Known as the world’s best and most flavorful cinnamon, this cinnamon is typically grown in Saigon region in southern Vietnam, but is indigenous to northern and central parts of the country. Although it’s been used in Vietnamese cooking time out of mind, it didn’t become available in the USA until the early 2000s. Unlike Ceylon cinnamon, Saigon cinnamon retains up to 5% of its essential oils, even when dehydrated. Its flavor is sweet and warm with a hint of bitterness like cassia cinnamon, but is aromatic and complex like Ceylon cinnamon. Nonetheless, all cinnamon types are interchangeable in recipes.

Cooking Notes

• Comes in a 2 oz. package with 5% oil.
• When overcooked, cinnamon can become bitter.
• Best in savory and sweet dishes that require a bold, spicy cinnamon kick
• Fantastic in rice dishes, stews, chocolate cakes, and spiced ganache.
• Add to any hot beverage, like tea, coffee, cider, or hot cocoa for some extra warmth.
• Simmer in Indian curries, especially chicken, lamb, or vegetable.
• Use in dumplings, pickles, chutneys, soups, squash dishes, and vinegars.
• Matches well with chocolate, yogurt, nuts, apples, apricots, blueberries, bananas, cherries, oranges, and some vegetables, like squash, cauliflower, corn, carrots, onions, corn, tomatoes, and spinach.
• Can be combined with black pepper, allspice, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, and ground cloves.