Penzeys has a great selection of spices, including a variety of cinnamon.

I got some Vietnamese from Penzys, which is very strong.

And some lavender!

They also have cinnamon from China, Ceylon and Indonesia.

The stuff you have in the cabinet, from McCormick, is Chinese cinnamon - Cinnamomum cassia,

Williams Sonoma, and probably gourmet grocery stores may have a variety, too.

From wikipedia: Chinese cassia is a close relative to Ceylon cinnamon (C. verum), Saigon cinnamon (C. loureiroi, also known as "Vietnamese cinnamon"), and Indonesian cinnamon (C. burmannii). In all four species, the dried bark is used as a spice. Chinese cassia's flavour is less delicate than that of Ceylon cinnamon.

Spice Islands Saigon Cinnamon is nice, and available in grocery stores. Good flavor, without the harsh bite that poor quality cinnamon has. Cassia cinnamon is what Americans are used to. But you want a good one, and that's what this is.

True cinnamon is a much milder, almost citrus-y spice.

Costco has a large bottle of Vietnamese or Saigon cinnamon for a very nice price and it seems pretty concentrated in flavor to me. I transfer it to a smaller bottle to save space.

Badia is also true cinnamon (Mexico buys up pretty much all the cinnamon output of India/Ceylon--Mexicans are very picky about cinnamon), usually at a very reasonable price. I don't believe in buying big bottles of ground cinnamon, since it loses potency much faster than most spices. Your local grocery may have Badia in the Latin foods section if not with the regular spices, or you should be able to get it in any Hispanic grocery.

If you have a Penzey's store near you, I suggest you do the sniff test. There is a huge difference in cinnamon....and everyone doesn't like the same one.

Thanks for all the cinnamon info. I do buy spices from Penzey's, but was never sure which to choose. I will give the Vietnamese/Saigon cinnamon a try.

I use the Penzey's Vietnamese cinnamon, love the stuff and buy it in a bag now, because I use so much I have a BIG jar to put it in. It's strong, but I like cinnamon, so I don't decrease the amount used, as is sometimes suggested.

Annie

I use Vietnamese/Saigon, too. It's what I grew up with, so to me it's "right". :)

Interesting thread. I've always thought I didn't like cinnamon - now I'll have to try and find the good stuff and maybe I will!

I remember the first time I purchased cinnamon from Penzeys instead of the typical stuff offered at the grocery store. Even my husband delightfully noticed a HUGE difference in the flavor of French toast and in cinnamon rolls. I mentioned it to his sister and gave her some to sample and she's been a Penzeys cinnamon lover ever since. You'll find you may need less cinnamon when you use grade A cinnamon.

There are grades of cinnamon sold here in the U.S. on an A, B, and C scale. The lower grades of B and C are what are sold in the supermarkets.

There are two main types of cinnamon - Cassia (China and Vietnam) - which are sweet and strong with lots of cinnamon oil in the cinnamon, and what we generally use.

The second type is Ceylon, or "true" cinnamon. It is less sweet and the type suggested for use for diabetics because it helps to naturally lower blood glucose - Cassia cinnamon doesn't do that. According to Penzeys, "The special flavor of English and Mexican sweets comes from Ceylon cinnamon. We [Penzeys] like to recommend Ceylon Cinnamon for baking with fruit - especially in apple pie."

I keep all 4 of Penzeys cinnamon on hand, and they have a combination mix that includes all 4 - the best of all worlds.... ;-)

If you make a simmering pot or mulled cider, try Penzeys cinnamon chunks. Add a T. of them to the filter when making a pot of coffee.

[Disclaimer: This was not a paid endorsement for Penzeys - but when you're good, you're good.....LOL]

I make gluten-free Cinnamon Bun Muffins as a substitute for those cinnamon rolls I used to make before going gluten-free. The topping is made with a mixture of 2 T. of ground cinnamon (yes, that TABLESPOONS), 1/4 c. honey (or other sweetener - I use palm syrup, but maple syrup or agave nectar would also work) and 2 T. unsalted butter, melted (or you can use ghee or coconut oil) - mix together. This is used between two layers of the muffin batter and also as the topping swirled into the top layer of batter. If you love the taste of cinnamon, these muffins take the flavor over the top. I only use 1/2 the topping recipe (for 6-muffins) and use it on the top only because large doses of Cassia cinnamon can damage the liver.

-Grainlady

Corroborate all the Vietnamese cinnamon comments. I didn't know that I loved cinnamon as much as I did until I had it. A game changer for me.

Cathy in SWPA

I'm planning a trip to Penzey's tomorrow. I'm looking for that Cinnamon blend. I'm another Vietnamese Cinnamon fan. It's all I use anymore, but I want to try the blend. it sounds like it might have a more complex flavor.

Sally

grainlady_ks, ooooo gluten-free Cinnamon Bun Muffins? Recipe please!

Thinking they might mean don't buy the cinnamon @ the Dollar stores - or the spices sold 2 or 3 for a dollar @ some stores....?

I buy mine from the bulk herbs/spices @ my local health/natural food stores - it's from Frontier Co Op

I also vote for Penzeys. I've got a free cinnamon coming my way with a recent order. Love he Chinese and Vietnamese cinnamon.

Carol, I haven't compared the cinnamon, but, in general, Frontier are a mid-level brand. Penzey's spices are less dry, therefore stronger or more intense, and are generally a finer quality. That's why people enthuse so much. That doesn't make drier spices poor, just different.

Here's another Penzey's Vietnamese cinnamon devotee.

ovenbird-

I first used a recipe for Cinnamon Bun Muffins found in "Cooking for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet" by Erica Kerwien (using all coconut flour, and it's good) - and I think it's available on-line. Now I use this recipe:

http://comfybelly.com/2013/12/cinnamon-bun-muffins-using-almond-coconut-flour/#.VmWomzZdH2c

I like to use silicon muffin cups and just leave them in the cups when I serve or freeze them. If you make the layers of cake/topping/cake/topping, they fall apart easily. That's another reason I only add it to the top and mix it into the batter with a toothpick.

-Grainlady

The other day my daughter caught my son touching our Elf on a Shelf. She flipped, but fortunately was prepared for such a disaster, having watched YouTube how-to videos. Plenty of cinnamon and an apology letter. It worked, even though they used Vietnamese cinnamon instead of "real" cinnamon. The elf came back to life and moved that night.

Thanks grainlady!

Not a cinnamon lover. Then I discovered that Ceylon aka true cinnamon is an entirely different spice than the cheap low-level cassia I had thought was cinnamon.

Love Ceylon, dislike cassia. Due to price, virtually all the Mexican delis and bakeries have switched to cassia, especially for the horchata drinks. Easy to taste the difference.

One of the best tapas restaurants in Sonoma County has a dish of roasted beets with Ceylon cinnamon that is so popular, their fans won't let them take it off the menu. No sugar added, just the soft mellow fragrance of Ceylon with the natural sweetness of the beets. AMAZING dish!

This is undoubtedly the first and only time I am going to contradict something that grainlady says. But both types of cinnamon will lower blood sugar. However, cassia cinnamon contains coumarin (a blood thinner) and to take enough to lower blood sugar is dangerous. So, Cinnamonum verum, true cinnamon, is the one for lowering blood sugar.

Last fall my blood tests showed slightly elevated blood sugar. I began taking capsules of true cinnamon and this year's test were excellent.

I thought that Ceylon Cinnamon was what you are supposed to take for lowering blood sugar? Is that incorrect? I have a cousin that swears by it.

FOAS, I commend your daughter's quick-witted actions for restoring the magic of Christmas, for those of us on the ever-growing naughty list. And don't lose the evidence, until after Christmas, at least ☺

Back to the subject of cinnamon. I fell hard for Ceylon "true" cinnamon some years ago, and favor it over Vietnamese cassia. Although, I have both kinds, but the delicate citrus scent and taste of Ceylon is unbeatable to me.

Ceylon's fragile quills last for years, and are much easier to grind (in a spice or coffee grinder) than Cassia. I have a couple of Mason jars, stuffed to the gills with cinnamon sticks. And grind them up, as needed. What a treat for the senses.

Sol

Ceylon's fragile quills last for years

Yes, but once ground the oils dissipate quite rapidly.

True, WB! Which is why I specified that I grind them up, as needed. In fact, I made some last night, and my kitchen still smells like Christmas.

I'm out of control.

Sol

Sol, you are mostly out of control, and I hear that Santa actually likes the naughty girls best anyway, so you are all good.

FOAS, that is the single best use of cinnamon mentioned yet. Good for your daughter, The Girl That Saved Christmas!

Annie

"Sol, you are mostly out of control, and I hear that Santa actually likes the naughty girls best anyway, so you are all good."

Annie, you did say "Santa" and not "Satan?"

I'm dyslexic.

Thankfully, I started writing a letter of apology to my Elf-on-a-Shelf 6 months ago. I'm almost finished.

Sol

Frontier's is organic Ceylon & Vietnamese cinnamon.

I do penzey's vietnamese...what a flavor punch.