Cinnamon comes from the inner bark of tropical evergreen trees in the genus Cinnamomum, part of the laurel family. The original and most prized variety, known as “true cinnamon” or Ceylon cinnamon, is native to Sri Lanka. But most of the cinnamon sold worldwide actually comes from related species grown in Vietnam, China, and Indonesia.
The Tree Behind the Spice
Cinnamon trees are small evergreens that thrive in warm, humid tropical climates. The spice itself is not a seed, leaf, or fruit. It’s the inner bark of the tree, carefully separated from the woody outer layer. Workers cut branches, scrape off the rough outer bark, then peel away the thin inner bark underneath. As these strips dry, they naturally curl into the tight rolls you recognize as cinnamon sticks, sometimes called quills.
The process is highly labor-intensive and still done largely by hand, especially for higher-quality Ceylon cinnamon. Once dried, the quills are either sold whole or ground into powder.
Four Main Types and Where They Grow
There are several species of Cinnamomum used commercially, but four dominate the global market. They differ in flavor, appearance, and where they’re grown.
Ceylon cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka and is considered the “true” cinnamon. It has a light brown color, a delicate and slightly sweet flavor, and a soft, papery texture. The sticks are made of many thin layers rolled tightly together, making them fragile and easy to crumble.
Cassia cinnamon originated in southern China and is the most common type sold in North America. It has a stronger, more pungent flavor. The sticks are noticeably different: dark reddish-brown, thick, and hard, made of a single curled layer that forms a hollow tube. Cassia is tough to break by hand and grinds into a coarser powder.
Vietnamese cinnamon (also called Saigon cinnamon) comes from Vietnam and is known for being especially bold and spicy. Indonesian cinnamon (Korintje) is widely grown across the Indonesian archipelago and tends to have a milder, slightly sweet profile. Both are technically cassia-type cinnamons from closely related tree species.
Who Produces the Most Today
The global cinnamon market looks very different from what you might expect given Ceylon’s historical reputation. As of 2025, Vietnam leads the world in cinnamon exports at roughly 83,000 metric tons per year. China follows at about 52,000 metric tons, then Indonesia at 45,000. Sri Lanka, the homeland of true cinnamon, exports around 19,600 metric tons, placing it fourth.
That means the vast majority of cinnamon on grocery store shelves is cassia-type cinnamon from Southeast Asia and China, not Ceylon cinnamon from Sri Lanka. If a jar of cinnamon doesn’t specify the type, it’s almost certainly cassia.
A Spice That Shaped Trade Routes
Cinnamon is one of the oldest traded spices in human history. Long-range cinnamon trade began around 1000 BCE, with the spice moving from South and Southeast Asia to Egypt. For roughly a thousand years after that, Arab merchants controlled the trade as sole middlemen, picking up cinnamon in Asia and delivering it to Red Sea ports. They kept the true source of the spice a closely guarded secret, spinning elaborate stories about its origins to protect their monopoly and justify its enormous price.
European demand for cinnamon eventually drove Portuguese explorers to Sri Lanka in the early 1500s, followed by Dutch and then British colonial control of the island’s cinnamon plantations. The spice was literally valuable enough to reshape geopolitics for centuries.
Why the Type Matters for Your Health
Beyond flavor, the biggest practical difference between Ceylon and cassia cinnamon is a compound called coumarin, which can stress the liver when consumed in large amounts over time. Cassia cinnamon contains significant levels of it. Testing by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment found that one kilogram of cassia powder contains roughly 2,100 to 4,400 milligrams of coumarin. In more practical terms, a single teaspoon of cassia powder (about 5 grams) can contain anywhere from 5 to 11 milligrams of coumarin, depending on the source.
Ceylon cinnamon, by contrast, contains almost none. Lab measurements of Ceylon cinnamon sticks from Sri Lanka found coumarin levels below 0.01 milligrams per gram, roughly 200 times less than cassia. This difference matters most for people who use cinnamon daily in larger amounts, whether for flavor or as a supplement. If that describes you, seeking out Ceylon cinnamon specifically is worth the extra cost.
How to Tell Them Apart
If you’re buying whole cinnamon sticks, the differences are easy to spot. Ceylon sticks are light tan, thin, and flaky, with many delicate layers visible from the end, almost like a rolled-up newspaper. They feel papery and break apart easily in your hands. Cassia sticks are dark reddish-brown, thick, and woody, with a single hard layer curled into a sturdy tube. You’d struggle to snap one without real effort.
Ground cinnamon is harder to distinguish visually. Your best bet is to read the label. Products labeled “Ceylon cinnamon” or “true cinnamon” are typically the real thing, though a study in PLOS One found that labeling accuracy varies and some products marketed as Ceylon turned out to be cassia or a blend. Buying from a specialty spice retailer, rather than grabbing the cheapest jar at the supermarket, increases your chances of getting what the label promises.