Cinnamon Spice

Fall is soon upon us!

With it brings us wonderful spices; pumpkin, cinnamon, orange, etc.

But where did the wonderful spice of cinnamon come from? Which country do we give thanks for the added bonus to a cup of hot chocolate?

I delved into the History Channel to find out more. I've taken from tips from their page about the topic.

The Arabs transported it across land routes, making it rather expensive, and a status of wealth in the Europe int he Middle Ages. It was desirable because of it's use as a preservative for meats during the winter. To keep the tight monopoly, they wove various tales about how they obtained the luxury spice.

In the 5th-century B.C. Greek historian Herodotus spoke of enormous birds that carried the cinnamon sticks t their nests perched high atop mountains that were insurmountable by any human. People would leave large pieces of ox meat below the nest for the birds to collect. When the birds brought the meat into the nest, its weight would cause the nest to fall to the ground, allowing the cinnamon sticks stored within to be collected,

Another reported that the cinnamon was found in deep canyons guarded by terrifying snakes.

First-century Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder proposed that cinnamon came from Ethiopia, carried on rafts with no oars or sails, powered by "man alone and his courage."

There were reports of cinnamon being found in various parts of the known world, some even cliamed to have found it in the New World (these proved to be false). It is mostly found in South Africa, in modern day Sri Lanka.

There are two types of commercial cinnamon currently going around the world:

Cassia - which is primarily produced in Indonesia. This has a stronger smell and flavor. It is cheaper and what it usually bought in grocery stores. This is what flavors our apple pies, French toast, etc.

Ceylon - the more expensive of the two. Mostly produced in Sri Lanka. This has a milder, sweeter flavor, popular and perfect for both baking and flavoring coffee and hot chocolate.

In honor of the delicious spice, I will leave you two recipes:

EASY CINNAMON BREAD

Served 8

Hands-On Time 15 min

Total time 1 hr

INGREDIENTS

1 1-pound packages refrigerated pizza dough

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 cup sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted, plus more for the pan

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat over to 372 F.

2. Tear off small bits of the dough and roll them into 1- to 1 1/2-inch balls. Place the balls on a plate.

3. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Dip each ball in the butter, then in the cinnamon sugar. Transfer the balls to a buttered Bundt pan.

4. Drizzle any remaining butter over the top and sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate on top of the pan and carefully flip it over. Tap the bottom to release the bread.

5. Transfer to a plate and let people pull the bread apart with their fingers.

MEXICAN SPICED HOT CHOCOLATE

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Yield: About 5 cups

INGREDIENTS

4 cups milk

1/4 cup Cocoa powder (recommend Dutch processed)

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. cornstarch (optional thickener)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 chipolte powder or chili powder

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of cayenne

optional toppings: whipped cream, marshmallows, chocolate syrup, and/pr chocolate shavings

DIRECTIONS:

Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until simmering, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and serve with optional toppings.

What are your favorite Cinnamon foods or beverages for fall?