Curry Recipes Online
Beginners Guide => Glossary => Glossary of Spices => Topic started by: Cory Ander on February 18, 2008, 07:03 AM
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Cassia Bark (Jangli Dalchini)
Also called "Chinese Cinnamon" (and sometimes incorrectly labelled as "Cinnamon Skin" or "Cinnamon Bark").
Cassia Bark is the outer bark of a tree and is related to Cinnamon (so called "True Cinnamon"). The tree also yields the "Tamala Leaf" (often called "Indian Bay Leaf" or "Cassia Leaf" - see here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,2208.0.html) with a similar smell and taste.
It has a sweet, cinnamon flavour and smell, but is generally coarser and tougher than Cinnamon, with a less fragrant, less subtle, and more bitter flavour.
It is particularly useful for flavouring pilau rice (where the whole bark is added) and is typically a major flavouring constituent (ground) of Garam Masala.
It can be substituted for Cinnamon (see here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,2435.0.html) in recipes (and vice versa).
The photo shows whole and ground Cassia Bark
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I have used Cinnamon sticks many times and as it is supplied in relatively uniform amounts, it is easy to portion for example 1" piece of Cinnamon stick.
However, Cassia Bark is not supplied in uniform amounts. The bag I have in my store cupboard contains pieces that vary dramatically in shape and size.
If a recipe asks for a 1" inch piece of Cassia Bark, how can I reliably portion this?
My mindset has me thinking that I should simply use enough bark to form a 1" Squared piece of bark. Reliable, yes, but is this correct?
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Cassia Bark is not supplied in uniform amounts. The bag I have in my store cupboard contains pieces that vary dramatically in shape and size.
Ah, the ginger problem revisited in a new guise ;D In fact, both my Cassia bark & my Cinnamon sticks are completely irregular, simply because I buy (by choice) the less "processed" version (even though I now know, from watching terrestrial television this week, that the "processed" version is actually made on the spot by highly skilled local people whose ethnic group specialise in Cinnamon stick production).
So my short answer is "I don't know" but maybe as a first approximation weigh a 1" piece of "processed" cinnamon stick and use that as the basis for the desired weight of cassia.
Which doesn't help me with my "how big is a 1" piece of ginger ?" in the least !
** Phil.
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lol, the ginger question was coming straight after this one as i've no idea, though I have googled it and found several references to it being roughly 1 tablespooon when grated. Though this does seem quite a large quantity to me. I usually estimate 1" Inch of ginger to be 1" cubed.
Weighing the Cassia Bark might work but unfortunately, my scales are not sensitive enough for this job. Looking at references from this site, members have different ideas about this too.
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There's an element of individual taste to it as well. For example I would regard a tbsp. of ginger to be too much for my liking and would maybe opt for 1 tsp. max.
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Interestingly my East End branded bag is labled Chinese Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini) and on the reverse of the packet it lists ingredient: Bark of Cinnamonum aromaticum (Cassia Bark).
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I noticed no one else has mentioned this but do you not think cassia bark has a subtle cloves smell about it compared to cinnamon? i know i do.
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To me its muffled with a fruity note and a slightly smokey character. I guess there is a hint of clove in it.
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I noticed no one else has mentioned this but do you not think cassia bark has a subtle cloves smell about it compared to cinnamon? i know i do.
Yup I agree and to be honest I'm not a big fan of those flavours in my curries.
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From what I've seen on 'posh' cooking sites cassia bark is regarded as poor mans cinnamon- its certainly a lot cheaper, I accidentally bought a bag last week- it was marked as Cinnamon sticks- only when i got it home did i notice in very small letters it said Chinese cinnamon sticks( the Chinese bit was in very small letters) and it turned out to be cassia bark.
I don't think theres a huge diff between the two personally- especially in a curry, where theres all sorts of other spices fighting for competition.
As for weighing it- well i just would guess,its not as powerful as proper cinnamon,have a guess is what i usually do!
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Phil, in my experince of Cassia Bark it's quite a different animal to Cinnamon. I have used the Cassia Bark to make base in the main and you really have to be careful on the amount you add. It may be classed as a poor mans Cinnamon but I don't think it should underestimated as to the effect it can have in a dish.
The difference between the two is a little like that of Fennel seeds to Aniseed, the Fennel is a broader aniseed flavour not as refined or distinct in comparison. The Cassia Bark offers a different broader flavour but delivers more to a dish in comparison to Cinnamon.
This though, brings me back to my initial question, what is a portion of Cassia Bark. Cinnamon is easy as it is provide in fairly regular amounts, Cassia is not.
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The cassia bark i buy is generally in straight finger like peices, if i'm lucky there are one inch square peices approx but i generally add a fingers length to two portions of curry. The trick for me is to taste when cooking as if the curry starts to taste too cinnamony i simply remove the cassia bark. Although this is not practical for most i have seen people grind their cassia bark down to a powder (must have been hard work as it very tough) and add it that way, could this be a way of portioning it?
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It's not so much portioning the Cassia Bark, as you say, grinding it or using a 1" squared piece is a suitable method to do so. The problem is identifying what actually is considered to be a 1" piece of Cassia Bark specific to the recipe calling for it.
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I recently needed some Cassia Bark and my Indian Grocer was out of stock. There is a Chinese / Asian grocer not too far away and they do carry a selection of Indian grocery and spice items. After searching for myself, I had to ask the assistant if they actually had any and he selected a small packet from the Euro Spices branded stand, labelled Cinnamon Bark 20g on the front. I questioned it but he turned the packet over and on the back it says. Ingredients: Cassia Bark Origin: Indonesia.
The product inside the packet was indeed Cassia Bark, but a much finer or thinner bark than the chunky heavy stuff obtained in the bulk bags from the Indian grocer. After doing a bit of research I found that Cassia Bark and Cinnamon are another set of terms that are loosely related, confused and in some cases interchanged. Once again, there is a lot of conflicting and contradictory "information". Substitutions can be made sometimes and I even found information stating that there is a use of blended 50 /50.
Cassia Bark has also been called quite a few things including Indonesian, Bastard, Poor-man's and Chinese Cinnamon. This would explain why the Powdered Cinnamon I bought from the Asian store a while back did not smell or taste of "Cinnamon". It was powdered Cassia used in the Chinese market. When my wife tried to use it to make Cinnamon Donuts and Cinnamon Toast for the kids it tasted disgusting. I put the packet away in the unused spice box. I now realise what it actually is so I may have a use for it after all.
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My understanding now is that Cassia is a cinnamon but Cinnamon isn't cassia. ???
I found this site, http://www.trueceylonspices.com/ceylon-cinnamon/ (http://www.trueceylonspices.com/ceylon-cinnamon/), to be a pretty good and clear explanation of the differences between Cassia cinnamon and True Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum). It is also, probably, a pretty clear explanation as to the difference in the 2 different Cassia Barks pictured in my post above.
Looking at the webpage pictures, compared to my own, would indicate that the Euro Spices brand is as it says, Indonesian Cassia (C. burmannii), while the bark obtained from the Indian Grocer is, surprisingly, most likely to be Chinese Cassia (C. cassia). The former being quite thin and fine, while the latter is very thick and chunky.
So it would appear that I actually have 3 different types of cinnamon in my spice cupboard presently, those being True Ceylon Cinnamon, Chinese and Indonesian Cassia cinnamon. I can't say I've ever seen the Vietnamese variety, probably due to Agent Orange.
Also worth note is the fact that contrary to much misinformation, the Tejpat (Indian Bay Leaf) is not from any of these species of the Cinnamomum genus, but from the species C. tamala, which, unlike the others, is actually from India.
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I recently asked my wife (Chinese/Vietnamese) if we had any cassia bark at the hotel, as I had run out. She said "no, but we have some cinnamon". I was surprised, but said "OK, can I have some of that then ?". Needless to say, when it arrived home it was cassia bark (the coarsest kind) as predicted. When I explained the difference to her, she said "we have only the one word in Vietnamese, which refers to both. We [the Vietnamese] believe that cinnamon is thin young growth while cassia bark is older, tougher and more mature [but both from the same tree]".
Incidentally, Dr J S Pruthi, in his authoritative Spices and Condiments, devotes many pages to cassia and cinnamon, differentiating between Cassia (Jangli dalchini), Cassia China, Cassia Vera, Cinnamon (Darchini), Cinnamomum aromaticum, C. burmannii, C. cassia, C. inners, C. laurerii, C. obtusifolium, C. tamala and C. zeylaminum. The topic is clearly more complex than some would have us believe.
** Phil.
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Interesting to know the understanding of someone native to the region of these plants. Scientific naming, meant to be definitive, is not without localised variation and still today new sub-species are being determined. Synonyms occur for the same species and no doubt visa versa where a single name is used for 2 or more very similar species. All of the cinnamomum plants are very much alike and the difference in the spice may be down to collection and processing methods, age of the tree and the use of inner and outer bark.
It is obvious though, that they are not all the same and while some substitution may be possible in a curry, probably not so in sweet pastry and deserts. Cassia toast or donuts doesn't taste the same as Cinnamon.
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I think that the good Dr Pruthi will not mind my quoting verbatim the most important part of his text for our purposes :
ISO Classification of Important Cassia Species
(A) CASSIA
(i) Cassia China, or Cassia -- Cinnamomum aromaticum (C. G. Nees), also C. Cassia (syn.)
(ii) Batavia Cassia or Java Cassia or Cassia Vera or Padang Cinnamon -- C. burmanii (Blume)
(iii) Saigon Cassia -- C. Laureirii (Nees)
(B) CINNAMON -- Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Blume)
So far as India is concerned, the most important aromatic barks which are in commercial use are (i) the genuine or 'true cinnamon' (C. zeylanicum); (ii) Karuva, or Jangli-Dalchini (C. inners); (iii) Tejpat or Tamal Patra or Indian Cassia Lignea (C. tamala); (iv) Tezpat or Ram Tazpat (C. obtusofoliu).
** Phil.
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That is pretty clear and concise. Well done.
It now appears that I may have to buy a new book. ;) Spices and Condiments looks an interesting read.
Thanks Phil.
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Recommended by Ajoy Joshi (https://thoughtsfromajoy.wordpress.com/tag/dr-j-s-pruthi/), no less (although that is not how I came by my copy). The good Dr Pruthi will be 100 years old in three years, if he is still alive.
** Phil.
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OK, I am familiar with Ajoy. I have used a couple of his different Garam Masala blends and recipes in the past.
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The good Dr Pruthi will be 100 years old in three years, if he is still alive.
** Phil.
Apparently not. I have found several references to the late J S Pruthi in relation to the annual article writing award in his name. The timing of his departure from his mortal coil is not clear though with some mention of 1997, but then he appears to have written again in 1999. A very neat trick if he actually did that.
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Cassia Bark contains Coumarin which can be toxic, Ceylon Cinnamon also contains Coumarin but about 250 times less than Cassia, i dumped all my cassia bark last year and just use the thin Cinnamon sticks.
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I suspect that few, if any, of us eat sufficient cassia bark to cause problems. It is a b*gg@r to grind, and is generally used only to yield its essential oils, the solid elements (in general) being left on the plate. As the flavours of cinnamon and cassia are so different, I shall continue to use both, each for the dishes which really benefit from the flavours that it carries.
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/side-effects-of-cinnamon#section9
** Phil.
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After reading the article above, the only concrete scientific evidence of Cinnamon/Cassia consumption is the effectiveness in humans and beneficial to health.
Cinnamon (May) cause other issues the article indicates.
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I had never heard of the cinnamon challenge until reading your linked page Phil. Humans can be really stupid. It is clearly not very clever.
As for the harmful effects of eating too much cassia, I doubt I'd ever eat anywhere near 5mg of coumarin a day. You'll probably be able to find similar health concern issues pertaining to many different foods and additives. There are trace amounts of poisons like cyanide and arsenic in many things we eat all the time. Unless you eat ridiculous amounts of these foods or are allergic then there isn't usually a problem.