Folklore

Though many spices come from grinding fruits and berries, cinnamon comes from the peeling, drying and grinding of the cinnamon tree’s bark.

Though it was an expensive spice at the time, it has been said that the Roman Emperor Nero burned an entire year’s worth of cinnamon at the funeral of his wife Poppaea, as a sign of his deep mourning. However, this may have been a sign of remorse for killing his wife in the first place!

The Chinese still use cinnamon as a medicine today, but rather than using it to treat illness they take it daily as a preventative supplement. In China and India it is also used to treat menstrual pain and to promote regular menstruation.