Sumatra – Island of Cinnamon Trees
After a long and sometimes adventurous drive past rice fields, plateaus, tropical forests and the highest mountain in Sumatra,Mount Kerici, we reach our destination: the Jambi Province, south of Padang on Sumatra.
Rodiyal, the cinnamon farmer I am meeting with, greets me with a friendly welcome.
We tour the production facilities, which make a very good impression. It is not only the quality of the cinnamon that is important to us, but also how it is processed there. Safety and cleanliness play a major role in this regard. And to get a complete picture, you have to get to know the country and its people and actually go visit it.
In the deep green forests of Jambi Province, the cinnamon farmers use machetes to laboriously peel off the bark of the cinnamon trees by hand. The cut cinnamon bark is then laid out to dry before being further processed.
The cinnamon trees grow wild in nature here and there is absolutely no need to use pesticides. The Cassia cinnamon obtained here is particularly intense and aromatic due to its high oil content, making it ideal for the various tea bases it is used for.
Our cinnamon supplier really convinced me, and so I travel back after spending seven impressive days on this beautiful island.
Cinnamon – One of the oldest Spices
Everyone knows the aromatic scent of cinnamon. Whether in biscuits, drinks or savoury dishes, cinnamon is a very popular spice in many cuisines, and especially during the Christmas season, we can hardly imagine being without it. The brown, fragrant spice was discovered about 3000 years ago and was used for medicinal purposes, among other things, because cinnamon is purported to have many beneficial and health promoting properties.
Where and how does cinnamon grow, anyway?
Cinnamon grows as a tree or shrub in tropical regions such as Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam and China. There are different varieties, which vary in the intensity of the aroma and flavour. The peeled bark of the cinnamon trees rolls up after drying and forms the characteristic cinnamon sticks. In our teas, we predominantly use Cassia cinnamon from Indonesia, which has a more intense aroma and flavour. Although the coumarin content of this cinnamon variety is slightly higher than the milder Ceylon cinnamon, its specific character gives it a unique taste with a slightly sweet note. The coumarin content is strictly controlled, of course, so that you can enjoy our teas without any hesitation. If you are also a fan of cinnamon, be sure to try our new Chai creations.
