Cinnamon (Ceylon)

Ceylon cinnamon (kurundu කුරුඳු)

Flavor and role: The thin inner bark of the Ceylon cinnamon tree, rolled in many layers and dried, with a soft, delicate, sweetish aroma. Whole sticks go into broths and braises, ground cinnamon into baking and desserts.
Typical dishes and uses: Moussaka, cinnamon rolls, apple pie, Mexican hot chocolate, Moroccan tagine. In this book: moussaka (ground cinnamon) and hot cross buns.
Substitutes: Cassia can replace it in the same amount, but its aroma is stronger, so use about ⅔. 1 cinnamon stick (about 5cm) = ½ tsp ground cinnamon.
Storage: In an airtight container at cool room temperature, away from direct sunlight and moisture. For best aroma, use ground spices within 6 months to 1 year and whole spices within 2-3 years.
Main countries: Sri Lanka · India
Used in this book: Moussaka Chicken Tagine with Lemon and Olives Viennese Apple Strudel Classic American Apple Pie Ayam Masak Merah Baklava Banana Bread Birria Tacos with Consomé Bunny Chow (Durban Chicken Curry in a Loaf)Burmese Chicken Curry (Kyet Thar Hin)Classic Carrot Cake Chicken Machboos (Emirati Spiced Chicken and Rice)Chicken Pastilla Crema Catalana Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler Fesenjan (Persian Chicken in Pomegranate-Walnut Sauce)French Toast (Pain Perdu)Germknödel (Austrian Steamed Yeast Dumpling)Harees Harira Hotteok (Korean Brown Sugar Pancakes)Jerk Chicken Chicken Kabsa Kanelbullar (Swedish Cinnamon Buns)Kenyan Beef Pilau Baked Kibbeh (Kibbeh bil Sanieh)Lebkuchen (German Christmas Spice Cookies)Loukoumades (Greek Honey Doughnuts)Mandi Massaman Curry Melktert (South African Milk Tart)Chicken in Mole Poblano Pastéis de Nata Pastitsio Picarones Pumpkin Pie Beef rendang Rogan Josh Roti Jala with Chicken Curry Rugelach Saleeg Skillingsboller (Norwegian Cinnamon Buns)Speculoos Sri Lankan Chicken Curry (Kukul Mas Curry)Tourtière (Québec Meat Pie)Tres Leches Cake Hotteok-Filled Æbleskiver (Danish × Korean)Baked Älplermagronen with Bacon and Caramelised Onions Chocolate-Dipped Alfajores, Mar del Plata Style Hand-Pulled Apple Strudel with Walnut Butter Crumbs Apple Strudel Turon (Filipino Caramel Spring Rolls)Apple Strudel French Toast with Butter Crumb Crunch Brown Butter Lattice Apple Pie Apple Pie Empanadas with Dulce de Leche Apple Pie Crumble Bars with Cinnamon Glaze Kenduri-Style Ayam Masak Merah, Double-Fried with Coconut Finish Masak Merah Chicken Parmigiana (Malaysian × Italian)Masak Merah Chicken Puffs with Sweet Chilli Mayo Pecan Pie Maple Baklava Rolls Baklava Ice Cream Cups Bananas Foster Banana Boats with Shaken Whipped Cream Brûléed Banana Boat Yogurt Bowls with Skillet Granola Brown Butter Walnut Banana Bread Banana Bread Baked Oats Masala Chai Barmbrack with Cardamom Honey Butter (Irish × Indian)Basbousa Tres Leches with Toasted Coconut Cream Cinnamon Sugar Croffles with Vanilla Ice Cream Toasted-Oat Bircher with Caramelised Apple and Honey Hazelnuts Chai-Spiced Bircher with Pear and Pistachio (Swiss × Indian)Bircher Frozen Yogurt Bark Short Rib and Shank Quesabirria Tacos Lamb Bobotie with Geelrys Mexican Hot Chocolate Brigadeiros with Cinnamon and Chili Durban Lamb Bunny with Fresh-Ground Masala Burmese Chicken Curry with Shallot Oil, Lemongrass and Crispy Shallots Tandoor-Style Murgh Makhani Chai-Spiced Jaggery Butter Tarts (Canadian × Indian)Maple-Cinnamon Bannock on a Stick Brown Butter Carrot Layer Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Gajar Halwa Carrot Cake with Cardamom Cream Cheese (British x Indian)Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwiches with Cream Cheese Filling Classic Ceviche with Leche de Tigre Conchallah (Challah with Mexican Concha Topping)Honey-Tahini Challah Monkey Bread Pindi Chole Hotteok-Style Stuffed Chebab with Brown Sugar and Pistachio (Emirati × Korean)Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani Royal Chicken Machboos with Saffron Rice, Daqoos and Crispy Onions Individual Chicken Pastillas with Honey-Saffron Onion Confit and Orange Blossom Almonds Chicken Pastilla Potstickers with Cinnamon-Honey Chilli Dip Chicken Pastilla Filo-Crunch Toast Charcoal-Skewered Chicken Tikka Masala Picadillo Chiles Rellenos in Charred Tomato Caldillo Amritsari Chole with Paneer-Stuffed Bhature Choux Churros with Cinnamon Sugar and 70% Chocolate Churro French Toast Sticks Orange-Vanilla Crema Catalana with a Double Burnt-Sugar Crust Crema Catalana Brûlée Tartlets Fresh Peach Cobbler with Brown Butter and Buttermilk Biscuits Peach Cobbler Campfire Cones Restaurant-Style Egg Masala with Cashew Tomato Gravy Three-Chile Enchiladas Gratinadas Saffron Duck Leg Fesenjan Pomegranate-Walnut Glazed Chicken Wings Honey-Tahini Feteer Swirls Apple Crumble French Toast Bake Orange-Blossom Honey Fricassé Doughnuts Galbi Pho (Vietnamese Pho × Galbitang)Germknödel with Homemade Rum-Plum Filling, Vanilla Sauce and Brown Butter Peanut Brittle Ice Cream Butter Bao Shahi Haleem with Bone-In Shank and Ghee Baghar Oven-Slow Lamb Harees with Cumin Ghee Saffron Lamb Harira with Egg Ribbons Chicken Harira Tortilla Soup Harira Chickpea Toast with Lemon Yogurt Kabocha Mochi Parfait with Toasted Walnuts Soaked-Rice Hoppers with Seeni Sambol Tangzhong Hot Cross Buns with Tea-Soaked Fruit Masala Chai Hot Cross Buns Busan-Style Seed Hotteok Churro Chocolate Hotteok Bread Hotteok with Vanilla Ice Cream Greek Honey-Walnut Yogurt Cheesecake (Greek × Japanese)Lamb Shoulder Jareesh with Garlic Tasha Pimento-Smoked Charcoal Jerk Chicken Lamb Kabsa with Toasted Spices and Daqqus Oven-Baked Kaiserschmarrn with Homemade Zwetschkenröster Cinnamon-Sugar Kaiserschmarrn Bites with Warm Vanilla Dip Brown-Butter Cardamom Knots (Kanelknutar), Overnight Proofed Hotteok Kanelbullar (Korean-Style Pan-Fried Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buns)Puff Pastry Kanelbulle Twists with Cardamom Glaze Ghee-Seared Beef Pilau with Crispy Onions Fried Kibbeh Footballs with Pine Nut Filling and Tahini Sauce Pandan Kiribath with Seeni Sambol Chicken Kottu with Handmade Godamba Roti Mini Lángos Cinnamon-Sugar Bites with Honey Sour-Cream Dip Nuremberg Elisenlebkuchen with Dark Chocolate Masala Chai Lebkuchen with Jaggery and Pistachio (German × Indian)Lebkuchen Cheesecake Bars Crisp Loukoumades with Orange-Thyme Honey and Walnut-Sesame Brittle Churro Loukoumades with Mexican Cinnamon-Chocolate Sauce (Greek × Mexican)Honey-Walnut Loukoumades Yogurt Parfait Cups Saffron Madrouba with Bone-in Chicken and Crispy Onions Brown Sugar Hotteok-Filled Mandazi (Kenyan × Korean)Slow-Roasted Lamb Mandi with Lamb-Juice Basmati Slow-Braised Beef Shin Massaman with Whole Spices Kofta Meatloaf with Pomegranate Glaze and Tahini Yogurt (Levantine × American)Cardamom-Vanilla Melktert with Sweet Shortcrust Chai Melktert (South African × Indian)Melktert Custard Cups with Cinnamon Crumb Three-Chile Mole Poblano with Plantain and Tomatillo Mole Chicken Bánh Mì with Pickled Carrot and Daikon (Mexican × Vietnamese)Mole Brownies with Ancho Chile, Almonds and Toasted Sesame Lamb Seven-Vegetable Couscous with Tfaya Lamb Moussaka with Pecorino Béchamel Moussaka Doria (Japanese Rice Gratin)Crispy Moussaka Bowl Banana Cream Cheese Mutabbaq Roll Bites with Honey and Pistachio Deli-Style New York Cheesecake with Sour Cream Topping and Strawberry Glaze Nalli Nihari with Homemade Spice Blend Rum-Soaked Fruit Oliebollen with Lemon, Cinnamon and Candied Peel Baked Oliebollen Muffins with a Cinnamon-Sugar Crust Ghee-Crisped Filo Om Ali with Cardamom Milk Overnight Pączki with Homemade Plum Powidła Pączki Bites Cup with Warm Jam Sauce and Vanilla Cream Roasted Curry Powder Parippu with Crispy Shallots Butter-Spiral Pastéis de Nata (Belém Style)Pastel de Nata Custard Toast Pastitsio with Slow-Simmered Beef and Pork Ragù and Bay-Infused Béchamel Pastitsio Melt Toast with Cinnamon Beef and Béchamel Crust Pisco Picarones with Fig-Leaf Chancaca Syrup Picarón Pancake Stack with Chancaca Butter Syrup Maple Croissant Pouding Chômeur Bake Milk-and-Butter Puff-Puff with Nutmeg-Cinnamon Sugar Puff-Puff with Mexican Spiced Chocolate Dip (Nigerian x Mexican)Roasted Butternut Brown-Butter Pumpkin Pie Kabocha Miso Pie with Black Sesame Crumb Crust (Japanese × American)Pumpkin Pie Crème Brûlée Cups Quesadilla Hotcake Stack with Cinnamon Crema Churro Dessert Quesadillas Padang-style dry rendang Vanilla-Bean Risalamande with Brown-Butter Almonds and Spiced Sour Cherry Sauce Slow-Braised Lamb Shank Rogan Josh Rogan Josh Birria-Style Tacos Overnight-Rested Roti Canai with Malaysian Chicken Curry (Kari Ayam)Cinnamon-Sugar Banana Roti Roll-Ups with Teh Tarik Caramel Dip Roti Jala with Fresh Rempah Chicken Curry Chai-Spiced Pistachio Rugelach with Cardamom Glaze (Jewish × Indian)Rugelach Jam Crumble Bars Dulce de Leche Sachertorte (Austrian × Argentine)Saffron Saleeg with Ghee-Basted Chicken and Crispy Onions Saleeg Chicken Doria (Saudi × Japanese yōshoku)Pho-Spiced Chicken Sancocho with Rice Noodles (Colombian × Vietnamese)Konditorei Black Forest Cake with Chocolate Shortcrust and Kirsch Syrup Cinnamon-Sugar Sel Roti with Spanish Hot Chocolate Dip Tower-Roast Chicken Shawarma with Toum Charcoal Shish Tawook with Sumac Onions Brown-Butter Cardamom Skillingsboller with Overnight Rise Miso Caramel Skillingsboller (Japanese × Norwegian)Brown Butter Salted Dark Chocolate S'mores Churro S'mores Quesadilla No-Yeast Soda Bread Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze Sopaipillas Pasadas in Spiced Chancaca Syrup Sopaipilla Churro Bites with Dulce de Leche Dip Overnight Speculoos with Fresh-Ground Spices Speculoos Hotteok (Belgian × Korean)No-Bake Speculoos Cheesecake Cups Sri Lankan Black Chicken Curry with Toasted Coconut Tafelspitz Pho (Austrian × Vietnamese)Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Almonds Ancho-Guajillo Braised Pork Tamales Korean Sujeonggwa Pear Tarte Tatin with Ginger-Cinnamon Caramel Upside-Down Caramel Apple Puff Squares Slow-Braised Pork and Beef Tourtière Tourtière Korokke with Maple Tonkatsu Sauce (Québécois × Japanese)Tourtière Sausage Rolls with Maple-Mustard Dip Cinnamon-Infused Tres Leches with Torched Meringue and Berries Tres Leches Overnight Oats with Strawberries and Cinnamon Almond Crunch Milk-Dough Vetkoek with Cape Malay Mince Cinnamon-Sugar Vetkoek Bites with Apricot-Rooibos Dip Cinnamon-Sugar Mini Yorkies with Berries and Cream

Updated 2026-10-10