Ceylon Cinnamon

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum or C. zeylanicum) is native to India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal. The name “cinnamon” comes from Greek kinnámōmon, itself ultimately from Phoenician. The botanical name for the spice, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, is derived from Sri Lanka’s former (colonial) name, Ceylon. In sinhala (Sri Lanka), it is known as kurundu, Sanskrit as tvak or da-rusita-, Hindi as dalchini, and in Gujarati as taj. In Malayalam cinnamon is called karuva or elavarngam. The dried skin (karuvappatta/elavarngappatta) of karuva is an important part of spicy curries. This spice is regarded as antipyretic, antiseptic, astringent, balsamic, carminative, diaphoretic, fungicidal, stimulant, and stomachic. The powdered bark of this spice in water is applied to alleviate headaches and neuralgia. Cinnamon is often combined with ginger to stimulate circulation and digestion. In addition, among people of Kashmiri origin, cinnamon is used to treat infectious diseases. It has been regarded as a folk remedy for indurations (of spleen, breast, uterus, liver and stomach) and tumors (especially of the abdomen, liver and sinews).