Oh, here's the rest of the article, they had an ad in the middle, ugh.
Today much of North America's cinnamon comes from Southeast Asia and the closely related cassia tree. Cassia is considered slightly inferior in taste to zeylanicum or true cinnamon that is a softer color with a milder, sweeter flavor. Cassia cinnamon is normally a darker reddish brown color and has a stronger, somewhat bittersweet flavor. Cassia cinnamon is also less expensive than zeylanicum cinnamon. Most cinnamon in the United States does not state its origin.
Cinnamon has a rich history dating back 5,000 years when Arabs controlled the spice trade bringing cinnamon, from what was known then as the Spice Islands, to sell in Nineveh, Babylon, Egypt and Rome. Egyptians used cinnamon in their embalming rituals, the Romans used it as a love potion and valued spices as highly as gold, and Nero burned a year's worth of cinnamon in tribute to his dead wife. Even Moses used cinnamon in a holy oil to anoint the ark. By the 11th century spices were used in place of currency in many instances and during the spice wars that followed, control of cinnamon played a vital role.
Cinnamon with its woody, mild yet exotic flavor is arguably the most popular spice in the world. Aside from its many uses in baking and cooking, it also provides a wonderful aroma to freshen the house. Just boil 5 cups of water with a teaspoon of added cinnamon, then let it simmer on the stove to enjoy the smell of a spice that has intoxicated people for over five millennia!
