Cinnamom

A very important and useful spice, cinnamon is the inner bark of several different trees, native to Sri-Lanka. This location was kept secret for centuries to control the monopoly on the spice and keep it's price high. So revered, it was considered a gift for monarchs and God. 

Its uses are many and varied and include the production of chocolate, especially in Mexico, apple pie, donuts, tea and liqueurs in North America and Europe and with chicken and lamb dishes in the Middle East. In Persian cuisine, it is mixed with rosewater and other spices to create a curry powder. 

It is extremely high in anti-oxidants and considered a good remedy to help treat colds.

It pairs well with apricot, blueberry, carrot, chocolate, orange, peanut and strawberry as well as many others.

I use cinnamon bark as an essential part of my curry making. Placed into the hot oil at the beginning of a dish with onion, ginger, cardamom pods, cloves and curry leaves, it provides a strong, warm flavour which gives the curry a taste which cannot be replicated. It is usually removed at the end of the cooking. Try a peeled and cut apple sprinkled with a little cinnamon.