Those old familiar Christmas tunes have begun playing on the radio while tv stations play Christmas classics and new movies alike. You may even be able to gaze at twinkling Christmas lights if your neighbor has forgotten to take theirs down. If you choose to participate in Christmas in July we hope you have the aroma of homemade goodies baking with the sweet flavor of cinnamon.
Four main varieties of cinnamon exist, but the two most common kinds are Ceylon (also known as “true cinnamon”, Cinnamomum verum) and cassia (“Chinese cinnamon”, Cinnamomum cassia). Ceylon is a sweeter, more refined variety and made from the inner bark of the cinnamon tree, while cassia has a stronger, woody flavor and is made from all layers of the bark. The spice comes in the form of a cinnamon stick (or tubular quill) and powder.
Eventually becoming a staple of the spice trade, cinnamon is among the oldest known spices in the world. Archaeological evidence indicates that the Egyptians values the spice for flavoring beverages and medicinal purposes.
Because of its worth to Mediterranean suppliers in the spice trade, cinnamon’s source remained a mystery to the civilizations of the Western world. Stories of fishing for cinnamon in the Nile and so-called giant cinnamon birds collecting the spice to make their nests circulated for centuries, until the Westerners discovered its true origins of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Burma.
Today, cinnamon is a key ingredient in desserts, breakfast dishes and sweet beverages. So amp up your Christmas in July cheer with the warmth and sweetness that cinnamon brings to our Blend 217, Legg’s Ham Glaze. It will make the perfect addition to your “Christmas” ham.