Cassia

Description

Cinnamomum Cassia (Chinese Cinnamon) is the dried bark of cassia which is a small, bushy, ever green tree, 18-20 mtr high and 40-60 cm diameter with a straight and cylindrical trunk and grey brown bark, 13-15mm thick when mature. 

Origin and Distribution

Chinese Cassia occurs mainly in South China, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar. In India only a few plants are available. It is grown at altitudes up to 300 mtr MSL with a mean daily temperature of about 23 degree C and an annual rainfall of 1250 mm in about 135 wet days. It is a light demanding tree, slightly shade tolerant when young, preferring cool and wet condition.

Uses

Dried Cassia bark is the spice. The essential oil is called cassia cinnamon oil (Oleum Cinnamon). Apart from its use as spice, it is a well known medicine reinforcing ‘yang’, the body fire. ‘Gui zhi’ (dried twig of cassia cinnamon) is collected in spring and summer and dried in the sun or in the shade used in decoctions, has analgesic and anti-pyretic properties.

Indian Name of Spices

Hindi :Jangli dalchini Gujarati :Tajj Malayalam:Ilavangum,vayana Sanskrit :Sthulatvak Tamil :Ilavangapattai Telugu :Lavangapattai

Foreign Name of Spices

Spanish : Canela de la China French : Cannelle de cochinchine German : Kassie Swedish : Kassia Arabic : Darasini Dutch : Kassia Italian : Cassia Japanese : Bokei Chinese : Gui pi/Gui