Traditions with cinnamon

Cinnamon, the dried inner bark of a tropical tree, is among the oldest spices in trade, and was once worth more than gold. Native to Sri Lanka, it is now used in sweet and savoury foods around the world, from cinnamon buns in Sweden to Mexican hot chocolate, Moroccan pastilla, Lebanese stews and Indian garam masala. Its warm scent is the smell of the festive kitchen in many cultures. These pages explore where it is used and what it stands for.

Where it is used

In Sweden, it fills kanelbullar and the sweet buns of Christmas. In Mexico, it flavours canela tea, horchata and chocolate. In Morocco, it is dusted over pastilla, and in Lebanon it perfumes rice and meat. In the Middle East, a cinnamon stick spices the drinks of Ramadan, and in the Americas, cinnamon features in apple pie and in Christmas cookies. In Sri Lanka, the true cinnamon is part of the island's identity.

What it means

Because it was once rare, cinnamon has long been a spice of festivity and welcome, and gifts of cinnamon were exchanged by rulers. In Sweden, Cinnamon Bun Day on 4 October celebrates the bun. In Jewish tradition, it appears in the Passover charoset, recalling the mortar of the Egypt story. The scent of cinnamon in a house is a sign of baking, family and holiday, for many people.