Comfort spice Cinnamon a welcome fragrance and taste around the world

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Cinnamon.

Close your eyes and say it again.

Cinnamon.

Does just the elegant word conjure up the heady aroma of hot cinnamon buns coming out of the oven? Or the simple treat of cinnamon sugar on toast? Or pungent basmati rice with cinnamon and raisins?

Cinnamon.

It even sounds magical in other languages: French – cannelle; German – kaneel; Italian – cannella; Spanish – canela; Chinese – yook gway; and Indian – dal-chini.

Whatever the language or the image the word evokes, the smell and taste of cinnamon are some of nature’s most comforting sensations. Even the color is warm and soft – that gentle reddish brown with just a hint of gold. There isn’t a day that can’t be made better by a recipe that includes the aromatic spice, starting with just a sprinkle on your sunrise cup of coffee or tea.

When my children were small, it was easy to get them to eat their morning oatmeal when it was dressed with cinnamon. And a dusting of cinnamon on warm milk soothed away the rare but scary childhood nightmares in my house. One Halloween, cinnamon even made a guest appearance as “dirt” smeared on a “bum’s” costume.

More than 35 million pounds of cinnamon are imported each year into the United States, used in everything from baking to poaching fish to making Christmas ornaments. Even on the most basic of spice shelves, cinnamon has a prominent place and there are fierce bragging rights between Vietnam, Sri Lanka and India as to which country produces the best, most pungent spice.

There is even an argument as to which variety is best: cassia, which dries to the familiar red-brown color, and true cinnamon, which is more tan. There are many variations of the spice, between 50 and 250, depending on which botanist you choose to believe, but cassia and cinnamon remain the most important and popular.

Like so many of the great spices, both cassia and cinnamon are harvested from evergreen trees of the laurel family but in their case, the bark is harvested rather than the fruit. A special knife is used to cut strips of bark and the outer, corklike layer is scraped off and the strips left to dry. As they dry, they curl into the quills we know as cinnamon sticks. A cinnamon tree must be grown for eight years before it can be harvested.

The history of cinnamon is as intriguing as its aroma.

In ancient times, cinnamon was far more valued than it is today because people relied on it more as a medicine than food. It was so valuable medicinally that the Romans regarded bags of cinnamon as a form of currency.

One of the oldest spices known, cinnamon also is one of the most important. It surfaces in nearly every cuisine from Chinese Five Spice Powder and Indian curries to Mexican hot chocolate and America’s own beloved cinnamon rolls. It became essential in the embalming process of ancient Egyptians, and Christopher Columbus was haunted by the fact that he never found access to cinnamon and the other valuable Oriental spices.

Cinnamon has also been associated with the ability to prevent ulcers, destroy fungal infections, soothe indigestion, ward off urinary tract infections, and fight tooth decay and gum disease.

According to Laurie Harrsen of McCormick & Co., the global leader in the distribution of spices, cinnamon is the third-best-selling spice in the U. S. – beat out only by black pepper and garlic powder. But cinnamon soars to No. 1 during the Christmas holidays.

Last fall, scientists announced that they have linked cinnamon consumption with lowering blood sugar levels in diabetics.

“I don’t recommend eating more cinnamon buns, or even more apple pie – there’s too much fat and sugar,” said Richard Anderson of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Md. “The key is to add cinnamon to what you would eat normally.”

Just half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day significantly reduces blood-sugar levels in diabetics, Anderson’s study found, because a component of cinnamon mimics insulin.

The discovery was made initially by accident, Anderson recently told New Scientist magazine. “We were looking at the effects of common foods on blood sugar,” he said. One was apple pie, which is usually spiced with cinnamon. “We expected it to be bad. But it helped,” he said. He added that one of his colleagues tried soaking a cinnamon stick in tea. “He isn’t diabetic – but it lowered his blood sugar,” he said.

So go ahead and sprinkle away. Add a teaspoonful to casseroles, rice dishes, pot roast. It’s so good for you as well as being just so darn good.

Stuffed Chicken with Nutty Cinnamon Rice

2 teaspoons oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1/2 teaspoon crushed chili pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

8 ounces ground pork

2 tablespoons peanuts, finely chopped

2 tablespoons uncooked long-grain rice

3/4 cup coconut cream

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

2 whole frying chickens

1 2/3 cup coconut cream

2 cups water

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon curry powder

2 chopped red chiles

Chopped peanuts for garnish

Heat oil in a wok or frying pan, add garlic, onion, fennel seeds, chili and cinnamon. Stir-fry until aromatic. Add the ground pork and stir-fry until the pork has changed color. Stir in the peanuts and rice. Add the coconut cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, cooking for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, add the mint and cool.

Spoon this stuffing mixture into the cavities of the chickens, forcing any remaining stuffing under the skin around the necks. Sew the cavity openings or secure with toothpicks. Secure the legs with kitchen string and tuck the wings behind the backs.

Combine the extra coconut cream, water, fish sauce and curry powder in saucepan large enough to just fit both chickens. Bring to a boil, add chickens, simmer covered for about 45 minutes or until the chickens are cooked through. Turn the chickens once during cooking.

Remove the chickens from the pan, keep warm. Return the pan to the heat and simmer the pan juices uncovered over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until thickened slightly and reduced to about 11/2 cups liquid.

Using sharp kitchen scissors and a sharp knife, cut down the centers of the chickens. Serve with the sauce, sprinkle with the sliced chilies and extra chopped peanuts.

Cinnamon Pecan Waffles

13/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 eggs, separated

13/4 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup chopped pecans

Combine flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine milk, egg yolks and oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold them into the batter. Put 1-2 tablespoons of the pecans onto a hot waffle iron. Pour about one-quarter cup of the batter over the nuts and cook according to the iron manufacturer’s directions or until the waffle is golden brown. Repeat until all the batter and nuts are used.

Mrs. Hartwig’s Famous Chicken Wings, a family favorite.

21/2 pounds chicken wings

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons soy sauce

11/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Combine all ingredients in a plastic zipper bag and refrigerate two hours, kneading every 30 minutes. (Can also be left overnight.)

Remove wings from bag and place on hot grill. Cook wings for 10 minutes on one side, then turn and baste with the marinade. Continue cooking 10 minutes. May also be baked for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

Cinnamon Clay

11/2 cups ground cinnamon

1 cup applesauce

1/3 cup white school glue (such as Elmer’s)

Mix cinnamon, applesauce and glue together in a bowl. Remove from bowl and knead the mixture until it turns into a firm clay, then let it rest (covered) for about 30 minutes. Clay is best used at room temperature. You may need to dust your rolling pin, hands, or working surface with cinnamon, or use wax paper as a working surface.

Roll out clay with a rolling pin to approximately 1/8 of an inch thick.

Use cutters to cut out desired shapes. If you are going to hang your shape, use a straw to cut out a hole near the top of the shape. Place ornaments on a nonstick cooling rack or wax paper. You will need to keep an eye on them and turn them over occasionally so that they dry evenly and dry flat. Dry shapes for approximately five days.

When they have dried, you may put a ribbon through the hole for hanging on the tree or adding to a package. They also may be decorated with puffy craft paint.

Cinnamon Beef Tagine

2 pounds top sirloin or top round beef, cut in 3/4-inch cubes

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons oil, divided

1 can (141/2 ounces) chicken broth

1 medium onion, cut in small wedges

21/2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 whole bay leaf

8 cups assorted vegetables, cut in 1-inch cubes (such as butternut squash, sweet potatoes, red bell pepper)

1/2 cup raisins

Coat beef cubes with flour. Heat a tablespoon of oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add half of beef; saute 10 minutes or until brown. Remove from pan. Repeat with remaining beef

and oil. Return all beef to

pan.

Stir in broth, onion and all spices. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add vegetables. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in raisins. Less-tender cuts of beef require longer cook time.

Recipe courtesy McCormick & Co. Spices.

Cinnamon Butterscotch Sauce

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter

1 stick cinnamon

Place all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick. Serve immediately while still warm or refrigerate for up to one week.

Cocoa Cinnamon Spread

Makes 4 cups

1 pound butter, softened

1 pound powdered sugar

2-3 tablespoons cocoa

2-3 tablespoons cinnamon

Beat until smooth. Use on toast, bagels, etc.

Sharon Kiley Mack can be reached at 487-3187 or bangor

daily@downeast.net.