Difference between cassia and Ceylon cinnamon sticks we can tell so easily by the look. Cassia cinnamon sticks are woody, one layer, and very hard to break. Ceylon sticks are very fragile and have many layers. Another difference besides coumarin is the flavor Ceylon cinnamon has a noticeable milder flavor. When I use cinnamon sticks to flavor beverages the difference I can tell easily and I am not an expert to taste spices. However, if to decorate beverages I like cassia sticks more because it not fall apart and have more possibilities to garnish. We also can make fun and simple decor with cassia cinnamon sticks for drinks. We can engrave messages with a simple inexpensive tool, write with an edible marker, and more. I have one idea how to keep together Ceylon cinnamon stick too in cold beverages. 

       Cassia cinnamon sticks are made from bark cut of mature trees and very solid and impossible to break. Very convenient to use for stirring beverages and very common use to make Christmas decorations, they are naturally aromatic and look so cute in many craft projects. The sticks of cassia are very hard to grind into powder and almost impossible to ground to flourlike consistency. However, it is a great addition to use as a spoon to steer Holiday drinks like hot cocoa, coffee, chocolate, or wine beverage Gluehwein. Sticks can be reused a few times, just wash well and dry before storing. We also can make fun and simple decor with cassia cinnamon sticks for drinks. We can engrave messages with a simple inexpensive tool, write with an edible marker, and more. Oh, I wish I was talented to engrave something more creative than just a simple smiley face and a heart!

      Ceylon cinnamon in sticks is very fragile and has many layers, call also quilts. True cinnamon sticks easily can be ground into fine powder. Just remember a fine sifting after grinding cinnamon sticks is a must to prevent small pieces of bark get into our baking goods. The best quality Ceylon cinnamon sticks are very thin and after it is drying can be thin as fine paper. The best quality and more expensive are quills without dark brown spots from surface knots in the cinnamon branches. The best flavor has cinnamon from the pristine inner bark. 

On the photo below my Ceylon cinnamon sticks directly from country Sri Lanka. I can sometimes be carried away with research for my articles and go extra mile what is not necessary at all. Now I have cinnamon for years to go!

        I bought a few jars of cinnamon to tell difference and learn more for my culinary curiosity because so easy to tell Ceylon and cassia cinnamon difference in sticks without looking at the label. Can we tell the taste difference between cassia and Ceylon cinnamon in the powdered form? Yes, the flavor! Ceylon cinnamon has a very mild and delicate taste compared to cassia. I definitely need to use Ceylon cinnamon much more in a recipe than cassia. Most American recipes call for cassia cinnamon if we see just cinnamon in ingredients because most people use cassia.

       However, we can’t tell difference between cassia and Ceylon in color for sure. For example, Ceylon has a light tan color but Cassia, Saigon, or Vietnamese cinnamon can vary from dark reddish-brown to very light tan color. I took a photo of comparison Ceylon and Vietnamese cinnamon as an example, no difference visually at all. However, the flavor is very noticeable. Vietnamese cinnamon is pleasant but much stronger taste than Ceylon.

       We can buy online from so many sources of Ceylon cinnamon but I was curious where can we buy in the USA locally at stores. Is it possible to find this treasure? I read from so many sources most cinnamon on the USA market is Cassia and I strongly believe it is the truth after I checked so many of our local stores. I asked associates responsible for ordering merchandise at a store, every person told me they never heard about the difference between Cassio or Ceylon cinnamon. Most jars have just named cinnamon on them or can be named by origin as Vietnamese cinnamon or Saigon cinnamon. So after doing some searching, I strongly believe most cinnamon on the market in the USA is cassia cinnamon. However, I still found Ceylon cinnamon sticks at our local stores!

1. I found at Walmart Ceylon cinnamon sticks from Mexico and they are not expensive. On the package, it is named just cinnamon sticks but I check on the website www.fiestaspices.com/product/cinnamon-sticks/ and the sticks are Ceylon cinnamon. However, the powdered cinnamon they sell is cassia.
2. Another place to find Ceylon cinnamon is Whole Foods stores
3. We can find Ceylon cinnamon from Mexico also call on packages Canela and can be found in Latin markets in sticks or powder.
4. Check the organic section in your local grocery store.    

       Another source of  Ceylon cinnamon in the local Winn-Dixie store at the Organic section of the store. Ceylon cinnamon from Simply Organic company we can find at health food stores as well. The website of the company is Simplyorganic.com

       Ceylon or “true” cinnamon is made from the bark of the evergreen tree Cinnamomum verum and is originally from Sri Lanka. The Ceylon cinnamon was named because Sri Lanka’s older colonial-era name was Ceylon. The true cinnamon flavor is very mild, pleasant and the best to use in sweet dishes. For example, cinnamon rolls, cakes, oatmeal with apples, or banana foster. In some cooking books, can be called baker’s cinnamon. However, because most of the cinnamon is cassia in the USA market, recipes usually call for cassia. Be sure, that if you use Ceylon cinnamon adjust the amount. Hight quality Ceylon cinnamon is the most expensive cinnamon and not easy to find. 

             Cassia cinnamon is made from Chinese origin plant Cinnamomum cassia and is the most common cinnamon on our shelves in the USA. Pleasant taste and great to use in baking, savory dishes, with fried pork, poultry, and lamb dishes. I checked so many local stores and can tell for sure on so many labels it says just cinnamon. What I learned, if I see the label “Cinnamon” on a jar, it is for sure is cassia cinnamon. In fact, most cinnamon in the USA market is cassia cinnamon. It is usually not an expensive spice compared to Ceylon cinnamon. It is a great addition to flavor Holiday drinks like hot cocoa, coffee, chocolate, or wine beverage Gluehwein, and much more.  

       Third cinnamon, what I saw on our local store’s shelves call Saigon or Vietnamese cinnamon and it made from Cinnamomum Loureiro, according to Wikipedia. I tasted powdered Vietnamese cinnamon, it is a nice flavor but very strong compared to Ceylon cinnamon. Saigon cinnamon by taste is very close to cassia. However, color can varies from reddish-brown to light tan depends on the company. Saigon cinnamon also available in sticks as well and looks like cassia cinnamon sticks.