HOW THEY MAKE CEYLON CINNAMON

Ceylon Cinnamon is grown and harvested very differently to the common and cheaper Cassia you get in the United States.

The Ceylon Cinnamon tree takes about 3-4 years to grow. First the tree is planted. After two years it is coppiced, meaning the tree is repeatedly cut at the trunk or ground level, out of which many numerous other branches will grow.

After the tree has grown for another 2 years the branches are cut and made into Cinnamon quills. It is a very labor intensive process and needs extremely skilled craftsmen and women with delicate hands to harvest.

1. First the a branch of a Cinnamon Tree is cut from the base. The branches tend to be about 3-6 feet long.
   
   
2. It is then inserted into a water pool to soak. This enables the outer edge to become softer and make it easier to peel.
   
   
3. A craftsman will then peel the outer bark of the tree with a special peeling knife revealing the smooth inner bark of the tree, which looks almost white.
   
   
4. Then the inner bark bark of the tree is carefully stripped
   
   
5. These strips are then dried under the sun for a few days
   
   
6. Once dried, the strips of Cinnamon are then rolled into cigar like rolls or quills and cut into different lengths (See chart on right)
   
   
7. Then the Cinnamon rolls are graded into different qualities. The thinner the shape, the higher the quality