Curry Recipes Online
Beginners Guide => Hints, Tips, Methods and so on.. => Spices => Topic started by: raygraham on August 08, 2005, 08:09 PM
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Hi all,
Just a quick query. At my local Asian supermarkets I buy whole cinnamon called "Cassia Bark" and resemble the outside bark chippings of a tree being dark and rugged in looks. On the other hand my local Holland and Barrett sells Cinnamon Quills ( dead posh ), much smoother and light brown in colour, with a stronger smell and the shape and thickness of a pencil. So which am I to use or doesn't it matter?
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I buy whole cinnamon called "Cassia Bark" ....
I understand that Cassia and Cinnamon bark are from different trees and have a different flavour. Don't use one, where the other is specified!
Regards
George
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I use Cassia bark for my rice dishes.
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Most BIRs use cassia bark (because it's a lot cheaper than true cinnamon). Personally I think the taste is very similar. I findCassia bark a bit more peppery and "treacle" like.
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I've just looked up the respective flavor compounds of cassia and cinnamon - there's a lot of crossover between the two. They're really very similar.
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Thanks for your input everyone. I thought I was getting something of higher quality at Holland and Barrett and it certainly costs more but at all my Asian supermarkets they only sell Cassia Bark so reckon that's what goes in a BIR.
Regards
Ray
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These are a few of what I got the other day
Packed by East End
They are massive, and look nothing like Holland & Barrett's cinammon quills
I don't think they taste that much different
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Cinnamon and cassia are from the same family, I use both as required but must confess they seem similar in taste to me when ground, I always use casia in pilau rice. What Pete is showing is cassia
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Thanks guys, and even photos to look at, cheers Pete. Now I know exactly what to get. And seeing as the price says 45p for a bagful I reckon you can't go wrong! Spices, their as cheap as chips!
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What Pete is showing is cassia
I reckon it's cassia bark as well.
But the package says cinammon.
Spice desription regulations, must be pretty slack.
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Yeah, my pack of cassia says cinnamon on it ;D
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True Cinnamon bark is a lot thinner. It's rolled up in cigar shaped quills.
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Heres something a bit interesting.
The chef from the new forthcoming "Authentic Balti Curry Book" says on their website he uses and recommends Cinnamon Quills and not Cassia Bark in his restaurant style curries.
It is interesting most of us on this site use Cassia Bark. I have e-mailed them with the question "where do they get their stock of Cinnamon Quills from" as I have never seen true Cinnamon Quills in any asian shop I have been in to.
Ray
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I have e-mailed them with the question "where do they get their stock of Cinnamon Quills from" as I have never seen true Cinnamon Quills in any asian shop I have been in to.
Ray
I have never seen cinammon quills in any of the Asian shops around Nottingham
They definitely don't sell them
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I have been using the quills but get them from Malaysia - maybe try a chinese type shop.
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Most supermarkets sell cinnamon sticks (usually three or four stuffed in to a jar). They're usually stocked in the herb/spice section. Occasionally the have them in the "Luxury Sections.
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I can get these from Holland and Barrett's health food shop but they are pretty dear. I just find it interesting this chef uses them in preference when most use the Cassia Bark. I do find the quills more fragrant though. I think this new book might be interesting...........hopefully.
Ray