In the ancient world cinnamon was more precious than gold. Nero, emperor of Rome in the first century AD, burned a years supply of sweet, fragrant cinnamon on his wife’s funeral pyre —as a symbol of his loss. Cinnamon comes in ‘quills’, strips of bark rolled one in another. The best varieties are pale and parchment-like in appearance.
Its warm and aromatic flavor is due to an essential oil that makes up 0.5% to 1% of its composition. Cinnamon is also available ground, and can be distinguished from cassia by its lighter color and much finer powder.