How True Cinnamon Is Hand-Rolled

No one ever thinks about where it comes from or how it's treated when people use cinnamon constantly. But true cinnamon, described by its softness, gentleness, and low coumarin content, is produced in a unique, labor-intensive way that's passed down for centuries in Sri Lanka and South India.

In contrast to the mass-produced, thick wooden sticks of cassia made by machines, real cinnamon still gets hand-picked and hand-rolled by hand through ancient methods. It's a spice with tradition.

The Tree Behind the Spice

True cinnamon is extracted from a small evergreen that grows in Sri Lanka and South India. The spice is made from the inner bark of the shoot tips. It is harvested carefully, typically after rains, which make the bark soft and easier to work with.

Peelers begin by cutting the small twigs and stripping away the hard outer bark. This is what they're searching for below the surface, the pale golden-brown inner bark that smells of the unmistakable warmth and sweetness of genuine cinnamon.

The Stripping: A Hand Trained in Gentleness

Following the removal of the outer bark, the inner bark is loosened and stripped away in sheets with delicacy.

This is certainly not mechanical. It relies on:

• Trained fingers, shaped over years

• A deep understanding of timing and humidity

• A precision knife to gently lift the delicate bark

The strips are wrapped up once peeled and set aside in a wet cloth. This allows them to ferment somewhat, which infuses the air with a more intense aroma and prepares the fibers for rolling.

The Art of Rolling: Cinnamon's Signature Look

The distinguishing feature of genuine cinnamon is its quill: delicate, layered, and cigar-like. This is done completely by hand, with no artificial shaping or adhesives.

This is how it is done:

Several layers of bark are placed gently on top of each other. Then the bark is rolled tightly while still soft to form several concentric rolls. Finally, the rolls are sun-dried for a few days to harden up and seal in essential oils

This creates cinnamon sticks that are light in weight, fragile and prone to breaking, and strong in scent, essentially the opposite of cassia's heavy, hard rolls.

Why Hand-Rolled Cinnamon Is Worth It

This old method doesn't just save the flavor, it saves the integrity of the spice too. True cinnamon grows naturally with minimal coumarin, a chemical found in cassia and one that is poisonous if consumed on a frequent basis. Hand-rolling keeps the spice in the most natural state possible without additives, fillers, or industrial compromises.

• You have a lighter taste, ideal for adding to tea, desserts, and general use

• The texture is smooth and just crumbly, so convenient to use in the kitchen

• It is less prone to burning if used daily, even by individuals seeking wellness benefits

Eupherbia's True Cinnamon: Crafted with Care

At Eupherbia, quality is something we take our time with. Our cinnamon is:

• Planted and harvested the traditional, ethical manner

• Hand-rolled by skilled workers who know the art of patience and commitment

• Dried naturally, heat and chemical-free

• 100% pure inner bark, nothing added, nothing removed

When you choose Eupherbia, you're choosing a spice perfected by nature and hand-crafted. Every stick is a delicate reminder of the dedication that went into it, of an art well forgotten, and a flavor well unmatched.