Watkins Purest Ground Cinnamon
The Cinnamon Experts Since 1895
Watkins introduced pure Cassia Cinnamon to its product line in 1895. In 1928 Watkins Pure Cassia Cinnamon was awarded the Grand Prize with Gold Medal for Highest Quality at the International Exposition, Paris. Saigon Cinnamon was introduced in 2004.
Cinnamon is one of the world’s oldest and most popular spices; it is used in cuisines around the world and is the most important “sweet spice.”
- Color: Reddish brown
- Flavor & Aroma: Sweet and pungent
- Sensory Profile: Cinnamon is characteristically woody, musty and earthy in flavor and aroma. It is warming to taste. The finer the grind, the more quickly the Cinnamon is perceived by the taste buds.
Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of various evergreen laurel trees in the cinnamomun family. At harvest, the bark is stripped off and put in the sun, where it curls into the familiar form called “quills.” Cinnamon sticks are made from long pieces of bark that are rolled, pressed, and dried.
True Cinnamon, also called Ceylon Cinnamon, is native to Sri Lanka. It is a pale tan color and has an exceptionally mild flavor; very pleasant, but so delicate that it seems weak to the North American palate. The Cinnamon used in North America is from the cassia tree, specifically Korintje cassia, which is grown in Vietnam, China, Indonesia, and Central America.
Possibly the most common baking spice, Cinnamon is used in cakes, cookies, and desserts throughout the world. Cinnamon is also used in savory chicken and lamb dishes from the Middle East. In American cooking, Cinnamon is often paired with apples and used in other fruit and cereal dishes. Stick Cinnamon is used in pickling and for flavoring hot beverages.
Cinnamon has been popular since ancient times. Egyptians imported it from China in 2000 BC. Romans believed Cinnamon was sacred, and Nero burned a year’s supply of the spice at the funeral for his wife. Because Cinnamon was one of the first spices sought in the 15th Century European explorations, some say it indirectly led to the discovery of America.
- Korintje cassia – The strongest in flavor; Watkins Cinnamon contains a minimum of 2% essential oil; many others contain 1 to 2%, and inferior brands have as low as 0.5%.
- Strict quality control – Each shipment is tested upon arrival for quality.
- Carefully ground and sifted – To assure uniform particle size and quality.
Watkins Cinnamon Products
Purest Ground Cinnamon – 01115 – 6 oz/170 g – $10.49
Cinna-Sprinkles – 35310 – 5.64 oz/160 g – 10.99
My Personal Gold Medal Assortment (not a catalog item)
A 6 oz tin of Watkins Cassia Cinnamon (01115-$10.49 value) is included in the Gold Medal Assortment along with 11 oz Original Double-Strength Vanilla (01008-$16.99 Value) and 6 oz Purest Granulated (not ground) Black Pepper (01140-$12.99 Value)– order all 3 in my Gold Medal Package and receive a $40.47 Value for $36.99
Nearly 16 million Americans have diabetes, and another 13 million have high blood sugar and are at risk of developing diabetes. Many require insulin or medication to control blood sugar levels, but a recent finding shows that a simple spice may hold promise in the fight to control blood sugar. The Agricultural Research Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that cinnamon made the body’s cells more responsive to insulin, which, in turn, helps to control the level of sugar, or glucose, in the blood. Adding cinnamon to foods on a regular basis may prove to be the “spice of life” for many who are fighting with blood sugar problems.
Brenda Koth, MS, RD
Don’t eat more sweets to get more cinnamon in your diet. Add it to the healthy foods you normally eat. Add to tea or coffee, sprinkle on toast, cereal, yogurt, ice cream.