cinnamon. It is used for perfumes, and also as a spice in curries, candy and hot drinks. But for us the most familiar uses are for delicious baking, and for cinnamon sticks, potpourris, and essential oil.

Cinnamon has also made its way into our everyday lotions for hands and face. Here an ordinary bottle of lotion is flavored with both Sandalwood (another Bible plant!) and Cinnamon. It's a great aroma and doesn't cost a small fortune.

Of course, cinnamon is one of the most important baking & cooking spices. Certainly, it is loved, especially at Christmas.

Here's a yummy no-bake recipe (except for pie shell) which uses cinnamon and cloves. It was on a page torn from a very old book & tucked inside my 'cinnamon' file, so I don't know the author or source of this recipe. Enjoy!

SPICY BANANA SPLIT PIE

Ingredients:

½ cup butter or margarine
1-1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 eggs
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 medium-sized bananas
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 square (1 oz.) unsweetened chocolate, grated
1 9-inch baked pie shell
Whipped cream
¼ cup chopped pecans

Cream butter and add sugar gradually, beating until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating 3 minutes after each addition. Blend in spices. Peel and slice bananas, and mix with lemon juice. Fold into sugar-butter mixture, with grated chocolate. Turn into baked 9-inch pie crust. Chill 3 to 4 hours. Just before serving, spread thin layer of whipped cream over surface of pie. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Serves 6 to 8.

Here I must tell you about my love for a certain maker of spices and that company is J R Watkins. My warm feelings for this company go back to a time when there was no super Walmart or other huge grocery or department store. I was only 10 or so.

Now here I must admit that memory is a bit fuzzy on some facts. So I talked to Mom whose memory was clearer. You see, there were 2 traveling vendors who came to our lane. They would come round every so often, (not sure how often). One always came on a Tuesday, and Mom simply called him 'the Peddler'. She even remembered his name was Mr. Porter. He was like a rolling department store. Had a big variety of items, including yard goods. Mom made a lot of our clothes, so this was important to her. He was in what now seems like a small paneled truck.

The other vendor was the Watkins guy. I think I have the 2 confused, although it is possible the Watkins guy arrived in a van or small truck. Anyhow, into our country lane would pull this vehicle (looked big to me!), and we'd yell to Mom that the Watkins guy was here! Oh, joy! She'd let me go with her. I honestly can't remember her letting the twins go along, they were only 7. Isn't it odd that my memory has totally blotted out whether they were along or not?! All I knew was that I was going shopping with Mom, right out there in our lane. It was like a mini store on wheels that came to us.

My most vivid memory was being allowed to step into that truck; and the delight that awaited. It seemed like he opened up some sort of large cases which held all the goodies. While Mom chatted with the Watkins guy, I slowly took in all the bounty inside those cases--wonderful spices, bottles of vanilla galore, scrumptious pie fillings, ordinary stuff like black pepper, and even ointments and salves; there were wonders to be found for a shy country girl. I remember wishing my Mom had lots of money, but she did always buy something.

Vanilla was high on her list; to this day she maintains that it is unequalled. And yes, she bought cinnamon and pie fillings. Those pie fillings were so good, she said, that they took away the need for her to mix up her own. She DID often mix up her own, though, because with a family of 6, money was often tight and she couldn't buy those heavenly pie fillings. It was then that items like the cinnamon or vanilla came in handy. To me, her mixtures (especially using the Watkins stuff!) were pretty heavenly, too.

Sadly, business between Mom & the Watkins guy ended too quickly. She'd tell him about neighbors that might be interested, other houses where he could visit. Too bad we can't bring back those times. If a Watkins guy pulled up in a lane now, he'd probably hear someone say 'Geez, I can beat those prices at Wal-mart'. I wouldn't say that, I think I'd hug him.