Cinnamon Tea
Cinnamon, perhaps one of the most popular and tastiest of spices used for sweet & savory recipes. What many do not know is that cinnamon is actually the bark of a tree. I remember visiting the little farm of one my uncles when I was little. He once took me under a tree, took out a pocket knife & sliced out a soft bark from the tree & told me to first smell it & then chew on it! It was cinnamon.. this bark was still young, & had not matured enough to form the cinnamon sticks. The bark of the tree is pounded & soaked in sea water & distilled to make cinnamon oil.
Here is a little information about Cinnamon…
Cinnamomum verum, also known as Cinnamon (the tree), is an evergreen ranging from ten meters high to fifteen meters. Cinnamon (the spice), is made from the bark of this tree. However, while producing its edible bark (after some preparation, of course), the tree also composes fruit, which comprise only of very small, purple berries. The berries are not the prime product of the tree that humans are concerned with. While the tree is only native to Sri Lanka, it has been cultivated commercially in many tropical countries including Brazil, Vietnam and Madagascar. Surprisingly, and contrary to the smell of cinnamon, the leaves of the tree give off a foul odor. The name “Cinnamon” is from Greek origin, but also has some Hebrew and Malaysian roots….the Sri Lanka Cinnamon trees are believed to make the best cinnamon.
There are different types of cinnamon, and when people say the word “cinnamon” with no other description, the variety is assumed to be the pure cinnamon, or Ceylon Cinnamon. This is the Cinnamon that comes from the Cinnamon tree Cinnamomum verum. However, there is another type of Cinnamon tree, Cinnamomum aromaticum, which doesn’t produce the true cinnamon, but something very similar. This imitation cinnamon is called Cassia Cinnamon, and although it is not the “pure” kind, the majority of all cinnamon sold it in the United States is Cassia. Cassia Cinnamon is different from Ceylon in that it is stronger, thicker, and harder. The reason for this is that with Ceylon Cinnamon, only the inner bark is used to make the cinnamon, but with Cassia, all the bark is used (and it’s a different species of tree). While the sticks of the two cinnamon types are easily distinguishable, the ground form is not, although there are different techniques that can be used to figure out what is what… (Info taken from Spice Place Blog…)
Of the zillion things that you can add cinnamon to… Tea is one of them…
The fragrance of cinnamon conjures up nice, warm, cozy feelings. Cinnamon Tea is a lovely thing to enjoy with some sweet pastries & apple cobblers. I like mine not hot, but as a cooler.. with a slice of lemon.
Since Cinnamon is Edible Wood, I thought this (Tea with Cinnamon) would qualify for CLICK! WOOD…the picture above is participating in CLICK: WOOD hosted by the Jugalbandits.
Ingredients: (Serves 1)
- One cinnamon stick, or 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon powder
- Sugar/Honey (optional)
- A teabag
- Warm milk (Optional)
-
Lemon (Optional)
Preparation:
Put the cinnamon stick in a cup. Alternativley, use 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon powder.
Boil a cup of water.
Add the boiling water to the cup with cinnamon & let it steep for about 10 minutes. (Or boill a cup of water with the cinnamon at medium heat for about 10 -15 minutes… discard the cinnamon after).
Add the teabag. Soak the teabag for 2-3 minutes before removing it.
Add sugar / sweetner for a sweeter taste & Milk (optional)
Squeeze some fresh lemon if you want…
Enjoy with company or with some quiet moments with yourself:-)
Related Posts:
Flor de Jamaica Beverage
Sunrise Delight
Tags: Cinnamon, cinnamon tea, cinnamon tea recipe, how to make cinnamon tea, mediteranean, spice, spiced tea
Details 
March 23rd, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Its a gorgeous entry
March 23rd, 2009 at 2:44 pm
YUM! Love masala chai. Dalchini bundle looks lovely!
March 23rd, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Never tasted a tea with cinnamon)… really coffee with cinnamon; a very appealing and interesting entry
Soma, have a great week!
March 23rd, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Love tea with cinnamon..yummm Nice click..
March 23rd, 2009 at 3:18 pm
I haven’t had a tea with cinnamon either and I love cinnamon – I will be trying it tonight!
March 23rd, 2009 at 3:47 pm
lovely click & chai sounds delicious
March 23rd, 2009 at 3:48 pm
wonderful ! I love masala tea..specially the ones with cinnamon and even clove ! It can be real rejuvinating.
March 23rd, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Gorgeous photo of the cinnamon tea Soma! It sounds so gorgeous and aromatic!
March 23rd, 2009 at 3:56 pm
This is absolutely fabulous, dear Soma! And your photographs are getting better and better.
Hey, is the yough cinnamon bitter? A friend said she bought some cinnamon that turned out to be very bitter. Do you know why that might be? Ta!
March 23rd, 2009 at 4:22 pm
deliiiiiiicious tea… i can’t live without tea even a single day.. cinnamon makes it even more special.
March 23rd, 2009 at 4:41 pm
lovely entry… I love cinnamon and regularly add it to my coffee
March 23rd, 2009 at 6:05 pm
cinnamon tea sounds fragrant and soothing. Great entry!
March 23rd, 2009 at 6:11 pm
I used cinnamon in my pic too
Lovely entry!!
March 23rd, 2009 at 6:34 pm
..n you told me all that in mail..huh..guess u were being so so humble..:P
If I were the judge,dear you got me..!!!..Hats off..!! I liked the first pic more,not that 2nd one is lesser..But the first is like outa world.. Whoa..
March 23rd, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Lovely pictures Soma!! Great entry
March 23rd, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Lovely click. Cinnamon tea sounds delicious. Never tried.
March 23rd, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Looks amazing this above click Soma!
March 23rd, 2009 at 9:09 pm
lovely click Soma,..:-)thnks for the recipe of Cinnamon tea,..;-)
March 23rd, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Absolutely loved the pictures and the first one looks terrific. I have never tried cinnamon in tea, though i love cardamom.
March 23rd, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Awesome click soma,and i loved that bundled sticks.I do have tasted cinnamon tea at cafes ,but not made it at home,i don’t know why i never experimented with it, though i liberally use elaichi aur adrak in my teas
But i do love the flavor that this BARK imparts, and a teeny weeny portion of this stick always goes in all those special gravies as those of butter paneer ,malai kofta etc
March 23rd, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Everywhere its cinnamon Soma,but the more we see the more we love..Cinnamon luckily is such a wonderful spice..cinnamon tea looks great…would love to try
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:11 pm
What lovely sticks .. all curled up … ekhane shudhu bhanga pawwa jaye. Perfect snap for click.
Amar dadur bagane o 3 te gaach chilo. 
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Hi soma,
First timer here. Your blog and pics are fantabulous
superb click for cinnamon! I love cinnamon in my chai too! love the aroma n taste of cinnamon in the tea both black /regular.
TC
March 24th, 2009 at 3:25 am
awesome click,i love the smell of cinnamon,wish to have the tea now:)
March 24th, 2009 at 4:01 am
Beautiful click and i love cinamon tea.
March 24th, 2009 at 5:05 am
Wow.wow..Simply superb..Great idea and i love all the clicks..Nice tea recipe..The cinnamon bundle looks awesome
March 24th, 2009 at 5:16 am
Waaaaah! Everyone seems to like the first picture! & i submitted the second.. Darn Darn Darn!!! I’ll have to take vote next time.
March 24th, 2009 at 6:34 am
Beautiful. Cinnamon always reminds me of Biryani. I am not much of a tea drinker but this looks absolutely beautiful. Me too like the first one most
March 24th, 2009 at 6:58 am
Soma u have got one of the best blogs with awesome clicks…loved them at first sight!! I am so excited to see ur exotic recipes too wanna try that Tomato Bread soup, bread, salad and all of them..yummy!!
March 24th, 2009 at 7:08 am
Loved the pictures Soma, looks awesome
March 24th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Beautiful Pic, I too loved the first one
March 24th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
thanks for a lovely click, dear soma.
March 24th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
I love Cinnamon, I add it to my teas, and sometimes in my fruit yogurts, I love the smell too!!! I simmer orange rinds and cinnamon sticks in a pot of water to make my home smell fresh!
March 24th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
HI Soma,
what a wonderful entry. Never had cinnamon tea with milk, sounds like a great combo. Nice post, thanks for sharing all the info about the tree
March 24th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
Don’t be sad Soma! The second one looks great too!
Cinnamon Tea looks nice and refreshing. I have once posted Clove tea.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:19 am
Soma…wow,wow and wow…each and every click of yours is just so professional….love both of your clicks
March 26th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Beautiful pics, Soma. I also have some cinnamon pictures for CLICK!
Haven’t posted them yet.
March 27th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Sounds cozy and delightful. Mmm, cinnamon is perfection. Love the photo.
March 29th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Beautiful pics Soma! I know it’s late, but I too like the fist pic more
March 30th, 2009 at 12:52 am
I love the first pic more than the second pic. So beautiful and natural.
April 5th, 2009 at 10:41 am
[...] WithTi Sate Kerang @ A.G’s Food Coffee Grows On Trees @ The Salty Cod Cinnamon Tea @ eCurry Chicken Tikka Masala @ Palachinka Cinnamon Quills @ Tangerine’s Kitchen Spice Box @ [...]
April 5th, 2009 at 10:41 am
[...] WithTi Sate Kerang @ A.G’s Food Coffee Grows On Trees @ The Salty Cod Cinnamon Tea @ eCurry Chicken Tikka Masala @ Palachinka Cinnamon Quills @ Tangerine’s Kitchen Spice Box @ [...]
April 9th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Lovely clicks!
July 21st, 2009 at 3:23 am
Diet Master…
Cinnamon perhaps one of the most popular and tastiest of spices used for sweet & savory recipes. [...]…